Crime in Royal Tunbridge Wells: statistics, rates and trends
4,218 crimes were recorded in Royal Tunbridge Wells in the 12 months to August 2026, 79.5 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Royal Tunbridge Wells at a glance
- Crime trends in Royal Tunbridge Wells
- Types of crime in Royal Tunbridge Wells
- Royal Tunbridge Wells compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Royal Tunbridge Wells
- Streets with the most crime in Royal Tunbridge Wells
- What happened after crimes were reported in Royal Tunbridge Wells
- Demographics of Royal Tunbridge Wells
- Questions about crime in Royal Tunbridge Wells
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,329), anti-social behaviour (913) and shoplifting (550) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 621st of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Royal Tunbridge Wells | Tunbridge Wells | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 4,218 | 8,086 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 79.5 | 67.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | 0% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 53,052 | 119,694 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Royal Tunbridge Wells of any year here (4,218 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 25%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 4,218 | 79.5 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 4,229 | 79.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 4,966 | 93.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 4,840 | 91.2 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 4,707 | 88.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 4,740 | 89.3 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 5,428 | 102.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 5,103 | 96.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 5,613 | 105.8 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 392 |
| July 2026 | 405 |
| June 2026 | 343 |
| May 2026 | 311 |
| April 2026 | 345 |
| March 2026 | 306 |
| February 2026 | 331 |
| January 2026 | 371 |
| December 2025 | 359 |
| November 2025 | 355 |
| October 2025 | 360 |
| September 2025 | 340 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (76% below) and robbery (56% below) were well below it. On the year before, robbery rose from 24 to 32 and possession of weapons rose from 34 to 45, while other crime fell from 108 to 90 and burglary fell from 118 to 99.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,329 | 25.1 | 34.2 | -10% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 913 | 17.2 | 15.4 | +29% |
| Shoplifting | 550 | 10.4 | 8.5 | -10% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 359 | 6.8 | 6.7 | +3% |
| Other theft | 300 | 5.7 | 6.4 | +8% |
| Public order | 187 | 3.5 | 6.7 | -15% |
| Vehicle crime | 142 | 2.7 | 5.0 | +4% |
| Drugs | 120 | 2.3 | 3.3 | +5% |
| Burglary | 99 | 1.9 | 3.6 | -16% |
| Other crime | 90 | 1.7 | 2.1 | -17% |
| Possession of weapons | 45 | 0.8 | 1.0 | +32% |
| Robbery | 32 | 0.6 | 1.4 | +33% |
| Bicycle theft | 31 | 0.6 | 0.8 | +11% |
| Theft from the person | 21 | 0.4 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Royal Tunbridge Wells; the highest is Edenbridge (97.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Crowborough (45.1).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Royal Tunbridge Wells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southborough | 507 | 46.9 | -41% |
| Rusthall and Langton Green | 408 | 51.0 | -36% |
| Pembury | 484 | 83.4 | +5% |
| Tonbridge | 3,064 | 79.9 | +1% |
| Paddock Wood | 838 | 89.4 | +12% |
| Crowborough | 956 | 45.1 | -43% |
| Edenbridge | 787 | 97.5 | +23% |
| Sevenoaks | 1,553 | 56.6 | -29% |
Of the 6 areas within Royal Tunbridge Wells, Park had the highest crime rate (120.0 per 1,000) and St John's the lowest (38.6), 3 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park | Neighbourhood | 7,599 | 912 | 120.0 |
| Culverden | Neighbourhood | 8,635 | 787 | 91.1 |
| Sherwood | Neighbourhood | 11,446 | 1,023 | 89.4 |
| Pantiles | Neighbourhood | 9,711 | 716 | 73.7 |
| St James' | Neighbourhood | 8,548 | 454 | 53.1 |
| St John's | Neighbourhood | 5,720 | 221 | 38.6 |
The 10 locations below account for 33% of the crime recorded in Royal Tunbridge Wells over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Shopping Area” (357).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Shopping Area | 357 |
| On or near Parking Area | 351 |
| On or near Newton Road | 124 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 104 |
| On or near Linden Park Road | 99 |
| On or near Supermarket | 99 |
| On or near Monson Road | 88 |
| On or near Grosvenor Road | 62 |
| On or near High Street | 62 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 53 |
Of the 3,305 crimes in Royal Tunbridge Wells with a recorded outcome, 39% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 913 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,291 | 39.1% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 1,044 | 31.6% | 34.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 270 | 8.2% | 5.2% |
| Under investigation | 230 | 7.0% | 11.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 172 | 5.2% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 91 | 2.8% | 3.1% |
| Status update unavailable | 72 | 2.2% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 65 | 2.0% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 32 | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 27 | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 6 | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Royal Tunbridge Wells has an estimated population of 53,052 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (46%, against 34%), fewer residents with no qualifications (12%, against 18%) and fewer students (5.3%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Royal Tunbridge Wells average decile 7.5 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Royal Tunbridge Wells | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 20.4% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 16.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 63.5% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 19.1% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.3% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 45.8% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 12.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 19.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 61.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 13.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 25.2% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.5 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Royal Tunbridge Wells a safe place to live?
Royal Tunbridge Wells recorded 79.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 621st of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Royal Tunbridge Wells?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,329 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (913).
Is crime in Royal Tunbridge Wells going up or down?
Recorded crime in Royal Tunbridge Wells was almost unchanged on the year before: 4,218 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 4,229 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Royal Tunbridge Wells?
About 53,052 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 17% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Royal Tunbridge Wells?
Royal Tunbridge Wells 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.