Crime in Milton Keynes: statistics, rates and trends
21,460 crimes were recorded in Milton Keynes in the 12 months to August 2026, 109.2 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 1% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Milton Keynes at a glance
- Crime trends in Milton Keynes
- Types of crime in Milton Keynes
- Milton Keynes compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Milton Keynes
- Streets with the most crime in Milton Keynes
- What happened after crimes were reported in Milton Keynes
- Demographics of Milton Keynes
- Questions about crime in Milton Keynes
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (8,080), shoplifting (2,629) and anti-social behaviour (2,121) made up 60% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 267th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Milton Keynes | Milton Keynes | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 21,460 | 30,686 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 109.2 | 100.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | +1% | -1% |
| Population | 196,444 | 305,884 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Milton Keynes peaked in the year to August 2025 (21,733 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (17,730). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 21%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 21,460 | 109.2 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 21,733 | 110.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 21,116 | 107.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 21,583 | 109.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 21,273 | 108.3 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 18,756 | 95.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 18,534 | 94.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 17,845 | 90.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 17,730 | 90.3 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,876 |
| July 2026 | 1,906 |
| June 2026 | 2,028 |
| May 2026 | 2,027 |
| April 2026 | 1,827 |
| March 2026 | 1,925 |
| February 2026 | 1,508 |
| January 2026 | 1,639 |
| December 2025 | 1,533 |
| November 2025 | 1,664 |
| October 2025 | 1,775 |
| September 2025 | 1,752 |
Compared with England and Wales, Milton Keynes recorded notably more shoplifting (58% above the national rate), vehicle crime (50% above the national rate) and other theft (27% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (43% below) and possession of weapons (31% below). On the year before, possession of weapons fell from 174 to 132 and bicycle theft fell from 249 to 200.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 8,080 | 41.1 | 34.2 | -2% |
| Shoplifting | 2,629 | 13.4 | 8.5 | -3% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 2,121 | 10.8 | 15.4 | 0% |
| Other theft | 1,611 | 8.2 | 6.4 | +7% |
| Public order | 1,570 | 8.0 | 6.7 | -2% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,472 | 7.5 | 6.7 | -3% |
| Vehicle crime | 1,463 | 7.4 | 5.0 | -8% |
| Burglary | 685 | 3.5 | 3.6 | +14% |
| Drugs | 677 | 3.4 | 3.3 | +7% |
| Other crime | 384 | 2.0 | 2.1 | +10% |
| Robbery | 246 | 1.3 | 1.4 | -14% |
| Bicycle theft | 200 | 1.0 | 0.8 | -20% |
| Theft from the person | 190 | 1.0 | 1.7 | -1% |
| Possession of weapons | 132 | 0.7 | 1.0 | -24% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
Milton Keynes has a higher crime rate than all 8 of its nearest towns.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Milton Keynes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bletchley | 3,995 | 90.0 | -18% |
| Newport Pagnell | 966 | 62.1 | -43% |
| Cranfield | 372 | 42.6 | -61% |
| Winslow | 351 | 62.4 | -43% |
| Olney | 342 | 43.6 | -60% |
| Marston Moretaine | 300 | 53.2 | -51% |
| Leighton Buzzard | 2,869 | 63.7 | -42% |
| Buckingham | 874 | 57.6 | -47% |
Of the 13 areas within Milton Keynes, Central Milton Keynes had the highest crime rate (322.5 per 1,000) and Tattenhoe the lowest (49.6), 7 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Milton Keynes | Neighbourhood | 18,170 | 5,860 | 322.5 |
| Woughton & Fishermead | Neighbourhood | 18,538 | 2,965 | 159.9 |
| Campbell Park & Old Woughton | Neighbourhood | 17,075 | 1,981 | 116.0 |
| Wolverton | Neighbourhood | 17,023 | 1,865 | 109.6 |
| Bradwell | Neighbourhood | 13,312 | 1,233 | 92.6 |
| Stantonbury | Neighbourhood | 16,102 | 1,399 | 86.9 |
| Monkston | Neighbourhood | 13,099 | 1,134 | 86.6 |
| Loughton & Shenley | Neighbourhood | 16,515 | 1,322 | 80.0 |
| Shenley Brook End | Neighbourhood | 13,607 | 1,051 | 77.2 |
| Danesborough & Walton | Neighbourhood | 21,073 | 1,623 | 77.0 |
| Broughton | Neighbourhood | 21,959 | 1,514 | 68.9 |
| Stony Stratford | Neighbourhood | 17,809 | 1,091 | 61.3 |
| Tattenhoe | Neighbourhood | 12,863 | 638 | 49.6 |
The 10 locations below account for 28% of the crime recorded in Milton Keynes over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (1,992).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 1,992 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 994 |
| On or near Supermarket | 768 |
| On or near Police Station | 497 |
| On or near Hospital | 445 |
| On or near Secklow Gate | 431 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 416 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 160 |
| On or near Grafton Street | 158 |
| On or near Witan Gate | 153 |
Of the 19,339 crimes in Milton Keynes with a recorded outcome, 32% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.6% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 2,121 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 6,701 | 34.7% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 6,249 | 32.3% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 2,414 | 12.5% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 1,009 | 5.2% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 897 | 4.6% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 893 | 4.6% | 5.2% |
| Court result unavailable | 444 | 2.3% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 347 | 1.8% | 1.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 145 | 0.7% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 143 | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 74 | 0.4% | 0.0% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 16 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Milton Keynes has an estimated population of 196,444 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has a younger population (12%, against 19%), fewer retired residents (14%, against 22%) and fewer households without a car (17%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Milton Keynes average decile 5.9 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Milton Keynes | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 22.2% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 11.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 65.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 13.9% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 7.7% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 37.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 15.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 17.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 57.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 19.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 22.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.9 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 4.3% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Milton Keynes a safe place to live?
Milton Keynes recorded 109.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 267th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and vehicle crime.
What is the most common crime in Milton Keynes?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 8,080 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (2,629).
Is crime in Milton Keynes going up or down?
Recorded crime in Milton Keynes was down 1% on the year before: 21,460 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 21,733 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Milton Keynes?
About 196,444 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 12% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Milton Keynes?
Milton Keynes 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.