Crime in Castleford: statistics, rates and trends
6,882 crimes were recorded in Castleford in the 12 months to August 2026, 147.6 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Castleford at a glance
- Crime trends in Castleford
- Types of crime in Castleford
- Castleford compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Castleford
- Streets with the most crime in Castleford
- What happened after crimes were reported in Castleford
- Demographics of Castleford
- Questions about crime in Castleford
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (2,500), anti-social behaviour (869) and shoplifting (645) made up 58% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 73rd of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Castleford | Wakefield | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 6,882 | 42,896 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 147.6 | 116.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +1% | -7% | -1% |
| Population | 46,618 | 367,666 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Castleford peaked in the year to August 2022 (8,400 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2020 (6,519). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 5%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 6,882 | 147.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 6,844 | 146.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 7,349 | 157.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 8,243 | 176.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 8,400 | 180.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 6,840 | 146.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 6,519 | 139.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 7,194 | 154.3 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 7,218 | 154.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 578 |
| July 2026 | 602 |
| June 2026 | 648 |
| May 2026 | 585 |
| April 2026 | 543 |
| March 2026 | 596 |
| February 2026 | 508 |
| January 2026 | 557 |
| December 2025 | 480 |
| November 2025 | 544 |
| October 2025 | 646 |
| September 2025 | 595 |
Compared with England and Wales, Castleford recorded notably more other crime (2.5 times the national rate), vehicle crime (2.0 times the national rate) and other theft (85% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (69% below) and bicycle theft (30% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 55 to 82 and other crime rose from 183 to 251, while theft from the person fell from 32 to 24 and bicycle theft fell from 36 to 27.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 2,500 | 53.6 | 34.2 | -10% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 869 | 18.6 | 15.4 | +34% |
| Shoplifting | 645 | 13.8 | 8.5 | +1% |
| Other theft | 556 | 11.9 | 6.4 | -5% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 522 | 11.2 | 6.7 | +26% |
| Public order | 482 | 10.3 | 6.7 | -4% |
| Vehicle crime | 472 | 10.1 | 5.0 | +1% |
| Other crime | 251 | 5.4 | 2.1 | +37% |
| Burglary | 247 | 5.3 | 3.6 | -15% |
| Drugs | 160 | 3.4 | 3.3 | +12% |
| Robbery | 82 | 1.8 | 1.4 | +49% |
| Possession of weapons | 45 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -13% |
| Bicycle theft | 27 | 0.6 | 0.8 | -25% |
| Theft from the person | 24 | 0.5 | 1.7 | -25% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Castleford; the highest is Knottingley (161.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Ackworth Moor Top (58.4).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Castleford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pontefract | 4,107 | 120.2 | -19% |
| Allerton Bywater | 712 | 88.4 | -40% |
| Featherstone (Wakefield) | 1,360 | 107.4 | -27% |
| Normanton (Wakefield) | 2,035 | 88.9 | -40% |
| Kippax | 606 | 59.8 | -59% |
| Knottingley | 1,456 | 161.8 | +10% |
| Garforth | 1,052 | 65.9 | -55% |
| Ackworth Moor Top | 389 | 58.4 | -60% |
Of the 3 areas within Castleford, Castleford Central and Glasshoughton had the highest crime rate (196.9 per 1,000) and Altofts and Whitwood the lowest (79.9).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castleford Central and Glasshoughton | Neighbourhood | 17,900 | 3,524 | 196.9 |
| Airedale and Ferry Fryston | Neighbourhood | 17,388 | 2,250 | 129.4 |
| Altofts and Whitwood | Neighbourhood | 18,569 | 1,483 | 79.9 |
The 10 locations below account for 19% of the crime recorded in Castleford over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Colorado Way” (220).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Colorado Way | 220 |
| On or near A639 | 180 |
| On or near The Square | 166 |
| On or near Parking Area | 145 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 136 |
| On or near Bus/Coach Station | 111 |
| On or near Ashton Street | 97 |
| On or near Stainburn Avenue | 94 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 87 |
| On or near Aspen Way | 86 |
Of the 6,013 crimes in Castleford with a recorded outcome, 36% 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 869 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 2,183 | 36.3% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 2,105 | 35.0% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 655 | 10.9% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 383 | 6.4% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 241 | 4.0% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 136 | 2.3% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 105 | 1.7% | 3.1% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 69 | 1.1% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 53 | 0.9% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 51 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 16 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 8 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Castleford has an estimated population of 46,618 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with no qualifications (28%, against 18%), fewer students (4.5%, against 7.9%) and fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (19%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Castleford average decile 3.6 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Castleford | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 16.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 58.5% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 20.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.5% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 19.4% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 27.8% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 25.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 61.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 23.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.3% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.6 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 31.4% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Castleford a safe place to live?
Castleford recorded 147.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 73rd of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were other crime and vehicle crime.
What is the most common crime in Castleford?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 2,500 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (869).
Is crime in Castleford going up or down?
Recorded crime in Castleford was almost unchanged on the year before: 6,882 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 6,844 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Castleford?
About 46,618 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 16% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Castleford?
Castleford is policed by West Yorkshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.