Crime in Bridgwater: statistics, rates and trends
9,040 crimes were recorded in Bridgwater in the 12 months to August 2026, 173.7 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 9% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Bridgwater at a glance
- Crime trends in Bridgwater
- Types of crime in Bridgwater
- Bridgwater compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Bridgwater
- Streets with the most crime in Bridgwater
- What happened after crimes were reported in Bridgwater
- Demographics of Bridgwater
- Questions about crime in Bridgwater
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (3,667), anti-social behaviour (1,347) and shoplifting (1,166) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 27th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Bridgwater | Somerset | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 9,040 | 53,421 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 173.7 | 90.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +9% | +6% | -1% |
| Population | 52,053 | 588,328 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in Bridgwater of any year here (9,040 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 48%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 9,040 | 173.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 8,276 | 159.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 7,914 | 152.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 6,481 | 124.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 7,071 | 135.8 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 6,646 | 127.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 6,518 | 125.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 6,455 | 124.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 6,098 | 117.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 809 |
| July 2026 | 860 |
| June 2026 | 700 |
| May 2026 | 758 |
| April 2026 | 743 |
| March 2026 | 828 |
| February 2026 | 738 |
| January 2026 | 680 |
| December 2025 | 645 |
| November 2025 | 773 |
| October 2025 | 765 |
| September 2025 | 741 |
Compared with England and Wales, Bridgwater recorded notably more shoplifting (2.6 times the national rate), robbery (2.4 times the national rate) and public order (2.1 times the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (71% below). On the year before, vehicle crime rose from 100 to 214 and robbery rose from 91 to 168, while public order fell from 876 to 737.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 3,667 | 70.4 | 34.2 | +4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,347 | 25.9 | 15.4 | +5% |
| Shoplifting | 1,166 | 22.4 | 8.5 | +32% |
| Public order | 737 | 14.2 | 6.7 | -16% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 613 | 11.8 | 6.7 | +12% |
| Other theft | 421 | 8.1 | 6.4 | 0% |
| Burglary | 233 | 4.5 | 3.6 | +54% |
| Vehicle crime | 214 | 4.1 | 5.0 | +114% |
| Robbery | 168 | 3.2 | 1.4 | +85% |
| Other crime | 166 | 3.2 | 2.1 | +11% |
| Drugs | 147 | 2.8 | 3.3 | +1% |
| Bicycle theft | 81 | 1.6 | 0.8 | +53% |
| Possession of weapons | 55 | 1.1 | 1.0 | +45% |
| Theft from the person | 25 | 0.5 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Bridgwater |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Petherton | 502 | 95.8 | -45% |
| Monkton Heathfield | 695 | 108.5 | -38% |
| Burnham-on-Sea | 1,565 | 92.4 | -47% |
| Taunton | 8,305 | 128.0 | -26% |
| Street | 859 | 66.6 | -62% |
| Somerton | 388 | 58.5 | -66% |
| Glastonbury | 1,502 | 164.3 | -5% |
| Cheddar | 457 | 79.8 | -54% |
Of the 5 areas within Bridgwater, Bridgwater South had the highest crime rate (266.0 per 1,000) and Bridgwater West the lowest (70.2), 4 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgwater South | Neighbourhood | 13,490 | 3,588 | 266.0 |
| Bridgwater North & Central | Neighbourhood | 10,499 | 2,352 | 224.0 |
| Bridgwater East & Bawdrip | Neighbourhood | 14,447 | 1,857 | 128.5 |
| North Petherton | Neighbourhood | 12,005 | 1,163 | 96.9 |
| Bridgwater West | Neighbourhood | 11,221 | 788 | 70.2 |
The 10 locations below account for 25% of the crime recorded in Bridgwater over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (508).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 508 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 448 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 267 |
| On or near The Leggar | 178 |
| On or near Fore Street | 149 |
| On or near York Buildings | 146 |
| On or near Cornhill | 144 |
| On or near Parking Area | 137 |
| On or near High Street | 131 |
| On or near Rope Walk | 130 |
Of the 7,693 crimes in Bridgwater with a recorded outcome, 27% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.4% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,347 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 3,220 | 41.9% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 2,081 | 27.1% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 740 | 9.6% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 515 | 6.7% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 489 | 6.4% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 207 | 2.7% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 172 | 2.2% | 0.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 108 | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 63 | 0.8% | 3.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 39 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 33 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 26 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
Bridgwater has an estimated population of 52,053 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (4.8%, against 7.9%) and fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (21%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Bridgwater average decile 4.5 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Bridgwater | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 15.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 62.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 18.7% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 21.3% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 21.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 19.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 57.5% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 18.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 24.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.5 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 6.8% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Bridgwater a safe place to live?
Bridgwater recorded 173.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 27th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and robbery.
What is the most common crime in Bridgwater?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 3,667 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,347).
Is crime in Bridgwater going up or down?
Recorded crime in Bridgwater was up 9% on the year before: 9,040 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 8,276 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Bridgwater?
About 52,053 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 16% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Bridgwater?
Bridgwater is policed by Avon and Somerset.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.