Crime in Meltham: statistics, rates and trends
601 crimes were recorded in Meltham in the 12 months to August 2026, 63.8 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 6% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (266), anti-social behaviour (96) and criminal damage and arson (54) made up 69% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 885th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Meltham | Kirklees | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 601 | 43,862 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 63.8 | 97.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -6% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 9,417 | 447,847 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Meltham peaked in the year to August 2019 (672 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (599). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it was almost unchanged, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 601 | 63.8 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 638 | 67.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 635 | 67.4 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 667 | 70.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 672 | 71.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 622 | 66.1 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 617 | 65.5 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 672 | 71.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 599 | 63.6 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 46 |
| July 2026 | 58 |
| June 2026 | 59 |
| May 2026 | 51 |
| April 2026 | 56 |
| March 2026 | 45 |
| February 2026 | 53 |
| January 2026 | 44 |
| December 2025 | 50 |
| November 2025 | 48 |
| October 2025 | 41 |
| September 2025 | 50 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and shoplifting (62% below) and vehicle crime (47% below) were well below it. On the year before, shoplifting rose from 20 to 30 and criminal damage and arson rose from 37 to 54, while public order fell from 66 to 38.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 266 | 28.2 | 34.2 | -14% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 96 | 10.2 | 15.4 | +22% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 54 | 5.7 | 6.7 | +46% |
| Other theft | 41 | 4.4 | 6.4 | +14% |
| Public order | 38 | 4.0 | 6.7 | -42% |
| Shoplifting | 30 | 3.2 | 8.5 | +50% |
| Vehicle crime | 25 | 2.7 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Burglary | 16 | 1.7 | 3.6 | n/a |
| Other crime | 15 | 1.6 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Drugs | 13 | 1.4 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Robbery | 3 | 0.3 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 3 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 1 | 0.1 | 1.0 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
5 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Meltham; the highest is Elland (121.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Honley (48.6).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Meltham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linthwaite and Slaithwaite | 742 | 70.6 | +11% |
| Honley | 690 | 48.6 | -24% |
| Huddersfield | 17,230 | 114.8 | +80% |
| Lepton | 395 | 78.5 | +23% |
| Elland | 1,858 | 121.7 | +91% |
| Ripponden | 289 | 52.4 | -18% |
| Skelmanthorpe | 272 | 49.7 | -22% |
| Brighouse | 3,315 | 99.9 | +57% |
Holme Valley North is the one area listed within Meltham, with 59.8 crimes per 1,000 residents.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holme Valley North | Neighbourhood | 18,015 | 1,077 | 59.8 |
The 10 locations below account for 46% of the crime recorded in Meltham over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (62).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 62 |
| On or near Highfield Road | 33 |
| On or near Parking Area | 32 |
| On or near Broadlands Road | 29 |
| On or near Pick Hill Road | 24 |
| On or near Golcar Brow Road | 23 |
| On or near Scarr Green Close | 21 |
| On or near Deacon Close | 19 |
| On or near Highfield Crescent | 17 |
| On or near Victoria Road | 16 |
Of the 505 crimes in Meltham with a recorded outcome, 29% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 96 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 219 | 43.4% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 144 | 28.5% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 71 | 14.1% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 21 | 4.2% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 19 | 3.8% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 12 | 2.4% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 10 | 2.0% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 4 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 1 | 0.2% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
Meltham has an estimated population of 9,417 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less social housing (10%, against 17%), fewer households without a car (15%, against 23%) and less private renting (14%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Meltham average decile 7.1 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Meltham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 24.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 56.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 28.1% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 35.4% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 15.6% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 15.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 75.4% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 10.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 13.9% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.1 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Meltham a safe place to live?
Meltham recorded 63.8 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 885th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Meltham?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 266 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (96).
Is crime in Meltham going up or down?
Recorded crime in Meltham was down 6% on the year before: 601 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 638 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Meltham?
About 9,417 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 24% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Meltham?
Meltham is policed by West Yorkshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.