Crime in New Milton: statistics, rates and trends
1,021 crimes were recorded in New Milton in the 12 months to August 2026, 97.7 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 New Milton at a glance
- Crime trends in New Milton
- Types of crime in New Milton
- New Milton compared with nearby towns
- Areas within New Milton
- Streets with the most crime in New Milton
- What happened after crimes were reported in New Milton
- Demographics of New Milton
- Questions about crime in New Milton
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (398), shoplifting (134) and anti-social behaviour (86) made up 61% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 386th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | New Milton | New Forest | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,021 | 10,266 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 97.7 | 58.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +1% | -7% | -1% |
| Population | 10,450 | 176,116 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in New Milton peaked in the year to August 2023 (1,190 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2019 (964). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 9%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,021 | 97.7 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,013 | 96.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 964 | 92.2 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,190 | 113.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,095 | 104.8 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 966 | 92.4 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 1,098 | 105.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 964 | 92.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,122 | 107.4 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 92 |
| July 2026 | 142 |
| June 2026 | 85 |
| May 2026 | 107 |
| April 2026 | 64 |
| March 2026 | 84 |
| February 2026 | 80 |
| January 2026 | 58 |
| December 2025 | 65 |
| November 2025 | 85 |
| October 2025 | 86 |
| September 2025 | 73 |
Compared with England and Wales, New Milton recorded notably more shoplifting (52% above the national rate), burglary (37% above the national rate) and drugs (26% above the national rate), and notably less anti-social behaviour (46% below) and vehicle crime (40% below). On the year before, drugs rose from 26 to 43 and burglary rose from 43 to 51.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 398 | 38.1 | 34.2 | +5% |
| Shoplifting | 134 | 12.8 | 8.5 | -14% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 86 | 8.2 | 15.4 | -4% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 85 | 8.1 | 6.7 | -13% |
| Public order | 81 | 7.8 | 6.7 | -8% |
| Other theft | 54 | 5.2 | 6.4 | -4% |
| Burglary | 51 | 4.9 | 3.6 | +19% |
| Drugs | 43 | 4.1 | 3.3 | +65% |
| Vehicle crime | 31 | 3.0 | 5.0 | +11% |
| Other crime | 23 | 2.2 | 2.1 | +15% |
| Robbery | 15 | 1.4 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 10 | 1.0 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 6 | 0.6 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 4 | 0.4 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than New Milton; the highest is Bournemouth (108.0 per 1,000) and the lowest Barton on Sea (24.3).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs New Milton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barton on Sea | 177 | 24.3 | -75% |
| Ashley (New Forest) | 308 | 38.6 | -61% |
| Christchurch (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) | 2,773 | 58.0 | -41% |
| Lymington | 907 | 57.8 | -41% |
| Freshwater and Totland | 488 | 55.8 | -43% |
| Ringwood | 920 | 71.3 | -27% |
| Bournemouth | 21,896 | 108.0 | +11% |
| Ashley Heath | 319 | 39.2 | -60% |
The 10 locations below account for 39% of the crime recorded in New Milton over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (102).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 102 |
| On or near Nelson Close | 58 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 39 |
| On or near Avenue Road | 35 |
| On or near Howe Close | 34 |
| On or near B3058 | 30 |
| On or near Old Milton | 27 |
| On or near Stannington Close | 26 |
| On or near Parkside Walk | 24 |
| On or near Station Road | 24 |
Of the 935 crimes in New Milton with a recorded outcome, 30% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 4.9% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 86 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 306 | 32.7% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 278 | 29.7% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 148 | 15.8% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 53 | 5.7% | 3.1% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 46 | 4.9% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 33 | 3.5% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 23 | 2.5% | 1.3% |
| Court result unavailable | 16 | 1.7% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 15 | 1.6% | 0.6% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 8 | 0.9% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 6 | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 2 | 0.2% | 0.0% |
New Milton has an estimated population of 10,450 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (31%, against 19%), more retired residents (34%, against 22%) and fewer students (3.8%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up New Milton average decile 5.7 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | New Milton | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 15.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 31.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 49.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.3% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 34.4% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 3.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 25.3% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 20.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 19.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 65.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 15.5% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 19.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.7 | 5.5 (England) |
Is New Milton a safe place to live?
New Milton recorded 97.7 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 386th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were shoplifting and burglary.
What is the most common crime in New Milton?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 398 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by shoplifting (134).
Is crime in New Milton going up or down?
Recorded crime in New Milton was almost unchanged on the year before: 1,021 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,013 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of New Milton?
About 10,450 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 31% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers New Milton?
New Milton is policed by Hampshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.