Crime in Maesteg: statistics, rates and trends
1,833 crimes were recorded in Maesteg in the 12 months to August 2026, 99.0 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 3% on the year before.
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Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (721), anti-social behaviour (247) and shoplifting (241) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 361st of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Maesteg | Bridgend | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,833 | 12,487 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 99.0 | 84.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -3% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 18,520 | 147,530 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Maesteg peaked in the year to August 2020 (1,977 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2019 (1,775). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 1%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,833 | 99.0 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,886 | 101.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,799 | 97.1 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,885 | 101.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,828 | 98.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,956 | 105.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,977 | 106.7 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,775 | 95.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,858 | 100.3 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 183 |
| July 2026 | 200 |
| June 2026 | 156 |
| May 2026 | 140 |
| April 2026 | 162 |
| March 2026 | 161 |
| February 2026 | 120 |
| January 2026 | 150 |
| December 2025 | 151 |
| November 2025 | 133 |
| October 2025 | 151 |
| September 2025 | 126 |
Compared with England and Wales, Maesteg recorded notably more public order (68% above the national rate), shoplifting (54% above the national rate) and criminal damage and arson (29% above the national rate), and notably less vehicle crime (45% below) and other theft (40% below). On the year before, violence and sexual offences rose from 616 to 721, while vehicle crime fell from 81 to 51 and anti-social behaviour fell from 366 to 247.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 721 | 38.9 | 34.2 | +17% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 247 | 13.3 | 15.4 | -33% |
| Shoplifting | 241 | 13.0 | 8.5 | 0% |
| Public order | 207 | 11.2 | 6.7 | +6% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 161 | 8.7 | 6.7 | -8% |
| Other theft | 72 | 3.9 | 6.4 | +11% |
| Vehicle crime | 51 | 2.8 | 5.0 | -37% |
| Burglary | 44 | 2.4 | 3.6 | -12% |
| Other crime | 39 | 2.1 | 2.1 | -9% |
| Drugs | 16 | 0.9 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 15 | 0.8 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 12 | 0.6 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 7 | 0.4 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Maesteg; the highest is Port Talbot (113.9 per 1,000) and the lowest Cwmavon (53.0).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Maesteg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cwmavon | 270 | 53.0 | -46% |
| Sarn | 1,120 | 88.4 | -11% |
| Pyle | 1,193 | 80.4 | -19% |
| Port Talbot | 3,370 | 113.9 | +15% |
| Treherbert | 466 | 80.5 | -19% |
| Treorchy | 662 | 86.9 | -12% |
| Baglan | 969 | 76.6 | -23% |
| Neath | 3,557 | 92.3 | -7% |
Of the 4 areas within Maesteg, Maesteg East had the highest crime rate (125.8 per 1,000) and Llangynwyd the lowest (31.1), 4 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maesteg East | Neighbourhood | 4,627 | 582 | 125.8 |
| Maesteg West | Neighbourhood | 5,843 | 640 | 109.5 |
| Caerau | Neighbourhood | 6,585 | 587 | 89.1 |
| Llangynwyd | Neighbourhood | 2,924 | 91 | 31.1 |
The 10 locations below account for 32% of the crime recorded in Maesteg over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (150).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 150 |
| On or near Supermarket | 106 |
| On or near Llynfi Lane | 62 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 43 |
| On or near B4282 | 41 |
| On or near Oakwood | 41 |
| On or near Ivor Street | 38 |
| On or near Dan-Y-Bryn | 34 |
| On or near Llynfi Road | 33 |
| On or near Talbot Street | 32 |
Of the 1,586 crimes in Maesteg with a recorded outcome, 24% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.6% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 247 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 567 | 35.8% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 374 | 23.6% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 299 | 18.9% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 137 | 8.6% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 91 | 5.7% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 53 | 3.3% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 33 | 2.1% | 0.5% |
| Local resolution | 24 | 1.5% | 3.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 7 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 1 | 0.1% | 1.3% |
Maesteg has an estimated population of 18,520 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with no qualifications (30%, against 18%), fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (23%, against 34%) and less social housing (13%, against 17%). On the Wales WIMD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Maesteg average decile 3.3 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Maesteg | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 21.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 49.5% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 24.7% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 23.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 29.6% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 24.3% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 69.3% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 12.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.3 | 5.5 (Wales) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 20.7% | 9.5% (Wales) |
Is Maesteg a safe place to live?
Maesteg recorded 99.0 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 361st 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 Maesteg?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 721 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (247).
Is crime in Maesteg going up or down?
Recorded crime in Maesteg was down 3% on the year before: 1,833 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,886 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Maesteg?
About 18,520 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 22% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Maesteg?
Maesteg is policed by South Wales.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.