Crime in Hereford: statistics, rates and trends
5,673 crimes were recorded in Hereford in the 12 months to August 2026, 93.3 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Hereford at a glance
- Crime trends in Hereford
- Types of crime in Hereford
- Hereford compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Hereford
- Streets with the most crime in Hereford
- What happened after crimes were reported in Hereford
- Demographics of Hereford
- Questions about crime in Hereford
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (2,309), anti-social behaviour (773) and shoplifting (698) made up 67% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 429th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Hereford | Herefordshire, County of | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 5,673 | 11,739 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 93.3 | 61.4 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | 0% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 60,834 | 191,047 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Hereford peaked in the year to August 2018 (8,415 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (5,658). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 33%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 5,673 | 93.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 5,658 | 93.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 6,119 | 100.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 6,639 | 109.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 7,952 | 130.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 8,127 | 133.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 8,221 | 135.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 8,059 | 132.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 8,415 | 138.3 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 621 |
| July 2026 | 545 |
| June 2026 | 537 |
| May 2026 | 439 |
| April 2026 | 385 |
| March 2026 | 473 |
| February 2026 | 395 |
| January 2026 | 433 |
| December 2025 | 453 |
| November 2025 | 480 |
| October 2025 | 475 |
| September 2025 | 437 |
Compared with England and Wales, Hereford recorded notably more bicycle theft (2.0 times the national rate) and shoplifting (36% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (72% below) and vehicle crime (71% below). On the year before, bicycle theft rose from 65 to 100 and theft from the person rose from 23 to 29, while anti-social behaviour fell from 993 to 773.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 2,309 | 38.0 | 34.2 | +4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 773 | 12.7 | 15.4 | -22% |
| Shoplifting | 698 | 11.5 | 8.5 | +13% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 453 | 7.4 | 6.7 | +5% |
| Public order | 380 | 6.2 | 6.7 | -9% |
| Other theft | 313 | 5.1 | 6.4 | +13% |
| Drugs | 198 | 3.3 | 3.3 | +2% |
| Other crime | 117 | 1.9 | 2.1 | -4% |
| Burglary | 113 | 1.9 | 3.6 | -9% |
| Bicycle theft | 100 | 1.6 | 0.8 | +54% |
| Vehicle crime | 88 | 1.4 | 5.0 | +19% |
| Possession of weapons | 60 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -12% |
| Robbery | 42 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 0% |
| Theft from the person | 29 | 0.5 | 1.7 | +26% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Hereford; the highest is Abergavenny (132.2 per 1,000) and the lowest Kempsey (53.5).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Hereford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ross-on-Wye | 833 | 73.3 | -21% |
| Leominster | 1,150 | 95.7 | +3% |
| Ledbury | 548 | 55.7 | -40% |
| Monmouth | 968 | 87.4 | -6% |
| Great Malvern | 2,477 | 71.8 | -23% |
| Abergavenny | 1,920 | 132.2 | +42% |
| Ludlow | 880 | 79.1 | -15% |
| Kempsey | 297 | 53.5 | -43% |
Of the 17 areas within Hereford, Central had the highest crime rate (541.5 per 1,000) and Tupsley the lowest (31.8), 17 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central | Neighbourhood | 3,642 | 1,972 | 541.5 |
| Hinton & Hunderton | Neighbourhood | 2,935 | 445 | 151.6 |
| Widemarsh | Neighbourhood | 3,063 | 438 | 143.0 |
| Red Hill | Neighbourhood | 5,647 | 551 | 97.6 |
| Greyfriars | Neighbourhood | 3,987 | 338 | 84.8 |
| College | Neighbourhood | 3,105 | 230 | 74.1 |
| Newton Farm | Neighbourhood | 4,983 | 329 | 66.0 |
| Belmont Rural | Neighbourhood | 3,333 | 202 | 60.6 |
| Dinedor Hill | Neighbourhood | 3,980 | 198 | 49.7 |
| Saxon Gate | Neighbourhood | 3,421 | 167 | 48.8 |
| Eign Hill | Neighbourhood | 3,426 | 160 | 46.7 |
| Kings Acre | Neighbourhood | 3,261 | 146 | 44.8 |
| Bobblestock | Neighbourhood | 3,918 | 175 | 44.7 |
| Holmer | Neighbourhood | 5,317 | 191 | 35.9 |
| Aylestone Hill | Neighbourhood | 4,688 | 161 | 34.3 |
| Whitecross | Neighbourhood | 2,941 | 100 | 34.0 |
| Tupsley | Neighbourhood | 2,831 | 90 | 31.8 |
The 10 locations below account for 29% of the crime recorded in Hereford over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (357).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 357 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 305 |
| On or near Nightclub | 205 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 160 |
| On or near Parking Area | 151 |
| On or near Hospital | 124 |
| On or near Belmont Court | 94 |
| On or near High Street | 93 |
| On or near Commercial Road | 68 |
| On or near Police Station | 68 |
Of the 4,900 crimes in Hereford with a recorded outcome, 16% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.6% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 773 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 2,119 | 43.2% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 834 | 17.0% | 11.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 802 | 16.4% | 35.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 423 | 8.6% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 295 | 6.0% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 214 | 4.4% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 114 | 2.3% | 3.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 40 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 26 | 0.5% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 17 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 12 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 4 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
Hereford has an estimated population of 60,834 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (5.2%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Hereford average decile 5.9 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Hereford | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 19.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 60.8% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.8% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 28.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 20.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 21.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 60.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 18.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 20.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.9 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Hereford a safe place to live?
Hereford recorded 93.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 429th 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 Hereford?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 2,309 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (773).
Is crime in Hereford going up or down?
Recorded crime in Hereford was almost unchanged on the year before: 5,673 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 5,658 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Hereford?
About 60,834 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 20% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Hereford?
Hereford is policed by West Mercia.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.