Crime in Halifax: statistics, rates and trends
13,867 crimes were recorded in Halifax in the 12 months to August 2026, 151.6 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 6% on the year before.
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Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (5,833), anti-social behaviour (1,456) and public order (1,226) made up 61% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 62nd of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest tenth.
| Measure | Halifax | Calderdale | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 13,867 | 24,413 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 151.6 | 115.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -6% | -6% | -1% |
| Population | 91,475 | 210,929 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Halifax of any year here (13,867 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 10%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 13,867 | 151.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 14,676 | 160.4 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 14,975 | 163.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 16,304 | 178.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 16,462 | 180.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 14,833 | 162.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 15,002 | 164.0 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 15,928 | 174.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 15,481 | 169.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,196 |
| July 2026 | 1,282 |
| June 2026 | 1,252 |
| May 2026 | 1,227 |
| April 2026 | 1,183 |
| March 2026 | 1,110 |
| February 2026 | 1,036 |
| January 2026 | 1,009 |
| December 2025 | 1,058 |
| November 2025 | 1,095 |
| October 2025 | 1,189 |
| September 2025 | 1,230 |
Compared with England and Wales, Halifax recorded notably more other crime (2.5 times the national rate), drugs (2.1 times the national rate) and public order (2.0 times the national rate), and notably less bicycle theft (48% below) and theft from the person (47% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 113 to 170 and shoplifting rose from 823 to 1,022, while vehicle crime fell from 641 to 513.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 5,833 | 63.8 | 34.2 | -8% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,456 | 15.9 | 15.4 | +7% |
| Public order | 1,226 | 13.4 | 6.7 | -13% |
| Shoplifting | 1,022 | 11.2 | 8.5 | +24% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,005 | 11.0 | 6.7 | -9% |
| Other theft | 812 | 8.9 | 6.4 | -6% |
| Drugs | 620 | 6.8 | 3.3 | -8% |
| Vehicle crime | 513 | 5.6 | 5.0 | -20% |
| Burglary | 492 | 5.4 | 3.6 | -11% |
| Other crime | 492 | 5.4 | 2.1 | -3% |
| Robbery | 170 | 1.9 | 1.4 | +50% |
| Possession of weapons | 106 | 1.2 | 1.0 | -8% |
| Theft from the person | 81 | 0.9 | 1.7 | -15% |
| Bicycle theft | 39 | 0.4 | 0.8 | -9% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Halifax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelf and Northowram | 305 | 50.3 | -67% |
| Queensbury | 920 | 79.9 | -47% |
| Elland | 1,858 | 121.7 | -20% |
| Brighouse | 3,315 | 99.9 | -34% |
| Mytholmroyd | 351 | 69.8 | -54% |
| Ripponden | 289 | 52.4 | -65% |
| Huddersfield | 17,230 | 114.8 | -24% |
| Cleckheaton | 1,521 | 123.0 | -19% |
Of the 7 areas within Halifax, Town had the highest crime rate (304.3 per 1,000) and Sowerby Bridge the lowest (93.2), 3 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town | Neighbourhood | 13,391 | 4,075 | 304.3 |
| Park | Neighbourhood | 17,583 | 2,569 | 146.1 |
| Ovenden | Neighbourhood | 13,591 | 1,964 | 144.5 |
| Illingworth and Mixenden | Neighbourhood | 11,901 | 1,568 | 131.8 |
| Skircoat | Neighbourhood | 14,010 | 1,698 | 121.2 |
| Warley | Neighbourhood | 13,545 | 1,515 | 111.8 |
| Sowerby Bridge | Neighbourhood | 11,175 | 1,042 | 93.2 |
The 10 locations below account for 18% of the crime recorded in Halifax over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Petrol Station” (448).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Petrol Station | 448 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 302 |
| On or near Police Station | 282 |
| On or near Russell Street | 265 |
| On or near Hospital | 257 |
| On or near Parking Area | 247 |
| On or near Town Hall Street East | 238 |
| On or near Supermarket | 171 |
| On or near Horne Street | 134 |
| On or near Silver Street | 127 |
Of the 12,411 crimes in Halifax with a recorded outcome, 26% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,456 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 4,614 | 37.2% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 3,250 | 26.2% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 1,505 | 12.1% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 998 | 8.0% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 722 | 5.8% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 425 | 3.4% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 338 | 2.7% | 3.1% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 245 | 2.0% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 183 | 1.5% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 70 | 0.6% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 40 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 21 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Halifax has an estimated population of 91,475 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more households without a car (31%, against 23%), more residents with no qualifications (24%, against 18%) and fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (26%, against 34%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Halifax average decile 3.1 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Halifax | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 21.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 16.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 53.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 4.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 20.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 7.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 25.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 23.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 30.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 58.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 17.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 23.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.1 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 41.1% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Halifax a safe place to live?
Halifax recorded 151.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 62nd of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were other crime and drugs.
What is the most common crime in Halifax?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 5,833 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,456).
Is crime in Halifax going up or down?
Recorded crime in Halifax was down 6% on the year before: 13,867 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 14,676 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Halifax?
About 91,475 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 16% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Halifax?
Halifax is policed by West Yorkshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.