Crime in Lymington: statistics, rates and trends
907 crimes were recorded in Lymington in the 12 months to August 2026, 57.8 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 Lymington at a glance
- Crime trends in Lymington
- Types of crime in Lymington
- Lymington compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Lymington
- Streets with the most crime in Lymington
- What happened after crimes were reported in Lymington
- Demographics of Lymington
- Questions about crime in Lymington
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (373), anti-social behaviour (90) and shoplifting (89) made up 61% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,000th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Lymington | New Forest | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 907 | 10,266 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 57.8 | 58.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -9% | -7% | -1% |
| Population | 15,689 | 176,116 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Lymington of any year here (907 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 | 907 | 57.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 993 | 63.3 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 977 | 62.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,290 | 82.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,341 | 85.5 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,352 | 86.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,301 | 82.9 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,419 | 90.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,353 | 86.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 95 |
| July 2026 | 84 |
| June 2026 | 92 |
| May 2026 | 77 |
| April 2026 | 67 |
| March 2026 | 75 |
| February 2026 | 62 |
| January 2026 | 74 |
| December 2025 | 70 |
| November 2025 | 63 |
| October 2025 | 81 |
| September 2025 | 67 |
Compared with England and Wales, Lymington recorded notably more bicycle theft (2.2 times the national rate), and notably less vehicle crime (69% below) and anti-social behaviour (63% below). On the year before, burglary fell from 40 to 25 and criminal damage and arson fell from 112 to 76.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 373 | 23.8 | 34.2 | +4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 90 | 5.7 | 15.4 | -20% |
| Shoplifting | 89 | 5.7 | 8.5 | -26% |
| Public order | 83 | 5.3 | 6.7 | -10% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 76 | 4.8 | 6.7 | -32% |
| Other theft | 55 | 3.5 | 6.4 | -18% |
| Bicycle theft | 28 | 1.8 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Burglary | 25 | 1.6 | 3.6 | -38% |
| Other crime | 25 | 1.6 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Vehicle crime | 24 | 1.5 | 5.0 | -4% |
| Possession of weapons | 14 | 0.9 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Drugs | 13 | 0.8 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Robbery | 8 | 0.5 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 4 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Lymington; the highest is New Milton (97.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Barton on Sea (24.3).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Lymington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley (New Forest) | 308 | 38.6 | -33% |
| New Milton | 1,021 | 97.7 | +69% |
| Barton on Sea | 177 | 24.3 | -58% |
| Freshwater and Totland | 488 | 55.8 | -3% |
| Blackfield and Langley | 346 | 56.2 | -3% |
| Holbury | 482 | 62.4 | +8% |
| Christchurch (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) | 2,773 | 58.0 | 0% |
| Hythe and Dibden Purlieu | 1,236 | 60.6 | +5% |
Of the 2 areas within Lymington, Lymington had the highest crime rate (63.7 per 1,000) and Pennington the lowest (51.7).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lymington | Neighbourhood | 7,996 | 509 | 63.7 |
| Pennington | Neighbourhood | 7,693 | 398 | 51.7 |
The 10 locations below account for 34% of the crime recorded in Lymington over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “St Thomas Street” (58).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near St Thomas Street | 58 |
| On or near Parking Area | 53 |
| On or near Anchor Mews | 45 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 32 |
| On or near High Street | 31 |
| On or near Oliver Road | 21 |
| On or near Bays Road | 20 |
| On or near East Hill | 18 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 17 |
| On or near The Square | 17 |
Of the 817 crimes in Lymington with a recorded outcome, 33% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.6% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 90 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 276 | 33.8% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 273 | 33.4% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 91 | 11.1% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 54 | 6.6% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 38 | 4.7% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 29 | 3.5% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 17 | 2.1% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 16 | 2.0% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 14 | 1.7% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 6 | 0.7% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Lymington has an estimated population of 15,689 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (34%, against 19%), more retired residents (36%, against 22%) and fewer students (3.9%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Lymington average decile 7.6 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Lymington | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 13.5% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 33.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 50.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.3% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 35.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 3.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 36.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 14.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 13.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 68.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 13.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 18.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.6 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Lymington a safe place to live?
Lymington recorded 57.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,000th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft.
What is the most common crime in Lymington?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 373 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (90).
Is crime in Lymington going up or down?
Recorded crime in Lymington was down 9% on the year before: 907 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 993 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Lymington?
About 15,689 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 34% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Lymington?
Lymington is policed by Hampshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.