Crime in Paignton: statistics, rates and trends
6,232 crimes were recorded in Paignton in the 12 months to August 2026, 92.6 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 Paignton at a glance
- Crime trends in Paignton
- Types of crime in Paignton
- Paignton compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Paignton
- Streets with the most crime in Paignton
- What happened after crimes were reported in Paignton
- Demographics of Paignton
- Questions about crime in Paignton
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (2,674), anti-social behaviour (818) and shoplifting (652) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 435th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Paignton | Torbay | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 6,232 | 15,261 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 92.6 | 108.9 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +1% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 67,302 | 140,126 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the most recorded crime in Paignton of any year here (6,232 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 4%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 6,232 | 92.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 6,177 | 91.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 6,011 | 89.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2022 | 5,094 | 75.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 5,784 | 85.9 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 5,780 | 85.9 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 5,897 | 87.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 6,012 | 89.3 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 516 |
| July 2026 | 627 |
| June 2026 | 652 |
| May 2026 | 689 |
| April 2026 | 488 |
| March 2026 | 507 |
| February 2026 | 399 |
| January 2026 | 397 |
| December 2025 | 419 |
| November 2025 | 517 |
| October 2025 | 520 |
| September 2025 | 501 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and robbery (76% below) and theft from the person (69% below) were well below it. On the year before, possession of weapons rose from 56 to 68 and burglary rose from 155 to 184, while drugs fell from 236 to 165 and robbery fell from 29 to 22.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 2,674 | 39.7 | 34.2 | +9% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 818 | 12.2 | 15.4 | -21% |
| Shoplifting | 652 | 9.7 | 8.5 | +16% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 513 | 7.6 | 6.7 | -2% |
| Other theft | 453 | 6.7 | 6.4 | +5% |
| Public order | 321 | 4.8 | 6.7 | +6% |
| Burglary | 184 | 2.7 | 3.6 | +19% |
| Vehicle crime | 175 | 2.6 | 5.0 | -19% |
| Drugs | 165 | 2.5 | 3.3 | -30% |
| Other crime | 132 | 2.0 | 2.1 | +7% |
| Possession of weapons | 68 | 1.0 | 1.0 | +21% |
| Theft from the person | 35 | 0.5 | 1.7 | -3% |
| Robbery | 22 | 0.3 | 1.4 | -24% |
| Bicycle theft | 20 | 0.3 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Paignton; the highest is Torquay (144.6 per 1,000) and the lowest Kingsteignton (48.1).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Paignton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Torquay | 7,355 | 144.6 | +56% |
| Brixham | 1,214 | 67.7 | -27% |
| Totnes | 659 | 72.1 | -22% |
| Newton Abbot | 2,527 | 84.9 | -8% |
| Dartmouth | 371 | 69.7 | -25% |
| Kingsteignton | 630 | 48.1 | -48% |
| Teignmouth | 1,111 | 74.2 | -20% |
| Dawlish | 1,002 | 82.2 | -11% |
Of the 9 areas within Paignton, Roundham with Hyde had the highest crime rate (207.0 per 1,000) and Churston with Galmpton the lowest (38.2), 5 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roundham with Hyde | Neighbourhood | 8,446 | 1,748 | 207.0 |
| Collaton St Mary | Neighbourhood | 3,835 | 541 | 141.1 |
| King's Ash | Neighbourhood | 8,375 | 1,000 | 119.4 |
| Cockington with Chelston | Neighbourhood | 9,794 | 749 | 76.5 |
| Shiphay | Neighbourhood | 7,227 | 522 | 72.2 |
| Goodrington with Roselands | Neighbourhood | 7,192 | 511 | 71.1 |
| Preston | Neighbourhood | 10,440 | 666 | 63.8 |
| Clifton with Maidenway | Neighbourhood | 8,794 | 496 | 56.4 |
| Churston with Galmpton | Neighbourhood | 6,547 | 250 | 38.2 |
The 10 locations below account for 24% of the crime recorded in Paignton over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (427).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 427 |
| On or near Parking Area | 253 |
| On or near Littlefield Close | 174 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 159 |
| On or near Commercial Road | 105 |
| On or near Winner Street | 96 |
| On or near Torbay Road | 80 |
| On or near Further/Higher Educational Building | 78 |
| On or near Gerston Road | 76 |
| On or near Parkside Road | 73 |
Of the 5,414 crimes in Paignton with a recorded outcome, 24% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 818 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 2,469 | 45.6% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,288 | 23.8% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 678 | 12.5% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 268 | 5.0% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 204 | 3.8% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 161 | 3.0% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 109 | 2.0% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 84 | 1.6% | 0.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 47 | 0.9% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 42 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Suspect charged as part of another case | 36 | 0.7% | 0.0% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 19 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
Paignton has an estimated population of 67,302 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has less social housing (7.8%, against 17.1%), an older population (27%, against 19%) and more retired residents (30%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Paignton average decile 5.0 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Paignton | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 16.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 27.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 51.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.7% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 30.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.0% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 25.2% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 19.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 20.8% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 69.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 7.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 22.6% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 5.0 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 8.5% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Paignton a safe place to live?
Paignton recorded 92.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 435th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Paignton?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 2,674 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (818).
Is crime in Paignton going up or down?
Recorded crime in Paignton was almost unchanged on the year before: 6,232 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 6,177 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Paignton?
About 67,302 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 27% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Paignton?
Paignton is policed by Devon & Cornwall.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.