Crime in Rochester: statistics, rates and trends
6,763 crimes were recorded in Rochester in the 12 months to August 2026, 96.4 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 6% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Rochester at a glance
- Crime trends in Rochester
- Types of crime in Rochester
- Rochester compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Rochester
- Streets with the most crime in Rochester
- What happened after crimes were reported in Rochester
- Demographics of Rochester
- Questions about crime in Rochester
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (2,587), anti-social behaviour (1,331) and criminal damage and arson (540) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 399th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Rochester | Medway | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 6,763 | 29,963 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 96.4 | 102.4 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -6% | -3% | -1% |
| Population | 70,153 | 292,655 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Rochester of any year here (6,763 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 43%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 6,763 | 96.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 7,214 | 102.8 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 7,779 | 110.9 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 9,478 | 135.1 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 10,671 | 152.1 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 10,147 | 144.6 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 11,728 | 167.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 11,200 | 159.7 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 11,871 | 169.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 679 |
| July 2026 | 694 |
| June 2026 | 563 |
| May 2026 | 590 |
| April 2026 | 557 |
| March 2026 | 557 |
| February 2026 | 518 |
| January 2026 | 463 |
| December 2025 | 559 |
| November 2025 | 519 |
| October 2025 | 584 |
| September 2025 | 480 |
Compared with England and Wales, Rochester recorded notably more other crime (53% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (82% below) and burglary (42% below). On the year before, bicycle theft rose from 34 to 44 and anti-social behaviour rose from 1,092 to 1,331, while shoplifting fell from 738 to 506 and vehicle crime fell from 390 to 282.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 2,587 | 36.9 | 34.2 | -6% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,331 | 19.0 | 15.4 | +22% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 540 | 7.7 | 6.7 | -5% |
| Shoplifting | 506 | 7.2 | 8.5 | -31% |
| Other theft | 437 | 6.2 | 6.4 | -7% |
| Public order | 285 | 4.1 | 6.7 | -12% |
| Vehicle crime | 282 | 4.0 | 5.0 | -28% |
| Drugs | 241 | 3.4 | 3.3 | -7% |
| Other crime | 227 | 3.2 | 2.1 | -10% |
| Burglary | 144 | 2.1 | 3.6 | -25% |
| Possession of weapons | 61 | 0.9 | 1.0 | -10% |
| Robbery | 57 | 0.8 | 1.4 | +16% |
| Bicycle theft | 44 | 0.6 | 0.8 | +29% |
| Theft from the person | 21 | 0.3 | 1.7 | -16% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Rochester; the highest is Chatham (126.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Hoo St Werburgh (63.3).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chatham | 10,149 | 126.7 | +31% |
| Gillingham (Medway) | 11,367 | 98.7 | +2% |
| Hoo St Werburgh | 646 | 63.3 | -34% |
| Snodland | 1,211 | 98.9 | +3% |
| Gravesend | 6,402 | 105.6 | +10% |
| Larkfield | 2,052 | 70.4 | -27% |
| Northfleet | 2,830 | 94.2 | -2% |
| East Tilbury | 449 | 72.4 | -25% |
Of the 5 areas within Rochester, Rochester West & Borstal had the highest crime rate (131.7 per 1,000) and Strood Rural the lowest (56.3).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester West & Borstal | Neighbourhood | 13,101 | 1,726 | 131.7 |
| Strood West | Neighbourhood | 17,541 | 2,082 | 118.7 |
| Rochester East & Warren Wood | Neighbourhood | 14,037 | 1,255 | 89.4 |
| Strood North & Frindsbury | Neighbourhood | 14,707 | 1,102 | 74.9 |
| Strood Rural | Neighbourhood | 13,076 | 736 | 56.3 |
The 10 locations below account for 26% of the crime recorded in Rochester over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (474).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 474 |
| On or near Supermarket | 364 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 189 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 148 |
| On or near Sylewood Close | 110 |
| On or near Corys Road | 104 |
| On or near Tintagel Gardens | 99 |
| On or near North Street | 91 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 84 |
| On or near Blue Boar Lane | 68 |
Of the 5,432 crimes in Rochester with a recorded outcome, 34% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.6% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,331 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 2,087 | 38.4% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,849 | 34.0% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 454 | 8.4% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 359 | 6.6% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 173 | 3.2% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 156 | 2.9% | 2.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 137 | 2.5% | 1.3% |
| Local resolution | 129 | 2.4% | 3.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 52 | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 19 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 13 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Rochester has an estimated population of 70,153 (ONS, mid-2024). On the Census 2021 measures below it is close to England and Wales as a whole. On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Rochester average decile 4.9 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Rochester | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 21.0% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 16.0% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 60.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 18.5% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 27.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 19.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 19.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 65.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 15.6% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 19.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.9 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 2.3% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Rochester a safe place to live?
Rochester recorded 96.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 399th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were other crime.
What is the most common crime in Rochester?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 2,587 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (1,331).
Is crime in Rochester going up or down?
Recorded crime in Rochester was down 6% on the year before: 6,763 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 7,214 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Rochester?
About 70,153 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 16% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Rochester?
Rochester is policed by Kent.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.