Crime in Macclesfield: statistics, rates and trends
4,754 crimes were recorded in Macclesfield in the 12 months to August 2026, 86.1 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 8% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Macclesfield at a glance
- Crime trends in Macclesfield
- Types of crime in Macclesfield
- Macclesfield compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Macclesfield
- Streets with the most crime in Macclesfield
- What happened after crimes were reported in Macclesfield
- Demographics of Macclesfield
- Questions about crime in Macclesfield
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (2,080), shoplifting (589) and public order (492) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 524th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Macclesfield | Cheshire East | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 4,754 | 28,139 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 86.1 | 66.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +8% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 55,199 | 421,298 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Macclesfield peaked in the year to August 2019 (6,151 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (4,416). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 20%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 4,754 | 86.1 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 4,416 | 80.0 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 4,587 | 83.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 4,925 | 89.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 5,596 | 101.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 6,029 | 109.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 5,972 | 108.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 6,151 | 111.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 5,906 | 107.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 459 |
| July 2026 | 505 |
| June 2026 | 449 |
| May 2026 | 442 |
| April 2026 | 364 |
| March 2026 | 428 |
| February 2026 | 329 |
| January 2026 | 365 |
| December 2025 | 348 |
| November 2025 | 341 |
| October 2025 | 373 |
| September 2025 | 351 |
Compared with England and Wales, Macclesfield recorded notably more public order (34% above the national rate) and shoplifting (26% above the national rate), and notably less robbery (61% below) and anti-social behaviour (52% below). On the year before, shoplifting rose from 403 to 589 and robbery rose from 24 to 29.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 2,080 | 37.7 | 34.2 | +3% |
| Shoplifting | 589 | 10.7 | 8.5 | +46% |
| Public order | 492 | 8.9 | 6.7 | +8% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 409 | 7.4 | 15.4 | +7% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 260 | 4.7 | 6.7 | -8% |
| Other theft | 228 | 4.1 | 6.4 | -7% |
| Drugs | 192 | 3.5 | 3.3 | +14% |
| Vehicle crime | 162 | 2.9 | 5.0 | +14% |
| Burglary | 108 | 2.0 | 3.6 | -4% |
| Other crime | 108 | 2.0 | 2.1 | -3% |
| Possession of weapons | 55 | 1.0 | 1.0 | +10% |
| Bicycle theft | 30 | 0.5 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Robbery | 29 | 0.5 | 1.4 | +21% |
| Theft from the person | 12 | 0.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Macclesfield; the highest is Buxton (High Peak) (104.0 per 1,000) and the lowest Holmes Chapel (29.3).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Macclesfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bollington | 307 | 38.4 | -55% |
| Poynton | 484 | 35.9 | -58% |
| Wilmslow | 1,266 | 47.9 | -44% |
| Congleton | 2,345 | 70.6 | -18% |
| Buxton (High Peak) | 2,151 | 104.0 | +21% |
| New Mills | 428 | 52.4 | -39% |
| Knutsford | 652 | 47.5 | -45% |
| Holmes Chapel | 203 | 29.3 | -66% |
Of the 7 areas within Macclesfield, Macclesfield Central had the highest crime rate (186.7 per 1,000) and Macclesfield Tytherington the lowest (29.6), 6 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macclesfield Central | Neighbourhood | 7,873 | 1,470 | 186.7 |
| Macclesfield Hurdsfield | Neighbourhood | 4,575 | 567 | 123.9 |
| Macclesfield East | Neighbourhood | 5,894 | 507 | 86.0 |
| Macclesfield South | Neighbourhood | 9,855 | 761 | 77.2 |
| Macclesfield West and Ivy | Neighbourhood | 8,371 | 556 | 66.4 |
| Broken Cross and Upton | Neighbourhood | 9,393 | 620 | 66.0 |
| Macclesfield Tytherington | Neighbourhood | 9,238 | 273 | 29.6 |
The 10 locations below account for 25% of the crime recorded in Macclesfield over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (331).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 331 |
| On or near Parking Area | 299 |
| On or near Wood Street | 133 |
| On or near Hospital | 120 |
| On or near Churchside | 75 |
| On or near Carisbrook Avenue | 69 |
| On or near Mill Street | 50 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 48 |
| On or near Withyfold Drive | 46 |
| On or near Wardle Street | 41 |
Of the 4,345 crimes in Macclesfield with a recorded outcome, 22% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 13% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 409 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,717 | 39.5% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 976 | 22.5% | 35.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 559 | 12.9% | 5.2% |
| Under investigation | 439 | 10.1% | 11.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 242 | 5.6% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 227 | 5.2% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 81 | 1.9% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 79 | 1.8% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 9 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 7 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 5 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 4 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Macclesfield has an estimated population of 55,199 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (4.7%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Macclesfield average decile 6.4 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Macclesfield | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 20.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 60.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 24.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.7% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 37.3% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 15.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 19.6% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 66.5% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 15.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.4 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 2.3% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Macclesfield a safe place to live?
Macclesfield recorded 86.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 524th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were public order and shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Macclesfield?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 2,080 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (589).
Is crime in Macclesfield going up or down?
Recorded crime in Macclesfield was up 8% on the year before: 4,754 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 4,416 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Macclesfield?
About 55,199 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 21% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Macclesfield?
Macclesfield is policed by Cheshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.