Crime in Darlington: statistics, rates and trends
12,444 crimes were recorded in Darlington in the 12 months to August 2026, 131.9 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 7% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Darlington at a glance
- Crime trends in Darlington
- Types of crime in Darlington
- Darlington compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Darlington
- Streets with the most crime in Darlington
- What happened after crimes were reported in Darlington
- Demographics of Darlington
- Questions about crime in Darlington
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (3,914), anti-social behaviour (2,948) and criminal damage and arson (1,206) made up 65% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 125th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Darlington | Darlington | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 12,444 | 14,196 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 131.9 | 126.2 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +7% | +7% | -1% |
| Population | 94,315 | 112,489 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Darlington peaked in the year to August 2018 (14,979 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (11,664). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 17%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 12,444 | 131.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 11,664 | 123.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 12,331 | 130.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 12,792 | 135.6 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 12,776 | 135.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 12,566 | 133.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 14,107 | 149.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 13,885 | 147.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 14,979 | 158.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,188 |
| July 2026 | 1,213 |
| June 2026 | 1,177 |
| May 2026 | 1,107 |
| April 2026 | 1,074 |
| March 2026 | 986 |
| February 2026 | 885 |
| January 2026 | 947 |
| December 2025 | 916 |
| November 2025 | 986 |
| October 2025 | 994 |
| September 2025 | 971 |
Compared with England and Wales, Darlington recorded notably more anti-social behaviour (2.0 times the national rate), criminal damage and arson (90% above the national rate) and other crime (61% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (65% below) and drugs (49% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 56 to 98 and other crime rose from 238 to 320, while drugs fell from 294 to 157.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 3,914 | 41.5 | 34.2 | +1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 2,948 | 31.3 | 15.4 | +14% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,206 | 12.8 | 6.7 | -5% |
| Shoplifting | 1,186 | 12.6 | 8.5 | +20% |
| Public order | 790 | 8.4 | 6.7 | +7% |
| Other theft | 543 | 5.8 | 6.4 | +4% |
| Vehicle crime | 515 | 5.5 | 5.0 | +6% |
| Burglary | 495 | 5.2 | 3.6 | +27% |
| Other crime | 320 | 3.4 | 2.1 | +34% |
| Drugs | 157 | 1.7 | 3.3 | -47% |
| Possession of weapons | 110 | 1.2 | 1.0 | +18% |
| Bicycle theft | 107 | 1.1 | 0.8 | +8% |
| Robbery | 98 | 1.0 | 1.4 | +75% |
| Theft from the person | 55 | 0.6 | 1.7 | +25% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Darlington; the highest is Bishop Auckland (203.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Ingleby Barwick (48.5).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Darlington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newton Aycliffe | 3,537 | 133.6 | +1% |
| Shildon | 1,823 | 169.9 | +29% |
| Egglescliffe | 627 | 57.1 | -57% |
| Yarm | 552 | 63.6 | -52% |
| Stockton-on-Tees | 15,247 | 169.8 | +29% |
| Sedgefield | 415 | 65.0 | -51% |
| Ingleby Barwick | 1,213 | 48.5 | -63% |
| Bishop Auckland | 4,394 | 203.7 | +54% |
Of the 17 areas within Darlington, Park East had the highest crime rate (419.9 per 1,000) and Hummersknott the lowest (34.3), 12 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park East | Neighbourhood | 6,949 | 2,918 | 419.9 |
| North Road | Neighbourhood | 5,796 | 1,185 | 204.5 |
| Northgate | Neighbourhood | 3,257 | 658 | 202.0 |
| Stephenson | Neighbourhood | 5,282 | 959 | 181.6 |
| Red Hall & Lingfield | Neighbourhood | 4,825 | 800 | 165.8 |
| Bank Top & Lascelles | Neighbourhood | 7,888 | 1,088 | 137.9 |
| Cockerton | Neighbourhood | 6,258 | 777 | 124.2 |
| Pierremont | Neighbourhood | 6,722 | 715 | 106.4 |
| Park West | Neighbourhood | 5,532 | 514 | 92.9 |
| Eastbourne | Neighbourhood | 6,605 | 612 | 92.7 |
| Haughton & Springfield | Neighbourhood | 5,567 | 503 | 90.4 |
| Whinfield | Neighbourhood | 4,455 | 396 | 88.9 |
| Brinkburn & Faverdale | Neighbourhood | 7,868 | 616 | 78.3 |
| Harrowgate Hill | Neighbourhood | 7,146 | 523 | 73.2 |
| Mowden | Neighbourhood | 3,851 | 177 | 46.0 |
| College | Neighbourhood | 4,313 | 159 | 36.9 |
| Hummersknott | Neighbourhood | 3,494 | 120 | 34.3 |
The 10 locations below account for 20% of the crime recorded in Darlington over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “East Row” (474).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near East Row | 474 |
| On or near Supermarket | 351 |
| On or near Parking Area | 308 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 303 |
| On or near Commercial Street | 282 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 187 |
| On or near West Row | 153 |
| On or near Teeswater | 144 |
| On or near Barningham Street | 140 |
| On or near Barton Street | 127 |
Of the 9,496 crimes in Darlington with a recorded outcome, 33% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 7.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 2,948 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 3,739 | 39.4% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 3,092 | 32.6% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 879 | 9.3% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 680 | 7.2% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 282 | 3.0% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 224 | 2.4% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 198 | 2.1% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 106 | 1.1% | 0.5% |
| Local resolution | 89 | 0.9% | 3.1% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 80 | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 71 | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 51 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
Darlington has an estimated population of 94,315 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (5.5%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Darlington average decile 4.7 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Darlington | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 20.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 55.6% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 24.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.5% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 27.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 20.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 27.3% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 60.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 17.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 21.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.7 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 20.5% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Darlington a safe place to live?
Darlington recorded 131.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 125th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson.
What is the most common crime in Darlington?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 3,914 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (2,948).
Is crime in Darlington going up or down?
Recorded crime in Darlington was up 7% on the year before: 12,444 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 11,664 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Darlington?
About 94,315 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 21% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Darlington?
Darlington is policed by Durham.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.