Crime in Haywards Heath: statistics, rates and trends
2,243 crimes were recorded in Haywards Heath in the 12 months to August 2026, 54.3 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Haywards Heath at a glance
- Crime trends in Haywards Heath
- Types of crime in Haywards Heath
- Haywards Heath compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Haywards Heath
- Streets with the most crime in Haywards Heath
- What happened after crimes were reported in Haywards Heath
- Demographics of Haywards Heath
- Questions about crime in Haywards Heath
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (749), anti-social behaviour (566) and public order (212) made up 68% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,070th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest quarter.
| Measure | Haywards Heath | Mid Sussex | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,243 | 9,839 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 54.3 | 60.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +1% | +5% | -1% |
| Population | 41,292 | 161,755 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Haywards Heath peaked in the year to August 2024 (2,280 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2022 (1,870). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 15%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,243 | 54.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,226 | 53.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,280 | 55.2 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,015 | 48.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,870 | 45.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,273 | 55.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,207 | 53.4 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,936 | 46.9 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,953 | 47.3 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 194 |
| July 2026 | 227 |
| June 2026 | 207 |
| May 2026 | 195 |
| April 2026 | 173 |
| March 2026 | 171 |
| February 2026 | 164 |
| January 2026 | 164 |
| December 2025 | 166 |
| November 2025 | 188 |
| October 2025 | 178 |
| September 2025 | 216 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and shoplifting (72% below) and vehicle crime (61% below) were well below it. On the year before, drugs rose from 33 to 56 and burglary rose from 53 to 79, while shoplifting fell from 141 to 98 and possession of weapons fell from 27 to 21.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 749 | 18.1 | 34.2 | -5% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 566 | 13.7 | 15.4 | +30% |
| Public order | 212 | 5.1 | 6.7 | -5% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 154 | 3.7 | 6.7 | -19% |
| Other theft | 140 | 3.4 | 6.4 | -4% |
| Shoplifting | 98 | 2.4 | 8.5 | -30% |
| Vehicle crime | 80 | 1.9 | 5.0 | -15% |
| Burglary | 79 | 1.9 | 3.6 | +49% |
| Drugs | 56 | 1.4 | 3.3 | +70% |
| Other crime | 49 | 1.2 | 2.1 | -12% |
| Possession of weapons | 21 | 0.5 | 1.0 | -22% |
| Bicycle theft | 15 | 0.4 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 13 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Robbery | 11 | 0.3 | 1.4 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
Every one of the 8 nearest towns has a higher crime rate than Haywards Heath.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Haywards Heath |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burgess Hill | 2,507 | 73.0 | +34% |
| Hassocks and Hurstpierpoint | 908 | 60.9 | +12% |
| Crawley (Crawley) | 15,916 | 126.4 | +133% |
| Uckfield | 926 | 59.1 | +9% |
| Henfield | 326 | 55.2 | +2% |
| Copthorne | 486 | 77.3 | +42% |
| East Grinstead | 1,780 | 63.4 | +17% |
| Lewes | 1,801 | 109.6 | +102% |
Of the 7 areas within Haywards Heath, Haywards Heath Bentswood & Heath had the highest crime rate (82.9 per 1,000) and Lindfield Rural & High Weald the lowest (30.0).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haywards Heath Bentswood & Heath | Neighbourhood | 9,036 | 749 | 82.9 |
| Haywards Heath Ashenground | Neighbourhood | 8,173 | 493 | 60.3 |
| Haywards Heath Franklands | Neighbourhood | 5,904 | 327 | 55.4 |
| Haywards Heath North | Neighbourhood | 1,925 | 99 | 51.4 |
| Lindfield | Neighbourhood | 7,506 | 278 | 37.0 |
| Haywards Heath Lucastes & Bolnore | Neighbourhood | 7,886 | 290 | 36.8 |
| Lindfield Rural & High Weald | Neighbourhood | 7,763 | 233 | 30.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 30% of the crime recorded in Haywards Heath over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “B2272” (115).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near B2272 | 115 |
| On or near Parking Area | 113 |
| On or near Supermarket | 105 |
| On or near South Road | 86 |
| On or near Hospital | 60 |
| On or near Hoblands | 42 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 40 |
| On or near The Squires | 38 |
| On or near The Broadway | 33 |
| On or near Massey Way | 31 |
Of the 1,677 crimes in Haywards Heath with a recorded outcome, 46% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 2.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 566 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 778 | 46.4% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 552 | 32.9% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 129 | 7.7% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 65 | 3.9% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 48 | 2.9% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 37 | 2.2% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 23 | 1.4% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 19 | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 7 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 7 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 7 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 5 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
Haywards Heath has an estimated population of 41,292 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer residents with no qualifications (11%, against 18%), fewer households without a car (15%, against 23%) and fewer students (5.1%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Haywards Heath average decile 8.7 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Haywards Heath | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.5% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 19.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 63.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.5% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.1% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 44.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 10.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 14.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 68.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 12.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 19.0% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 8.7 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Haywards Heath a safe place to live?
Haywards Heath recorded 54.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,070th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Haywards Heath?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 749 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (566).
Is crime in Haywards Heath going up or down?
Recorded crime in Haywards Heath was almost unchanged on the year before: 2,243 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,226 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Haywards Heath?
About 41,292 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 19% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Haywards Heath?
Haywards Heath is policed by Sussex.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.