Crime in Sevenoaks: statistics, rates and trends
1,553 crimes were recorded in Sevenoaks in the 12 months to August 2026, 56.6 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 7% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Sevenoaks at a glance
- Crime trends in Sevenoaks
- Types of crime in Sevenoaks
- Sevenoaks compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Sevenoaks
- Streets with the most crime in Sevenoaks
- What happened after crimes were reported in Sevenoaks
- Demographics of Sevenoaks
- Questions about crime in Sevenoaks
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (420), anti-social behaviour (283) and shoplifting (249) made up 61% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,024th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Sevenoaks | Sevenoaks | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 1,553 | 7,699 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 56.6 | 62.7 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -7% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 27,462 | 122,748 | 58,127,638 |
The year to August 2026 had the least recorded crime in Sevenoaks of any year here (1,553 crimes). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 37%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 1,553 | 56.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,661 | 60.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 1,905 | 69.4 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 1,948 | 70.9 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,987 | 72.4 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,160 | 78.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,222 | 80.9 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,033 | 74.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 2,471 | 90.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 122 |
| July 2026 | 125 |
| June 2026 | 138 |
| May 2026 | 144 |
| April 2026 | 137 |
| March 2026 | 138 |
| February 2026 | 105 |
| January 2026 | 114 |
| December 2025 | 137 |
| November 2025 | 135 |
| October 2025 | 126 |
| September 2025 | 132 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and public order (79% below) and violence and sexual offences (55% below) were well below it. On the year before, shoplifting rose from 213 to 249, while burglary fell from 120 to 48 and public order fell from 63 to 38.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 420 | 15.3 | 34.2 | -5% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 283 | 10.3 | 15.4 | +11% |
| Shoplifting | 249 | 9.1 | 8.5 | +17% |
| Other theft | 149 | 5.4 | 6.4 | +3% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 138 | 5.0 | 6.7 | +4% |
| Vehicle crime | 106 | 3.9 | 5.0 | -33% |
| Drugs | 50 | 1.8 | 3.3 | -6% |
| Burglary | 48 | 1.7 | 3.6 | -60% |
| Public order | 38 | 1.4 | 6.7 | -40% |
| Other crime | 37 | 1.3 | 2.1 | -3% |
| Theft from the person | 10 | 0.4 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 9 | 0.3 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Robbery | 9 | 0.3 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 7 | 0.3 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
6 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Sevenoaks; the highest is Edenbridge (97.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Otford and Kemsing (36.8).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Sevenoaks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otford and Kemsing | 275 | 36.8 | -35% |
| Borough Green | 269 | 43.0 | -24% |
| West Kingsdown | 365 | 59.1 | +4% |
| Tonbridge | 3,064 | 79.9 | +41% |
| Edenbridge | 787 | 97.5 | +72% |
| Swanley | 1,676 | 90.3 | +60% |
| Oxted | 771 | 59.2 | +5% |
| Longfield, New Ash Green and Hartley | 1,034 | 60.3 | +7% |
Of the 6 areas within Sevenoaks, Sevenoaks Town and St John's had the highest crime rate (84.7 per 1,000) and Sevenoaks Kippington the lowest (32.7).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sevenoaks Town and St John's | Neighbourhood | 7,310 | 619 | 84.7 |
| Sevenoaks Northern | Neighbourhood | 4,672 | 331 | 70.8 |
| Dunton Green and Riverhead | Neighbourhood | 6,226 | 323 | 51.9 |
| Brasted, Chevening and Sundridge | Neighbourhood | 6,600 | 282 | 42.7 |
| Sevenoaks Eastern | Neighbourhood | 4,238 | 160 | 37.8 |
| Sevenoaks Kippington | Neighbourhood | 4,887 | 160 | 32.7 |
The 10 locations below account for 41% of the crime recorded in Sevenoaks over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (201).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 201 |
| On or near Supermarket | 130 |
| On or near Otford Road | 59 |
| On or near Buckhurst Avenue | 48 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 44 |
| On or near Hospital | 41 |
| On or near High Street | 36 |
| On or near Queen'S Drive | 28 |
| On or near Chatham Hill Road | 23 |
| On or near Park/Open Space | 22 |
Of the 1,270 crimes in Sevenoaks with a recorded outcome, 50% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.1% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 283 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 634 | 49.9% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 324 | 25.5% | 34.5% |
| Under investigation | 81 | 6.4% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 78 | 6.1% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 58 | 4.6% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 40 | 3.1% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 23 | 1.8% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 12 | 0.9% | 1.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 8 | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 6 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 4 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Sevenoaks has an estimated population of 27,462 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (52%, against 34%), fewer households without a car (13%, against 23%) and fewer residents with no qualifications (11%, against 18%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Sevenoaks average decile 8.9 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Sevenoaks | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 21.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 19.2% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 59.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 6.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 52.4% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 10.9% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 13.0% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 69.5% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 10.9% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 19.6% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 8.9 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Sevenoaks a safe place to live?
Sevenoaks recorded 56.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 1,024th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Sevenoaks?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 420 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (283).
Is crime in Sevenoaks going up or down?
Recorded crime in Sevenoaks was down 7% on the year before: 1,553 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,661 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Sevenoaks?
About 27,462 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 19% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Sevenoaks?
Sevenoaks 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.