Crime in Didcot: statistics, rates and trends
2,234 crimes were recorded in Didcot in the 12 months to August 2026, 61.7 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 8% on the year before.
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Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (965), anti-social behaviour (281) and shoplifting (215) made up 65% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 929th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Didcot | South Oxfordshire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,234 | 7,440 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 61.7 | 47.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -8% | +1% | -1% |
| Population | 36,203 | 156,470 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Didcot peaked in the year to August 2025 (2,422 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (1,475). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 51%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,234 | 61.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,422 | 66.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,303 | 63.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,086 | 57.6 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,274 | 62.8 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,161 | 59.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,872 | 51.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,617 | 44.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,475 | 40.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 196 |
| July 2026 | 207 |
| June 2026 | 176 |
| May 2026 | 224 |
| April 2026 | 194 |
| March 2026 | 212 |
| February 2026 | 185 |
| January 2026 | 181 |
| December 2025 | 178 |
| November 2025 | 164 |
| October 2025 | 138 |
| September 2025 | 179 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and vehicle crime (68% below) and burglary (66% below) were well below it. On the year before, criminal damage and arson rose from 157 to 182, while bicycle theft fell from 35 to 26 and shoplifting fell from 276 to 215.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 965 | 26.7 | 34.2 | -6% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 281 | 7.8 | 15.4 | -7% |
| Shoplifting | 215 | 5.9 | 8.5 | -22% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 182 | 5.0 | 6.7 | +16% |
| Public order | 167 | 4.6 | 6.7 | -13% |
| Other theft | 137 | 3.8 | 6.4 | -9% |
| Drugs | 60 | 1.7 | 3.3 | -3% |
| Vehicle crime | 58 | 1.6 | 5.0 | -22% |
| Burglary | 44 | 1.2 | 3.6 | -10% |
| Other crime | 37 | 1.0 | 2.1 | -8% |
| Robbery | 33 | 0.9 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 26 | 0.7 | 0.8 | -26% |
| Possession of weapons | 20 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 0% |
| Theft from the person | 9 | 0.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Didcot; the highest is Oxford (103.9 per 1,000) and the lowest Benson (31.3).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Didcot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abingdon-on-Thames | 2,257 | 68.5 | +11% |
| Wallingford | 463 | 53.0 | -14% |
| Benson | 214 | 31.3 | -49% |
| Grove (Vale of White Horse) | 597 | 55.4 | -10% |
| Wantage | 884 | 64.4 | +4% |
| Oxford | 17,690 | 103.9 | +68% |
| Sonning Common | 209 | 35.0 | -43% |
| Eynsham | 298 | 43.9 | -29% |
Of the 3 areas within Didcot, Didcot West had the highest crime rate (80.2 per 1,000) and Didcot North East the lowest (38.5).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Didcot West | Neighbourhood | 10,147 | 814 | 80.2 |
| Didcot South | Neighbourhood | 14,091 | 807 | 57.3 |
| Didcot North East | Neighbourhood | 10,138 | 390 | 38.5 |
The 10 locations below account for 27% of the crime recorded in Didcot over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (158).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 158 |
| On or near Parking Area | 104 |
| On or near Broadway | 58 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 57 |
| On or near Milton Road | 49 |
| On or near Great Western Drive | 46 |
| On or near Edmonds Court | 34 |
| On or near Roebuck Court | 33 |
| On or near Vicarage Road | 32 |
| On or near Greenwood Way | 27 |
Of the 1,953 crimes in Didcot with a recorded outcome, 30% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.7% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 281 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 708 | 36.3% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 592 | 30.3% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 270 | 13.8% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 96 | 4.9% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 90 | 4.6% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 72 | 3.7% | 5.2% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 67 | 3.4% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 27 | 1.4% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 19 | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 6 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Didcot has an estimated population of 36,203 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (4.4%, against 7.9%), fewer households without a car (14%, against 23%) and a younger population (12%, against 19%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Didcot average decile 8.5 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Didcot | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 21.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 11.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 72.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.5% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 13.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 39.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 13.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 14.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 67.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 13.6% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 19.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 8.5 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Didcot a safe place to live?
Didcot recorded 61.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 929th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Didcot?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 965 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (281).
Is crime in Didcot going up or down?
Recorded crime in Didcot was down 8% on the year before: 2,234 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,422 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Didcot?
About 36,203 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 12% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Didcot?
Didcot is policed by Thames Valley.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.