Crime in Letchworth: statistics, rates and trends
2,848 crimes were recorded in Letchworth in the 12 months to August 2026, 84.7 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 5% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Letchworth at a glance
- Crime trends in Letchworth
- Types of crime in Letchworth
- Letchworth compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Letchworth
- Streets with the most crime in Letchworth
- What happened after crimes were reported in Letchworth
- Demographics of Letchworth
- Questions about crime in Letchworth
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,050), anti-social behaviour (679) and criminal damage and arson (235) made up 69% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 536th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Letchworth | North Hertfordshire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,848 | 9,152 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 84.7 | 66.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -5% | 0% | -1% |
| Population | 33,624 | 137,201 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Letchworth peaked in the year to August 2019 (3,556 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2021 (2,646). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 8%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,848 | 84.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,991 | 89.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,947 | 87.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 2,863 | 85.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 2,921 | 86.9 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,646 | 78.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 3,050 | 90.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 3,556 | 105.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 3,083 | 91.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 252 |
| July 2026 | 320 |
| June 2026 | 271 |
| May 2026 | 260 |
| April 2026 | 259 |
| March 2026 | 250 |
| February 2026 | 181 |
| January 2026 | 202 |
| December 2025 | 192 |
| November 2025 | 223 |
| October 2025 | 223 |
| September 2025 | 215 |
Compared with England and Wales, Letchworth recorded notably more anti-social behaviour (31% above the national rate), and notably less robbery (54% below) and vehicle crime (54% below). On the year before, drugs rose from 48 to 89 and criminal damage and arson rose from 188 to 235, while shoplifting fell from 315 to 176 and other crime fell from 58 to 42.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,050 | 31.2 | 34.2 | -4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 679 | 20.2 | 15.4 | +4% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 235 | 7.0 | 6.7 | +25% |
| Other theft | 184 | 5.5 | 6.4 | -14% |
| Shoplifting | 176 | 5.2 | 8.5 | -44% |
| Public order | 144 | 4.3 | 6.7 | -9% |
| Burglary | 89 | 2.6 | 3.6 | -2% |
| Drugs | 89 | 2.6 | 3.3 | +85% |
| Vehicle crime | 77 | 2.3 | 5.0 | -14% |
| Other crime | 42 | 1.2 | 2.1 | -28% |
| Possession of weapons | 29 | 0.9 | 1.0 | +21% |
| Bicycle theft | 21 | 0.6 | 0.8 | -5% |
| Robbery | 21 | 0.6 | 1.4 | +5% |
| Theft from the person | 12 | 0.4 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Letchworth; the highest is Stevenage (115.1 per 1,000) and the lowest Barton-le-Clay (39.4).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Letchworth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baldock | 806 | 75.2 | -11% |
| Stotfold | 664 | 48.5 | -43% |
| Hitchin | 2,533 | 69.9 | -17% |
| Arlesey | 368 | 57.8 | -32% |
| Stevenage | 10,934 | 115.1 | +36% |
| Shefford | 593 | 70.5 | -17% |
| Biggleswade | 1,573 | 67.4 | -20% |
| Barton-le-Clay | 198 | 39.4 | -54% |
Of the 5 areas within Letchworth, Letchworth South West had the highest crime rate (96.8 per 1,000) and Letchworth Grange the lowest (67.2).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letchworth South West | Neighbourhood | 8,568 | 829 | 96.8 |
| Letchworth Norton | Neighbourhood | 4,586 | 437 | 95.3 |
| Letchworth South East | Neighbourhood | 9,146 | 758 | 82.9 |
| Letchworth Wilbury | Neighbourhood | 5,587 | 407 | 72.8 |
| Letchworth Grange | Neighbourhood | 7,064 | 475 | 67.2 |
The 10 locations below account for 25% of the crime recorded in Letchworth over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (204).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 204 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 90 |
| On or near Supermarket | 87 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 64 |
| On or near Leys Avenue | 51 |
| On or near Jarden | 46 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 43 |
| On or near Station Place | 43 |
| On or near Daisy Court | 40 |
| On or near Westbury Place | 36 |
Of the 2,169 crimes in Letchworth with a recorded outcome, 33% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 679 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 841 | 38.8% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 711 | 32.8% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 247 | 11.4% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 97 | 4.5% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 88 | 4.1% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 76 | 3.5% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 36 | 1.7% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 36 | 1.7% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 13 | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 12 | 0.6% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 10 | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Letchworth has an estimated population of 33,624 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more social housing (31%, against 17%), less private renting (11%, against 20%) and fewer students (5.0%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Letchworth average decile 5.8 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Letchworth | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 20.1% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 58.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 23.3% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 36.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 16.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 20.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 57.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 30.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 11.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.8 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Letchworth a safe place to live?
Letchworth recorded 84.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 536th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were anti-social behaviour.
What is the most common crime in Letchworth?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,050 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (679).
Is crime in Letchworth going up or down?
Recorded crime in Letchworth was down 5% on the year before: 2,848 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,991 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Letchworth?
About 33,624 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 20% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Letchworth?
Letchworth is policed by Hertfordshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.