Crime in Caernarfon: statistics, rates and trends
1,646 crimes were recorded in Caernarfon in the 12 months to August 2026, 159.8 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 6% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Caernarfon at a glance
- Crime trends in Caernarfon
- Types of crime in Caernarfon
- Caernarfon compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Caernarfon
- Streets with the most crime in Caernarfon
- What happened after crimes were reported in Caernarfon
- Demographics of Caernarfon
- Questions about crime in Caernarfon
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (617), anti-social behaviour (326) and shoplifting (167) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 43rd of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Caernarfon | Gwynedd | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,646 | 10,688 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 159.8 | 88.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -6% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 10,299 | 120,813 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Caernarfon peaked in the year to August 2020 (1,862 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2021 (1,519). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it was almost unchanged, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,646 | 159.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,751 | 170.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,634 | 158.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,752 | 170.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,798 | 174.6 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,519 | 147.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,862 | 180.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,709 | 165.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,642 | 159.4 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 174 |
| July 2026 | 158 |
| June 2026 | 156 |
| May 2026 | 157 |
| April 2026 | 161 |
| March 2026 | 144 |
| February 2026 | 92 |
| January 2026 | 127 |
| December 2025 | 117 |
| November 2025 | 144 |
| October 2025 | 94 |
| September 2025 | 122 |
Compared with England and Wales, Caernarfon recorded notably more possession of weapons (2.3 times the national rate), criminal damage and arson (2.3 times the national rate) and anti-social behaviour (2.1 times the national rate), and notably less vehicle crime (41% below). On the year before, burglary rose from 27 to 41, while other crime fell from 43 to 22 and shoplifting fell from 202 to 167.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 617 | 59.9 | 34.2 | -4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 326 | 31.7 | 15.4 | -10% |
| Shoplifting | 167 | 16.2 | 8.5 | -17% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 157 | 15.2 | 6.7 | -4% |
| Public order | 106 | 10.3 | 6.7 | -1% |
| Other theft | 72 | 7.0 | 6.4 | -13% |
| Drugs | 64 | 6.2 | 3.3 | -2% |
| Burglary | 41 | 4.0 | 3.6 | +52% |
| Vehicle crime | 30 | 2.9 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 23 | 2.2 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Other crime | 22 | 2.1 | 2.1 | -49% |
| Bicycle theft | 8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Robbery | 7 | 0.7 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 6 | 0.6 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Caernarfon; the highest is Llandudno (213.9 per 1,000) and the lowest Conwy (76.5).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Caernarfon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangor | 2,903 | 155.4 | -3% |
| Holyhead | 1,554 | 125.7 | -21% |
| Conwy | 1,213 | 76.5 | -52% |
| Llandudno | 3,241 | 213.9 | +34% |
| Colwyn Bay | 3,655 | 129.7 | -19% |
| Abergele | 746 | 81.5 | -49% |
| Kinmel Bay | 1,000 | 105.7 | -34% |
| Rhyl | 5,492 | 200.6 | +25% |
Of the 5 areas within Caernarfon, Canol Tref Caernarfon had the highest crime rate (299.9 per 1,000) and Hendre the lowest (48.0), 6 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canol Tref Caernarfon | Neighbourhood | 1,584 | 475 | 299.9 |
| Cadnant | Neighbourhood | 2,230 | 405 | 181.6 |
| Peblig | Neighbourhood | 2,656 | 388 | 146.1 |
| Menai | Neighbourhood | 2,224 | 301 | 135.3 |
| Hendre | Neighbourhood | 1,605 | 77 | 48.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 41% of the crime recorded in Caernarfon over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (177).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 177 |
| On or near Rhes Pretoria | 118 |
| On or near Penllyn | 72 |
| On or near Glan Cadnant | 69 |
| On or near Supermarket | 55 |
| On or near Bridge Street | 46 |
| On or near Rhes Segontiwm | 39 |
| On or near Stryd Y Porth Mawr | 37 |
| On or near Cae'R Saint | 31 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 31 |
Of the 1,320 crimes in Caernarfon with a recorded outcome, 19% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 11% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 326 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 495 | 37.5% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 250 | 18.9% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 232 | 17.6% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 146 | 11.1% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 73 | 5.5% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 55 | 4.2% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 32 | 2.4% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 11 | 0.8% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 9 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 8 | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 6 | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 3 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
Caernarfon has an estimated population of 10,299 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (28%, against 17%), less private renting (14%, against 20%) and fewer students (5.8%, against 7.9%). On the Wales WIMD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Caernarfon average decile 4.6 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Caernarfon | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 20.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 55.0% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.3% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 23.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 32.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 20.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 26.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 57.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 28.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 14.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.6 | 5.5 (Wales) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 25.8% | 9.5% (Wales) |
Is Caernarfon a safe place to live?
Caernarfon recorded 159.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 43rd of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were possession of weapons and criminal damage and arson.
What is the most common crime in Caernarfon?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 617 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (326).
Is crime in Caernarfon going up or down?
Recorded crime in Caernarfon was down 6% on the year before: 1,646 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,751 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Caernarfon?
About 10,299 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 21% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Caernarfon?
Caernarfon is policed by North Wales.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.