Crime in Cambridge (Cambridge): statistics, rates and trends
16,922 crimes were recorded in Cambridge (Cambridge) in the 12 months to August 2026, 110.5 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Cambridge (Cambridge) at a glance
- Crime trends in Cambridge (Cambridge)
- Types of crime in Cambridge (Cambridge)
- Cambridge (Cambridge) compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Cambridge (Cambridge)
- Streets with the most crime in Cambridge (Cambridge)
- What happened after crimes were reported in Cambridge (Cambridge)
- Demographics of Cambridge (Cambridge)
- Questions about crime in Cambridge (Cambridge)
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (4,910), anti-social behaviour (2,571) and shoplifting (2,426) made up 59% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 254th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Cambridge (Cambridge) | Cambridge | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 16,922 | 16,597 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 110.5 | 111.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | 0% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 153,174 | 149,352 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Cambridge (Cambridge) peaked in the year to August 2019 (18,778 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2021 (15,144). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 9%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 16,922 | 110.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 16,870 | 110.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 17,954 | 117.2 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 17,477 | 114.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 16,775 | 109.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 15,144 | 98.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 17,517 | 114.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 18,778 | 122.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 18,642 | 121.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,716 |
| July 2026 | 1,599 |
| June 2026 | 1,625 |
| May 2026 | 1,504 |
| April 2026 | 1,362 |
| March 2026 | 1,500 |
| February 2026 | 1,141 |
| January 2026 | 1,304 |
| December 2025 | 1,187 |
| November 2025 | 1,295 |
| October 2025 | 1,385 |
| September 2025 | 1,304 |
Compared with England and Wales, Cambridge (Cambridge) recorded notably more bicycle theft (7.5 times the national rate), shoplifting (87% above the national rate) and possession of weapons (48% above the national rate). On the year before, drugs rose from 380 to 690 and other crime rose from 271 to 329.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 4,910 | 32.1 | 34.2 | +7% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 2,571 | 16.8 | 15.4 | 0% |
| Shoplifting | 2,426 | 15.8 | 8.5 | -13% |
| Other theft | 1,090 | 7.1 | 6.4 | -5% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,063 | 6.9 | 6.7 | -7% |
| Public order | 980 | 6.4 | 6.7 | -8% |
| Bicycle theft | 943 | 6.2 | 0.8 | -4% |
| Drugs | 690 | 4.5 | 3.3 | +82% |
| Vehicle crime | 650 | 4.2 | 5.0 | +1% |
| Burglary | 534 | 3.5 | 3.6 | -3% |
| Other crime | 329 | 2.1 | 2.1 | +21% |
| Theft from the person | 319 | 2.1 | 1.7 | -12% |
| Possession of weapons | 219 | 1.4 | 1.0 | +13% |
| Robbery | 198 | 1.3 | 1.4 | +18% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
Cambridge (Cambridge) has a higher crime rate than all 8 of its nearest towns.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Cambridge (Cambridge) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Histon and Impington | 631 | 79.3 | -28% |
| Great Shelford and Stapleford | 225 | 33.5 | -70% |
| Waterbeach | 294 | 51.3 | -54% |
| Sawston | 312 | 41.6 | -62% |
| Cottenham | 477 | 65.2 | -41% |
| Bar Hill | 360 | 70.8 | -36% |
| Longstanton and Northstowe | 633 | 83.6 | -24% |
| Cambourne | 641 | 58.6 | -47% |
Of the 14 areas within Cambridge (Cambridge), Market had the highest crime rate (368.7 per 1,000) and Castle the lowest (40.1), 9 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market | Neighbourhood | 10,689 | 3,941 | 368.7 |
| Petersfield | Neighbourhood | 11,551 | 1,696 | 146.8 |
| Abbey | Neighbourhood | 10,374 | 1,442 | 139.0 |
| East Chesterton | Neighbourhood | 9,998 | 1,327 | 132.7 |
| King's Hedges | Neighbourhood | 10,276 | 1,270 | 123.6 |
| West Chesterton | Neighbourhood | 9,935 | 1,090 | 109.7 |
| Arbury | Neighbourhood | 9,979 | 950 | 95.2 |
| Cherry Hinton | Neighbourhood | 9,442 | 721 | 76.4 |
| Romsey | Neighbourhood | 10,619 | 806 | 75.9 |
| Trumpington | Neighbourhood | 13,017 | 970 | 74.5 |
| Coleridge | Neighbourhood | 10,670 | 750 | 70.3 |
| Queen Edith's | Neighbourhood | 12,270 | 780 | 63.6 |
| Newnham | Neighbourhood | 7,884 | 347 | 44.0 |
| Castle | Neighbourhood | 12,648 | 507 | 40.1 |
The 10 locations below account for 26% of the crime recorded in Cambridge (Cambridge) over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (1,325).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 1,325 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 546 |
| On or near Parking Area | 543 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 479 |
| On or near Downing Street | 359 |
| On or near Market Hill | 265 |
| On or near Hospital | 250 |
| On or near Long Reach Road | 211 |
| On or near Post Office Terrace | 207 |
| On or near Police Station | 196 |
Of the 14,351 crimes in Cambridge (Cambridge) with a recorded outcome, 41% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 2,571 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 5,880 | 41.0% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 4,324 | 30.1% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 1,402 | 9.8% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,162 | 8.1% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 568 | 4.0% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 402 | 2.8% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 328 | 2.3% | 3.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 153 | 1.1% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 67 | 0.5% | 1.3% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 24 | 0.2% | 0.0% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 22 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 15 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Cambridge (Cambridge) has an estimated population of 153,174 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (25.2%, against 7.9%), more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (56%, against 34%) and more private renting (31%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Cambridge (Cambridge) average decile 7.5 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Cambridge (Cambridge) | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 14.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 11.5% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 57.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 11.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 25.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 55.6% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 9.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 33.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 45.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 22.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 31.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.5 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Cambridge (Cambridge) a safe place to live?
Cambridge (Cambridge) recorded 110.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 254th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft and shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Cambridge (Cambridge)?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 4,910 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (2,571).
Is crime in Cambridge (Cambridge) going up or down?
Recorded crime in Cambridge (Cambridge) was almost unchanged on the year before: 16,922 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 16,870 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Cambridge (Cambridge)?
About 153,174 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 12% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Cambridge (Cambridge)?
Cambridge (Cambridge) is policed by Cambridgeshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.