Crime in Loughton: statistics, rates and trends
2,704 crimes were recorded in Loughton in the 12 months to August 2026, 79.8 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 9% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Loughton at a glance
- Crime trends in Loughton
- Types of crime in Loughton
- Loughton compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Loughton
- Streets with the most crime in Loughton
- What happened after crimes were reported in Loughton
- Demographics of Loughton
- Questions about crime in Loughton
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (962), shoplifting (327) and anti-social behaviour (292) made up 58% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 615th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Loughton | Epping Forest | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,704 | 10,480 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 79.8 | 76.2 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -9% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 33,869 | 137,451 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Loughton of any year here (2,704 crimes). 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 | 2,704 | 79.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,966 | 87.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 3,053 | 90.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 3,097 | 91.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 3,366 | 99.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 3,863 | 114.1 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 4,005 | 118.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 3,750 | 110.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 4,024 | 118.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 231 |
| July 2026 | 241 |
| June 2026 | 255 |
| May 2026 | 258 |
| April 2026 | 213 |
| March 2026 | 243 |
| February 2026 | 193 |
| January 2026 | 194 |
| December 2025 | 236 |
| November 2025 | 199 |
| October 2025 | 242 |
| September 2025 | 199 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (53% below) and anti-social behaviour (44% below) were well below it. On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 215 to 292 and other theft rose from 143 to 167, while shoplifting fell from 602 to 327 and vehicle crime fell from 274 to 195.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 962 | 28.4 | 34.2 | +3% |
| Shoplifting | 327 | 9.7 | 8.5 | -46% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 292 | 8.6 | 15.4 | +36% |
| Vehicle crime | 195 | 5.8 | 5.0 | -29% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 189 | 5.6 | 6.7 | +8% |
| Public order | 189 | 5.6 | 6.7 | -4% |
| Other theft | 167 | 4.9 | 6.4 | +17% |
| Drugs | 132 | 3.9 | 3.3 | -3% |
| Burglary | 114 | 3.4 | 3.6 | -12% |
| Other crime | 42 | 1.2 | 2.1 | -28% |
| Robbery | 38 | 1.1 | 1.4 | -7% |
| Possession of weapons | 28 | 0.8 | 1.0 | +12% |
| Theft from the person | 27 | 0.8 | 1.7 | -4% |
| Bicycle theft | 2 | 0.1 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
6 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Loughton; the highest is Waltham Cross (119.2 per 1,000) and the lowest Buckhurst Hill (57.3).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Loughton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckhurst Hill | 687 | 57.3 | -28% |
| Chigwell | 843 | 66.4 | -17% |
| Waltham Abbey | 2,150 | 104.7 | +31% |
| Epping | 923 | 90.3 | +13% |
| Redbridge | 30,293 | 94.8 | +19% |
| Waltham Cross | 1,587 | 119.2 | +49% |
| Waltham Forest | 29,459 | 105.3 | +32% |
| Enfield | 36,570 | 112.9 | +41% |
Of the 4 areas within Loughton, Loughton Fairmead had the highest crime rate (118.8 per 1,000) and Loughton St John's the lowest (54.3).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loughton Fairmead | Neighbourhood | 7,977 | 948 | 118.8 |
| Loughton Forest | Neighbourhood | 7,754 | 675 | 87.1 |
| Loughton Roding | Neighbourhood | 8,184 | 549 | 67.1 |
| Loughton St John's | Neighbourhood | 6,681 | 363 | 54.3 |
The 10 locations below account for 37% of the crime recorded in Loughton over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (259).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 259 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 228 |
| On or near Parking Area | 227 |
| On or near Clifton Road | 57 |
| On or near Lushes Road | 49 |
| On or near Hillyfields | 48 |
| On or near Highwood Lane | 37 |
| On or near Barrington Green | 34 |
| On or near Police Station | 32 |
| On or near Chester Close | 29 |
Of the 2,412 crimes in Loughton with a recorded outcome, 41% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 292 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 979 | 40.6% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 796 | 33.0% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 165 | 6.8% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 163 | 6.8% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 106 | 4.4% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 73 | 3.0% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 54 | 2.2% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 39 | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 20 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 11 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 6 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Loughton has an estimated population of 33,869 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (18%, against 23%) and less private renting (16%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Loughton average decile 7.0 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Loughton | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 16.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 61.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 18.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 35.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 17.1% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 17.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 66.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 17.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.0 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Loughton a safe place to live?
Loughton recorded 79.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 615th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Loughton?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 962 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (327).
Is crime in Loughton going up or down?
Recorded crime in Loughton was down 9% on the year before: 2,704 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,966 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Loughton?
About 33,869 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 17% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Loughton?
Loughton is policed by Essex.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.