Crime in Chester: statistics, rates and trends
9,531 crimes were recorded in Chester in the 12 months to August 2026, 102.9 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 2% on the year before.
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Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (4,185), public order (1,178) and shoplifting (987) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 320th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Chester | Cheshire West and Chester | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 9,531 | 27,265 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 102.9 | 73.4 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +2% | +4% | -1% |
| Population | 92,648 | 371,652 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Chester peaked in the year to August 2018 (12,133 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (9,379). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 21%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 9,531 | 102.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 9,379 | 101.2 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 9,692 | 104.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 10,163 | 109.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 10,316 | 111.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 10,218 | 110.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 10,965 | 118.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 10,811 | 116.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 12,133 | 131.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 839 |
| July 2026 | 946 |
| June 2026 | 810 |
| May 2026 | 832 |
| April 2026 | 735 |
| March 2026 | 811 |
| February 2026 | 782 |
| January 2026 | 731 |
| December 2025 | 815 |
| November 2025 | 749 |
| October 2025 | 755 |
| September 2025 | 726 |
Compared with England and Wales, Chester recorded notably more public order (91% above the national rate), drugs (60% above the national rate) and violence and sexual offences (32% above the national rate), and notably less vehicle crime (73% below) and theft from the person (67% below).
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 4,185 | 45.2 | 34.2 | +3% |
| Public order | 1,178 | 12.7 | 6.7 | +3% |
| Shoplifting | 987 | 10.7 | 8.5 | +14% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 779 | 8.4 | 15.4 | -14% |
| Other theft | 597 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 0% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 568 | 6.1 | 6.7 | -3% |
| Drugs | 484 | 5.2 | 3.3 | +7% |
| Burglary | 191 | 2.1 | 3.6 | -7% |
| Other crime | 157 | 1.7 | 2.1 | -8% |
| Vehicle crime | 125 | 1.3 | 5.0 | -6% |
| Bicycle theft | 94 | 1.0 | 0.8 | +11% |
| Possession of weapons | 71 | 0.8 | 1.0 | +8% |
| Robbery | 63 | 0.7 | 1.4 | +12% |
| Theft from the person | 52 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 0% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Chester; the highest is Shotton (156.8 per 1,000) and the lowest Helsby (36.7).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Chester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broughton (Flintshire) | 423 | 64.0 | -38% |
| Ellesmere Port | 6,493 | 93.4 | -9% |
| Hawarden | 693 | 57.7 | -44% |
| Shotton | 1,007 | 156.8 | +52% |
| Penyffordd | 186 | 36.8 | -64% |
| Connah's Quay | 1,458 | 87.5 | -15% |
| Helsby | 198 | 36.7 | -64% |
| Buckley | 939 | 66.9 | -35% |
Of the 8 areas within Chester, Chester City & the Garden Quarter had the highest crime rate (230.4 per 1,000) and Great Boughton the lowest (41.1), 6 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester City & the Garden Quarter | Neighbourhood | 19,691 | 4,537 | 230.4 |
| Blacon | Neighbourhood | 13,721 | 1,312 | 95.6 |
| Upton | Neighbourhood | 12,742 | 1,203 | 94.4 |
| Handbridge Park | Neighbourhood | 8,900 | 600 | 67.4 |
| Saltney Ferry | Neighbourhood | 5,199 | 335 | 64.4 |
| Newton & Hoole | Neighbourhood | 15,636 | 878 | 56.2 |
| Lache | Neighbourhood | 6,561 | 355 | 54.1 |
| Great Boughton | Neighbourhood | 12,103 | 498 | 41.1 |
The 10 locations below account for 34% of the crime recorded in Chester over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Shopping Area” (672).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Shopping Area | 672 |
| On or near Nightclub | 559 |
| On or near Hospital | 485 |
| On or near Parking Area | 446 |
| On or near Supermarket | 328 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 192 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 152 |
| On or near Bridge Street | 149 |
| On or near Lumley Place | 138 |
| On or near Godstall Lane | 118 |
Of the 8,752 crimes in Chester with a recorded outcome, 23% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 10% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 779 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 3,530 | 40.3% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,989 | 22.7% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 917 | 10.5% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 900 | 10.3% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 509 | 5.8% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 476 | 5.4% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 183 | 2.1% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 80 | 0.9% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 70 | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 44 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 29 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 25 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
Chester has an estimated population of 92,648 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (10.6%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025 + Wales WIMD 2025 (not comparable), the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Chester average decile 6.4 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Chester | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 15.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 18.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 56.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 21.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 10.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 39.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 15.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 24.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 60.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 17.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 21.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.4 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 10.2% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Chester a safe place to live?
Chester recorded 102.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 320th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were public order and drugs.
What is the most common crime in Chester?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 4,185 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by public order (1,178).
Is crime in Chester going up or down?
Recorded crime in Chester was up 2% on the year before: 9,531 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 9,379 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Chester?
About 92,648 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 19% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Chester?
Chester is policed by Cheshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.