Crime in Mountain Ash: statistics, rates and trends
1,058 crimes were recorded in Mountain Ash in the 12 months to August 2026, 88.4 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Mountain Ash at a glance
- Crime trends in Mountain Ash
- Types of crime in Mountain Ash
- Mountain Ash compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Mountain Ash
- Streets with the most crime in Mountain Ash
- What happened after crimes were reported in Mountain Ash
- Demographics of Mountain Ash
- Questions about crime in Mountain Ash
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (520), public order (134) and anti-social behaviour (118) made up 73% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 494th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Mountain Ash | Rhondda Cynon Taf | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,058 | 20,779 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 88.4 | 85.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | 0% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 11,973 | 242,844 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Mountain Ash peaked in the year to August 2021 (1,404 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2022 (1,051). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 3%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,058 | 88.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,058 | 88.4 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,078 | 90.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,054 | 88.0 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,051 | 87.8 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 1,404 | 117.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,359 | 113.5 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,142 | 95.4 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,091 | 91.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 112 |
| July 2026 | 111 |
| June 2026 | 96 |
| May 2026 | 97 |
| April 2026 | 67 |
| March 2026 | 72 |
| February 2026 | 66 |
| January 2026 | 101 |
| December 2025 | 76 |
| November 2025 | 86 |
| October 2025 | 94 |
| September 2025 | 80 |
Compared with England and Wales, Mountain Ash recorded notably more public order (68% above the national rate) and violence and sexual offences (27% above the national rate), and notably less burglary (53% below) and vehicle crime (48% below). On the year before, criminal damage and arson rose from 73 to 89 and drugs rose from 32 to 39, while vehicle crime fell from 54 to 31.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 520 | 43.4 | 34.2 | 0% |
| Public order | 134 | 11.2 | 6.7 | +19% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 118 | 9.9 | 15.4 | -9% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 89 | 7.4 | 6.7 | +22% |
| Other theft | 46 | 3.8 | 6.4 | +21% |
| Drugs | 39 | 3.3 | 3.3 | +22% |
| Vehicle crime | 31 | 2.6 | 5.0 | -43% |
| Other crime | 27 | 2.3 | 2.1 | -4% |
| Burglary | 20 | 1.7 | 3.6 | 0% |
| Shoplifting | 16 | 1.3 | 8.5 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 8 | 0.7 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 4 | 0.3 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 4 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 2 | 0.2 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Mountain Ash; the highest is Merthyr Tydfil (115.4 per 1,000) and the lowest Treharris (57.0).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Mountain Ash |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treharris | 354 | 57.0 | -35% |
| Aberdare | 3,670 | 95.8 | +8% |
| Porth | 1,273 | 98.7 | +12% |
| Rhondda | 1,169 | 87.3 | -1% |
| Tonypandy | 1,386 | 80.5 | -9% |
| Merthyr Tydfil | 4,434 | 115.4 | +31% |
| Pontypridd | 3,597 | 105.8 | +20% |
| Treorchy | 662 | 86.9 | -2% |
Of the 2 areas within Mountain Ash, Mountain Ash had the highest crime rate (96.8 per 1,000) and Penrhiw-ceibr the lowest (91.2).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Ash | Neighbourhood | 7,531 | 729 | 96.8 |
| Penrhiw-ceibr | Neighbourhood | 5,874 | 536 | 91.2 |
The 10 locations below account for 39% of the crime recorded in Mountain Ash over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Fernhill” (121).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Fernhill | 121 |
| On or near Hospital | 70 |
| On or near Forest View | 51 |
| On or near Glyngwyn Street | 30 |
| On or near B4275 | 25 |
| On or near Cross Street | 25 |
| On or near Cwm Alarch | 23 |
| On or near Harcourt Terrace | 23 |
| On or near Parking Area | 22 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 22 |
Of the 940 crimes in Mountain Ash with a recorded outcome, 17% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.5% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 118 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 432 | 46.0% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 191 | 20.3% | 11.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 156 | 16.6% | 35.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 52 | 5.5% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 46 | 4.9% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 29 | 3.1% | 3.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 22 | 2.3% | 0.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 7 | 0.7% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 4 | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Mountain Ash has an estimated population of 11,973 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with no qualifications (29%, against 18%), fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (21%, against 34%) and less social housing (14%, against 17%). On the Wales WIMD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Mountain Ash average decile 3.1 (1 = most deprived), more deprived than average.
| Measure | Mountain Ash | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.7% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 20.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 50.3% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 23.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 20.9% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 28.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 27.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 65.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 13.6% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 20.5% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 3.1 | 5.5 (Wales) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 11.1% | 9.5% (Wales) |
Is Mountain Ash a safe place to live?
Mountain Ash recorded 88.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 494th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were public order and violence and sexual offences.
What is the most common crime in Mountain Ash?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 520 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by public order (134).
Is crime in Mountain Ash going up or down?
Recorded crime in Mountain Ash was almost unchanged on the year before: 1,058 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,058 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Mountain Ash?
About 11,973 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 20% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Mountain Ash?
Mountain Ash 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.