Crime in Marlow: statistics, rates and trends
891 crimes were recorded in Marlow in the 12 months to August 2026, 59.8 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 10% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (287), anti-social behaviour (114) and shoplifting (105) made up 57% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 961st of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Marlow | Buckinghamshire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 891 | 35,812 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 59.8 | 61.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +10% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 14,895 | 578,772 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Marlow peaked in the year to August 2018 (1,023 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (810). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 13%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 891 | 59.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 810 | 54.4 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 873 | 58.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 891 | 59.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 895 | 60.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 903 | 60.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 975 | 65.5 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 939 | 63.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,023 | 68.7 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 71 |
| July 2026 | 125 |
| June 2026 | 66 |
| May 2026 | 99 |
| April 2026 | 83 |
| March 2026 | 70 |
| February 2026 | 51 |
| January 2026 | 55 |
| December 2025 | 62 |
| November 2025 | 81 |
| October 2025 | 68 |
| September 2025 | 60 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and burglary (51% below) and anti-social behaviour (50% below) were well below it. On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 68 to 114 and shoplifting rose from 74 to 105, while violence and sexual offences fell from 341 to 287.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 287 | 19.3 | 34.2 | -16% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 114 | 7.7 | 15.4 | +68% |
| Shoplifting | 105 | 7.0 | 8.5 | +42% |
| Other theft | 104 | 7.0 | 6.4 | +12% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 69 | 4.6 | 6.7 | +38% |
| Public order | 58 | 3.9 | 6.7 | -6% |
| Vehicle crime | 37 | 2.5 | 5.0 | +6% |
| Other crime | 35 | 2.3 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Drugs | 31 | 2.1 | 3.3 | +35% |
| Burglary | 26 | 1.7 | 3.6 | -10% |
| Bicycle theft | 8 | 0.5 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 8 | 0.5 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 6 | 0.4 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Robbery | 3 | 0.2 | 1.4 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Marlow; the highest is High Wycombe (93.4 per 1,000) and the lowest Hazlemere (34.0).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Marlow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cookham | 193 | 34.9 | -42% |
| Bourne End | 306 | 40.5 | -32% |
| Flackwell Heath and Wooburn Green | 770 | 59.1 | -1% |
| High Wycombe | 8,456 | 93.4 | +56% |
| Maidenhead | 4,138 | 61.7 | +3% |
| Beaconsfield | 1,006 | 70.0 | +17% |
| Hazlemere | 656 | 34.0 | -43% |
| Henley-on-Thames | 758 | 61.0 | +2% |
Marlow is the one area listed within Marlow, with 54.0 crimes per 1,000 residents.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marlow | Neighbourhood | 18,461 | 996 | 54.0 |
The 10 locations below account for 44% of the crime recorded in Marlow over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (93).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 93 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 61 |
| On or near Portland Gardens | 55 |
| On or near Potts Place | 39 |
| On or near Parking Area | 36 |
| On or near Paget Close | 28 |
| On or near Peacock Road | 27 |
| On or near Foxes Piece | 20 |
| On or near Shelley Road | 18 |
| On or near Byron Close | 16 |
Of the 777 crimes in Marlow with a recorded outcome, 33% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.3% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 114 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 254 | 32.7% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 224 | 28.8% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 102 | 13.1% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 67 | 8.6% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 41 | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 38 | 4.9% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 22 | 2.8% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 19 | 2.4% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 3 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Offender given penalty notice | 2 | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 2 | 0.3% | 0.0% |
Marlow has an estimated population of 14,895 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (12%, against 23%), more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (46%, against 34%) and fewer residents with no qualifications (12%, against 18%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Marlow average decile 8.8 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Marlow | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 23.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 59.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.5% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 26.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.2% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 46.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 11.8% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 11.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 71.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 11.7% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 17.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 8.8 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Marlow a safe place to live?
Marlow recorded 59.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 961st of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Marlow?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 287 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (114).
Is crime in Marlow going up or down?
Recorded crime in Marlow was up 10% on the year before: 891 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 810 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Marlow?
About 14,895 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 24% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Marlow?
Marlow is policed by Thames Valley.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.