Crime in East Cowes: statistics, rates and trends
654 crimes were recorded in East Cowes in the 12 months to August 2026, 70.4 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in East Cowes at a glance
- Crime trends in East Cowes
- Types of crime in East Cowes
- East Cowes compared with nearby towns
- Areas within East Cowes
- Streets with the most crime in East Cowes
- What happened after crimes were reported in East Cowes
- Demographics of East Cowes
- Questions about crime in East Cowes
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (283), anti-social behaviour (92) and shoplifting (81) made up 70% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 768th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | East Cowes | Isle of Wight | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 654 | 11,831 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 70.4 | 83.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +2% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 9,285 | 141,660 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in East Cowes peaked in the year to August 2022 (745 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2019 (484). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 35%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 654 | 70.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 644 | 69.4 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 568 | 61.2 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 680 | 73.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 745 | 80.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 588 | 63.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 541 | 58.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 484 | 52.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 486 | 52.3 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 59 |
| July 2026 | 68 |
| June 2026 | 51 |
| May 2026 | 46 |
| April 2026 | 57 |
| March 2026 | 67 |
| February 2026 | 37 |
| January 2026 | 52 |
| December 2025 | 47 |
| November 2025 | 57 |
| October 2025 | 48 |
| September 2025 | 65 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and other theft (65% below) and anti-social behaviour (35% below) were well below it. On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 48 to 92 and shoplifting rose from 60 to 81, while other theft fell from 30 to 21.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 283 | 30.5 | 34.2 | -13% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 92 | 9.9 | 15.4 | +92% |
| Shoplifting | 81 | 8.7 | 8.5 | +35% |
| Public order | 61 | 6.6 | 6.7 | -8% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 51 | 5.5 | 6.7 | +11% |
| Other theft | 21 | 2.3 | 6.4 | -30% |
| Other crime | 16 | 1.7 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Burglary | 14 | 1.5 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Drugs | 13 | 1.4 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Vehicle crime | 11 | 1.2 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 4 | 0.4 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 4 | 0.4 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 3 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than East Cowes; the highest is Newport (Isle of Wight) (125.6 per 1,000) and the lowest Lee-on-the-Solent (44.9).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs East Cowes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cowes | 766 | 51.2 | -27% |
| Newport (Isle of Wight) | 3,320 | 125.6 | +78% |
| Lee-on-the-Solent | 1,155 | 44.9 | -36% |
| Ryde | 2,246 | 93.6 | +33% |
| Blackfield and Langley | 346 | 56.2 | -20% |
| Gosport | 5,937 | 85.8 | +22% |
| Holbury | 482 | 62.4 | -11% |
| Locks Heath | 1,925 | 53.5 | -24% |
Of the 2 areas within East Cowes, East Cowes had the highest crime rate (79.7 per 1,000) and Osborne the lowest (56.1).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Cowes | Neighbourhood | 5,631 | 449 | 79.7 |
| Osborne | Neighbourhood | 3,654 | 205 | 56.1 |
The 10 locations below account for 41% of the crime recorded in East Cowes over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Castle Street” (50).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Castle Street | 50 |
| On or near Supermarket | 48 |
| On or near Yarborough Road | 34 |
| On or near Anchorage Way | 27 |
| On or near Hospital Road | 21 |
| On or near Albany Road | 20 |
| On or near Minerva Road | 19 |
| On or near Albert Way | 18 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 16 |
| On or near Chinchen Close | 12 |
Of the 562 crimes in East Cowes with a recorded outcome, 22% 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 92 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 256 | 45.6% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 122 | 21.7% | 35.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 59 | 10.5% | 5.2% |
| Under investigation | 27 | 4.8% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 23 | 4.1% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 20 | 3.6% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 16 | 2.8% | 0.6% |
| Status update unavailable | 11 | 2.0% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 9 | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 8 | 1.4% | 0.5% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 8 | 1.4% | 0.0% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
East Cowes has an estimated population of 9,285 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (27%, against 19%), fewer students (4.6%, against 7.9%) and more retired residents (31%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up East Cowes average decile 4.5 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | East Cowes | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 26.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 50.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 30.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 25.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 17.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 65.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 20.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.5 | 5.5 (England) |
Is East Cowes a safe place to live?
East Cowes recorded 70.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 768th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in East Cowes?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 283 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (92).
Is crime in East Cowes going up or down?
Recorded crime in East Cowes was up 2% on the year before: 654 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 644 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of East Cowes?
About 9,285 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 27% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers East Cowes?
East Cowes is policed by Hampshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.