Crime in Highworth: statistics, rates and trends
400 crimes were recorded in Highworth in the 12 months to August 2026, 47.4 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 1% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Highworth at a glance
- Crime trends in Highworth
- Types of crime in Highworth
- Highworth compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Highworth
- Streets with the most crime in Highworth
- What happened after crimes were reported in Highworth
- Demographics of Highworth
- Questions about crime in Highworth
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (164), anti-social behaviour (56), criminal damage and arson (38) and shoplifting (38) made up 74% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,196th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lowest quarter.
| Measure | Highworth | Swindon | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 400 | 19,935 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 47.4 | 81.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 8,447 | 243,875 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Highworth peaked in the year to August 2019 (597 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (358). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 11%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 400 | 47.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 405 | 47.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 358 | 42.4 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 443 | 52.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 512 | 60.6 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 467 | 55.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 407 | 48.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 597 | 70.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 449 | 53.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 34 |
| July 2026 | 36 |
| June 2026 | 17 |
| May 2026 | 42 |
| April 2026 | 45 |
| March 2026 | 26 |
| February 2026 | 39 |
| January 2026 | 37 |
| December 2025 | 32 |
| November 2025 | 29 |
| October 2025 | 35 |
| September 2025 | 28 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and other theft (61% below) and anti-social behaviour (57% below) were well below it. On the year before, anti-social behaviour fell from 83 to 56 and public order fell from 41 to 32.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 164 | 19.4 | 34.2 | +6% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 56 | 6.6 | 15.4 | -33% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 38 | 4.5 | 6.7 | +9% |
| Shoplifting | 38 | 4.5 | 8.5 | n/a |
| Public order | 32 | 3.8 | 6.7 | -22% |
| Other theft | 21 | 2.5 | 6.4 | n/a |
| Vehicle crime | 15 | 1.8 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Burglary | 14 | 1.7 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Other crime | 11 | 1.3 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Drugs | 7 | 0.8 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 2 | 0.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 1 | 0.1 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 1 | 0.1 | 1.4 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
6 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Highworth; the highest is Swindon (Swindon) (87.1 per 1,000) and the lowest Shrivenham and Watchfield (45.8).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Highworth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shrivenham and Watchfield | 335 | 45.8 | -3% |
| Stratton St Margaret | 1,280 | 62.4 | +32% |
| Broad Blunsdon | 358 | 46.9 | -1% |
| Faringdon | 693 | 66.7 | +41% |
| Swindon (Swindon) | 16,632 | 87.1 | +84% |
| Cricklade | 261 | 49.6 | +5% |
| Wroughton | 510 | 53.2 | +12% |
| Royal Wootton Bassett | 805 | 58.6 | +24% |
Blunsdon and Highworth is the one area listed within Highworth, with 62.2 crimes per 1,000 residents.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blunsdon and Highworth | Neighbourhood | 12,068 | 751 | 62.2 |
The 10 locations below account for 46% of the crime recorded in Highworth over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Blandford Alley” (29).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Blandford Alley | 29 |
| On or near Edencroft | 21 |
| On or near Turnpike Road | 21 |
| On or near Barra Close | 20 |
| On or near Downs View | 19 |
| On or near High Street | 17 |
| On or near Vorda Road | 16 |
| On or near Sevenfields | 15 |
| On or near Homefarm | 12 |
| On or near Newburgh Place | 12 |
Of the 344 crimes in Highworth with a recorded outcome, 27% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.4% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 56 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 123 | 35.8% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 93 | 27.0% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 61 | 17.7% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 22 | 6.4% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 17 | 4.9% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 10 | 2.9% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 8 | 2.3% | 3.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 4 | 1.2% | 0.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 3 | 0.9% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 2 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 1 | 0.3% | 0.0% |
Highworth has an estimated population of 8,447 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (29%, against 19%), fewer students (4.0%, against 7.9%) and more retired residents (30%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Highworth average decile 6.6 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Highworth | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 15.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 29.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 56.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 30.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 29.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 16.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 14.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 72.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 12.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.6 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Highworth a safe place to live?
Highworth recorded 47.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,196th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Highworth?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 164 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (56).
Is crime in Highworth going up or down?
Recorded crime in Highworth was down 1% on the year before: 400 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 405 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Highworth?
About 8,447 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 29% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Highworth?
Highworth is policed by Wiltshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.