Crime in Exeter: statistics, rates and trends
14,661 crimes were recorded in Exeter in the 12 months to August 2026, 110.8 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 5% on the year before.
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Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (5,981), anti-social behaviour (2,124) and shoplifting (1,495) made up 65% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 251st of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Exeter | Exeter | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 14,661 | 15,017 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 110.8 | 108.5 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -5% | -4% | -1% |
| Population | 132,318 | 138,399 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Exeter peaked in the year to August 2025 (15,387 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2022 (12,131). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 6%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 14,661 | 110.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 15,387 | 116.3 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 13,209 | 99.8 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2022 | 12,131 | 91.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 12,234 | 92.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 12,178 | 92.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 13,560 | 102.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 13,814 | 104.4 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,275 |
| July 2026 | 1,421 |
| June 2026 | 1,316 |
| May 2026 | 1,279 |
| April 2026 | 1,224 |
| March 2026 | 1,252 |
| February 2026 | 1,150 |
| January 2026 | 1,110 |
| December 2025 | 1,083 |
| November 2025 | 1,138 |
| October 2025 | 1,158 |
| September 2025 | 1,255 |
Compared with England and Wales, Exeter recorded notably more bicycle theft (2.7 times the national rate), shoplifting (34% above the national rate) and violence and sexual offences (32% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (52% below) and vehicle crime (44% below). On the year before, bicycle theft rose from 187 to 299 and vehicle crime rose from 242 to 367, while shoplifting fell from 2,455 to 1,495 and anti-social behaviour fell from 2,661 to 2,124.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 5,981 | 45.2 | 34.2 | +10% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 2,124 | 16.1 | 15.4 | -20% |
| Shoplifting | 1,495 | 11.3 | 8.5 | -39% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,113 | 8.4 | 6.7 | +1% |
| Public order | 950 | 7.2 | 6.7 | +1% |
| Other theft | 858 | 6.5 | 6.4 | -3% |
| Drugs | 394 | 3.0 | 3.3 | -16% |
| Burglary | 391 | 3.0 | 3.6 | +8% |
| Vehicle crime | 367 | 2.8 | 5.0 | +52% |
| Other crime | 302 | 2.3 | 2.1 | +23% |
| Bicycle theft | 299 | 2.3 | 0.8 | +60% |
| Possession of weapons | 154 | 1.2 | 1.0 | -11% |
| Robbery | 126 | 1.0 | 1.4 | +19% |
| Theft from the person | 107 | 0.8 | 1.7 | -4% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Exeter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cranbrook (East Devon) | 296 | 48.8 | -56% |
| Crediton | 762 | 91.9 | -17% |
| Exmouth | 2,291 | 63.3 | -43% |
| Chudleigh | 211 | 40.2 | -64% |
| Dawlish | 1,002 | 82.2 | -26% |
| Cullompton | 851 | 69.5 | -37% |
| Ottery St Mary | 251 | 41.0 | -63% |
| Bovey Tracey | 201 | 34.9 | -69% |
Of the 13 areas within Exeter, St David's had the highest crime rate (396.6 per 1,000) and Exwick the lowest (55.5), 7 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St David's | Neighbourhood | 9,875 | 3,916 | 396.6 |
| St Loyes | Neighbourhood | 6,899 | 1,050 | 152.2 |
| Newtown and St Leonard's | Neighbourhood | 12,942 | 1,602 | 123.8 |
| Priory | Neighbourhood | 9,693 | 1,165 | 120.2 |
| Alphington | Neighbourhood | 8,559 | 822 | 96.0 |
| St Thomas | Neighbourhood | 10,889 | 985 | 90.5 |
| Pinhoe | Neighbourhood | 13,342 | 1,059 | 79.4 |
| Mincinglake and Whipton | Neighbourhood | 9,353 | 727 | 77.7 |
| Duryard and St James | Neighbourhood | 16,077 | 1,221 | 75.9 |
| Topsham | Neighbourhood | 10,100 | 671 | 66.4 |
| Heavitree | Neighbourhood | 10,267 | 660 | 64.3 |
| Pennsylvania | Neighbourhood | 11,419 | 640 | 56.0 |
| Exwick | Neighbourhood | 8,984 | 499 | 55.5 |
The 10 locations below account for 28% of the crime recorded in Exeter over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (891).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 891 |
| On or near Supermarket | 739 |
| On or near North Street | 515 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 461 |
| On or near Nightclub | 382 |
| On or near Little Queen Street | 262 |
| On or near Barle Close | 252 |
| On or near Hospital | 228 |
| On or near Rackclose Lane | 177 |
| On or near Cathedral Yard | 155 |
Of the 12,537 crimes in Exeter with a recorded outcome, 26% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 2,124 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 5,298 | 42.3% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 3,270 | 26.1% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 1,774 | 14.2% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 625 | 5.0% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 496 | 4.0% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 263 | 2.1% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 226 | 1.8% | 0.5% |
| Local resolution | 214 | 1.7% | 3.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 155 | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 63 | 0.5% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 63 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 63 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
Exeter has an estimated population of 132,318 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (21.0%, against 7.9%), more private renting (25%, against 20%) and fewer residents with no qualifications (14%, against 18%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Exeter average decile 6.4 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Exeter | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 14.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 15.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 53.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 17.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 21.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 34.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 13.6% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 25.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 57.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 16.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 25.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.4 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Exeter a safe place to live?
Exeter recorded 110.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 251st of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft and shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Exeter?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 5,981 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (2,124).
Is crime in Exeter going up or down?
Recorded crime in Exeter was down 5% on the year before: 14,661 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 15,387 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Exeter?
About 132,318 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 16% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Exeter?
Exeter is policed by Devon & Cornwall.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.