Crime in Soham: statistics, rates and trends
686 crimes were recorded in Soham 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 almost unchanged on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (284), anti-social behaviour (156) and criminal damage and arson (45) made up 71% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 1,023rd of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Soham | East Cambridgeshire | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 686 | 5,607 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 56.6 | 60.4 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | 0% | +10% | -1% |
| Population | 12,128 | 92,906 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Soham peaked in the year to August 2020 (879 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2018 (540). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 27%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 686 | 56.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 685 | 56.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 700 | 57.7 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 651 | 53.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 663 | 54.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 732 | 60.4 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 879 | 72.5 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 614 | 50.6 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 540 | 44.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 54 |
| July 2026 | 44 |
| June 2026 | 65 |
| May 2026 | 56 |
| April 2026 | 42 |
| March 2026 | 64 |
| February 2026 | 51 |
| January 2026 | 55 |
| December 2025 | 44 |
| November 2025 | 77 |
| October 2025 | 68 |
| September 2025 | 66 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and public order (59% below) and other theft (46% below) were well below it. On the year before, burglary rose from 21 to 27, while criminal damage and arson fell from 57 to 45.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 284 | 23.4 | 34.2 | +1% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 156 | 12.9 | 15.4 | +5% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 45 | 3.7 | 6.7 | -21% |
| Other theft | 42 | 3.5 | 6.4 | -9% |
| Vehicle crime | 35 | 2.9 | 5.0 | -8% |
| Public order | 33 | 2.7 | 6.7 | +6% |
| Burglary | 27 | 2.2 | 3.6 | +29% |
| Other crime | 20 | 1.6 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Drugs | 13 | 1.1 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 10 | 0.8 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Shoplifting | 9 | 0.7 | 8.5 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 5 | 0.4 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 4 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Robbery | 3 | 0.2 | 1.4 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Soham; the highest is Mildenhall (West Suffolk) (80.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Red Lodge (42.0).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Soham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burwell | 325 | 50.0 | -12% |
| Ely | 1,601 | 78.8 | +39% |
| Beck Row | 233 | 45.3 | -20% |
| Newmarket | 1,512 | 73.7 | +30% |
| Red Lodge | 299 | 42.0 | -26% |
| Mildenhall (West Suffolk) | 733 | 80.5 | +42% |
| Waterbeach | 294 | 51.3 | -9% |
| Littleport | 680 | 78.0 | +38% |
Of the 2 areas within Soham, Soham South had the highest crime rate (56.6 per 1,000) and Soham North the lowest (50.1).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soham South | Neighbourhood | 8,370 | 474 | 56.6 |
| Soham North | Neighbourhood | 5,883 | 295 | 50.1 |
The 10 locations below account for 36% of the crime recorded in Soham over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Heron Croft” (68).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Heron Croft | 68 |
| On or near Lapwing Way | 22 |
| On or near Market Street | 22 |
| On or near Poppy Fields | 21 |
| On or near West Drive Crescent | 21 |
| On or near Eastern Avenue | 20 |
| On or near Glenare Court | 20 |
| On or near Parking Area | 20 |
| On or near Barway Road | 18 |
| On or near West Drive Gardens | 17 |
Of the 530 crimes in Soham with a recorded outcome, 27% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.4% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 156 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 248 | 46.8% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 142 | 26.8% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 62 | 11.7% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 38 | 7.2% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 18 | 3.4% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 11 | 2.1% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 4 | 0.8% | 2.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 4 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 3 | 0.6% | 1.3% |
Soham has an estimated population of 12,128 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer households without a car (12%, against 23%) and fewer students (4.4%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Soham average decile 6.6 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Soham | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.1% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 16.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 66.5% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 18.7% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.4% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 27.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 20.5% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 11.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 63.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 15.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 20.6% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.6 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Soham a safe place to live?
Soham 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 1,023rd of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Soham?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 284 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (156).
Is crime in Soham going up or down?
Recorded crime in Soham was almost unchanged on the year before: 686 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 685 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Soham?
About 12,128 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 17% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Soham?
Soham is policed by Cambridgeshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.