Crime in Northampton: statistics, rates and trends
30,137 crimes were recorded in Northampton in the 12 months to August 2026, 121.1 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 2% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Northampton at a glance
- Crime trends in Northampton
- Types of crime in Northampton
- Northampton compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Northampton
- Streets with the most crime in Northampton
- What happened after crimes were reported in Northampton
- Demographics of Northampton
- Questions about crime in Northampton
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (9,779), anti-social behaviour (6,807) and shoplifting (2,877) made up 65% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 171st of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | Northampton | West Northamptonshire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 30,137 | 40,926 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 121.1 | 93.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +2% | +2% | -1% |
| Population | 248,936 | 439,811 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Northampton peaked in the year to August 2018 (31,910 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2024 (29,234). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 6%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 30,137 | 121.1 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 29,527 | 118.6 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 29,234 | 117.4 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 29,374 | 118.0 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 30,721 | 123.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 30,865 | 124.0 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 31,739 | 127.5 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 31,129 | 125.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 31,910 | 128.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 2,841 |
| July 2026 | 3,009 |
| June 2026 | 2,747 |
| May 2026 | 2,825 |
| April 2026 | 2,394 |
| March 2026 | 2,352 |
| February 2026 | 2,139 |
| January 2026 | 2,337 |
| December 2025 | 2,224 |
| November 2025 | 2,294 |
| October 2025 | 2,545 |
| September 2025 | 2,430 |
Compared with England and Wales, Northampton recorded notably more robbery (88% above the national rate), anti-social behaviour (78% above the national rate) and possession of weapons (68% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (70% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 452 to 637 and vehicle crime rose from 1,381 to 1,702, while drugs fell from 1,201 to 863.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 9,779 | 39.3 | 34.2 | -2% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 6,807 | 27.3 | 15.4 | +21% |
| Shoplifting | 2,877 | 11.6 | 8.5 | -14% |
| Public order | 1,726 | 6.9 | 6.7 | +8% |
| Other theft | 1,724 | 6.9 | 6.4 | +9% |
| Vehicle crime | 1,702 | 6.8 | 5.0 | +23% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,682 | 6.8 | 6.7 | -7% |
| Burglary | 1,117 | 4.5 | 3.6 | -9% |
| Drugs | 863 | 3.5 | 3.3 | -28% |
| Robbery | 637 | 2.6 | 1.4 | +41% |
| Other crime | 450 | 1.8 | 2.1 | -4% |
| Possession of weapons | 406 | 1.6 | 1.0 | -15% |
| Bicycle theft | 243 | 1.0 | 0.8 | +20% |
| Theft from the person | 124 | 0.5 | 1.7 | -8% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Northampton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moulton (West Northamptonshire) | 629 | 78.6 | -35% |
| Earls Barton | 329 | 51.4 | -58% |
| Wellingborough | 6,521 | 115.8 | -4% |
| Long Buckby | 349 | 69.2 | -43% |
| Towcester | 566 | 65.8 | -46% |
| Olney | 342 | 43.6 | -64% |
| Burton Latimer | 482 | 55.9 | -54% |
| Finedon | 386 | 73.7 | -39% |
Of the 17 areas within Northampton, Castle had the highest crime rate (336.3 per 1,000) and Weston Favell & Abington Vale the lowest (64.9), 5 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castle | Neighbourhood | 21,786 | 7,327 | 336.3 |
| Kingsley & Semilong | Neighbourhood | 16,718 | 2,906 | 173.8 |
| Kingsthorpe South | Neighbourhood | 12,697 | 1,681 | 132.4 |
| Dallington Spencer | Neighbourhood | 20,546 | 2,677 | 130.3 |
| Talavera | Neighbourhood | 12,809 | 1,642 | 128.2 |
| Abington & Phippsville | Neighbourhood | 11,840 | 1,353 | 114.3 |
| Billing | Neighbourhood | 11,787 | 1,253 | 106.3 |
| Blackthorn & Rectory Farm | Neighbourhood | 12,134 | 1,235 | 101.8 |
| Upton | Neighbourhood | 13,686 | 1,376 | 100.5 |
| Headlands | Neighbourhood | 19,892 | 1,996 | 100.3 |
| Far Cotton, Delapre & Briar Hill | Neighbourhood | 18,222 | 1,737 | 95.3 |
| Kingsthorpe North | Neighbourhood | 15,632 | 1,247 | 79.8 |
| Parklands | Neighbourhood | 3,603 | 249 | 69.1 |
| Duston | Neighbourhood | 16,170 | 1,082 | 66.9 |
| Nene Valley | Neighbourhood | 16,540 | 1,094 | 66.1 |
| Hunsbury | Neighbourhood | 15,591 | 1,024 | 65.7 |
| Weston Favell & Abington Vale | Neighbourhood | 10,444 | 678 | 64.9 |
The 10 locations below account for 17% of the crime recorded in Northampton over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (1,578).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 1,578 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 637 |
| On or near Nightclub | 597 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 564 |
| On or near Hospital | 409 |
| On or near Parking Area | 369 |
| On or near Stanhope Road | 307 |
| On or near Woolmonger Street | 271 |
| On or near St Giles' Terrace | 238 |
| On or near Victoria Gardens | 217 |
Of the 23,330 crimes in Northampton with a recorded outcome, 36% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.6% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 6,807 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 8,341 | 35.8% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 8,320 | 35.7% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 2,774 | 11.9% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,299 | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 810 | 3.5% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 672 | 2.9% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 382 | 1.6% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 293 | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 199 | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 147 | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 61 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 18 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
Northampton has an estimated population of 248,936 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has a younger population (14%, against 19%) and fewer retired residents (17%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Northampton average decile 5.5 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Northampton | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 14.3% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 63.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 17.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 8.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 29.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 19.8% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 21.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 59.9% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 16.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 23.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.5 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 3.6% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Northampton a safe place to live?
Northampton recorded 121.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 171st of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were robbery and anti-social behaviour.
What is the most common crime in Northampton?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 9,779 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (6,807).
Is crime in Northampton going up or down?
Recorded crime in Northampton was up 2% on the year before: 30,137 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 29,527 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Northampton?
About 248,936 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 14% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Northampton?
Northampton is policed by Northamptonshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.