Crime in Woolston: statistics, rates and trends
1,733 crimes were recorded in Woolston in the 12 months to August 2026, 108.0 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 1% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (802), anti-social behaviour (248) and public order (152) made up 69% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,048th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Woolston | Southampton | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,733 | 34,688 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 108.0 | 133.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +1% | +1% | -1% |
| Population | 16,044 | 259,424 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Woolston peaked in the year to August 2022 (2,237 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (1,711). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 11%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,733 | 108.0 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,711 | 106.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,834 | 114.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,854 | 115.6 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,237 | 139.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,219 | 138.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,073 | 129.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,948 | 121.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,952 | 121.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 166 |
| July 2026 | 181 |
| June 2026 | 158 |
| May 2026 | 144 |
| April 2026 | 142 |
| March 2026 | 148 |
| February 2026 | 109 |
| January 2026 | 124 |
| December 2025 | 117 |
| November 2025 | 148 |
| October 2025 | 139 |
| September 2025 | 157 |
Compared with England and Wales, Woolston recorded notably more possession of weapons (2.1 times the national rate), violence and sexual offences (46% above the national rate) and public order (42% above the national rate), and notably less shoplifting (59% below) and drugs (28% below). On the year before, other crime rose from 26 to 34 and possession of weapons rose from 26 to 33, while shoplifting fell from 73 to 56 and other theft fell from 109 to 85.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 802 | 50.0 | 34.2 | -3% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 248 | 15.5 | 15.4 | +9% |
| Public order | 152 | 9.5 | 6.7 | +24% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 139 | 8.7 | 6.7 | +6% |
| Other theft | 85 | 5.3 | 6.4 | -22% |
| Vehicle crime | 69 | 4.3 | 5.0 | +3% |
| Shoplifting | 56 | 3.5 | 8.5 | -23% |
| Burglary | 49 | 3.1 | 3.6 | +9% |
| Drugs | 38 | 2.4 | 3.3 | +3% |
| Other crime | 34 | 2.1 | 2.1 | +31% |
| Possession of weapons | 33 | 2.1 | 1.0 | +27% |
| Bicycle theft | 11 | 0.7 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Robbery | 9 | 0.6 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 8 | 0.5 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
5 of the 8 nearest neighbourhoods have a higher crime rate than Woolston; the highest is Banister & Polygon (278.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Bitterne Park (72.7).
| Neighbourhood | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Woolston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peartree | 1,549 | 110.0 | +2% |
| Sholing | 1,186 | 86.1 | -20% |
| Bargate | 4,874 | 269.5 | +150% |
| Thornhill | 1,955 | 137.0 | +27% |
| Bevois | 2,918 | 162.3 | +50% |
| Harefield | 1,271 | 96.8 | -10% |
| Banister & Polygon | 5,395 | 278.8 | +158% |
| Bitterne Park | 1,114 | 72.7 | -33% |
The 10 locations below account for 40% of the crime recorded in Woolston over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (126).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 126 |
| On or near International Way | 112 |
| On or near Capstan Road | 90 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 82 |
| On or near Parking Area | 79 |
| On or near Riversdale Close | 52 |
| On or near Winchfield Close | 49 |
| On or near Fullerton Close | 41 |
| On or near Ashton Walk | 35 |
| On or near Staplehurst Close | 29 |
Of the 1,485 crimes in Woolston with a recorded outcome, 28% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 248 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 658 | 44.3% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 416 | 28.0% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 184 | 12.4% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 64 | 4.3% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 48 | 3.2% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 46 | 3.1% | 4.7% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 17 | 1.1% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 15 | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 14 | 0.9% | 0.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 11 | 0.7% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 10 | 0.7% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Woolston has an estimated population of 16,044 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (28%, against 17%), fewer students (5.1%, against 7.9%) and fewer retired residents (16%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Woolston average decile 3.8 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Woolston | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 14.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 61.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 16.4% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 27.3% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.6% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 23.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 49.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 27.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 22.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.8 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 29.2% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Woolston a safe place to live?
Woolston recorded 108.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,048th of the 3,911 neighbourhoods on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were possession of weapons and violence and sexual offences.
What is the most common crime in Woolston?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 802 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (248).
Is crime in Woolston going up or down?
Recorded crime in Woolston was up 1% on the year before: 1,733 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,711 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Woolston?
About 16,044 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 15% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Woolston?
Woolston is policed by Hampshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.