Crime in St Austell: statistics, rates and trends
2,582 crimes were recorded in St Austell in the 12 months to August 2026, 106.1 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 St Austell at a glance
- Crime trends in St Austell
- Types of crime in St Austell
- St Austell compared with nearby towns
- Areas within St Austell
- Streets with the most crime in St Austell
- What happened after crimes were reported in St Austell
- Demographics of St Austell
- Questions about crime in St Austell
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (1,118), anti-social behaviour (405) and criminal damage and arson (266) made up 69% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 288th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | St Austell | Cornwall | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 2,582 | 41,480 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 106.1 | 71.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | 0% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 24,336 | 583,289 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in St Austell peaked in the year to August 2018 (2,725 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2022 (1,971). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 5%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 2,582 | 106.1 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,572 | 105.7 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 2,482 | 102.0 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,971 | 81.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 2,329 | 95.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 2,581 | 106.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 2,542 | 104.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 2,725 | 112.0 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 227 |
| July 2026 | 284 |
| June 2026 | 213 |
| May 2026 | 214 |
| April 2026 | 217 |
| March 2026 | 214 |
| February 2026 | 179 |
| January 2026 | 171 |
| December 2025 | 182 |
| November 2025 | 249 |
| October 2025 | 257 |
| September 2025 | 175 |
Compared with England and Wales, St Austell recorded notably more criminal damage and arson (62% above the national rate), possession of weapons (61% above the national rate) and violence and sexual offences (34% above the national rate), and notably less vehicle crime (64% below) and burglary (32% below). On the year before, burglary rose from 38 to 59 and other crime rose from 46 to 68, while shoplifting fell from 206 to 150 and vehicle crime fell from 54 to 44.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 1,118 | 45.9 | 34.2 | 0% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 405 | 16.6 | 15.4 | -11% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 266 | 10.9 | 6.7 | +21% |
| Public order | 180 | 7.4 | 6.7 | +24% |
| Shoplifting | 150 | 6.2 | 8.5 | -27% |
| Other theft | 143 | 5.9 | 6.4 | -9% |
| Other crime | 68 | 2.8 | 2.1 | +48% |
| Drugs | 66 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 0% |
| Burglary | 59 | 2.4 | 3.6 | +55% |
| Vehicle crime | 44 | 1.8 | 5.0 | -19% |
| Possession of weapons | 38 | 1.6 | 1.0 | +12% |
| Robbery | 23 | 0.9 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 19 | 0.8 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 3 | 0.1 | 0.8 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than St Austell; the highest is Truro (128.6 per 1,000) and the lowest Indian Queens, Fraddon and St Columb Road (62.7).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs St Austell |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Blazey | 484 | 69.1 | -35% |
| Indian Queens, Fraddon and St Columb Road | 375 | 62.7 | -41% |
| Bodmin | 2,090 | 118.9 | +12% |
| Wadebridge | 398 | 76.7 | -28% |
| Truro | 2,962 | 128.6 | +21% |
| Newquay | 2,666 | 108.6 | +2% |
| Looe | 476 | 84.2 | -21% |
| Liskeard | 1,337 | 114.2 | +8% |
Of the 4 areas within St Austell, St Austell Central & Gover had the highest crime rate (147.4 per 1,000) and Penwithick & Boscoppa the lowest (66.4).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Austell Central & Gover | Neighbourhood | 8,528 | 1,257 | 147.4 |
| St Austell Poltair & Mount Charles | Neighbourhood | 4,709 | 676 | 143.6 |
| St Austell Bethel & Holmbush | Neighbourhood | 6,346 | 438 | 69.0 |
| Penwithick & Boscoppa | Neighbourhood | 8,739 | 580 | 66.4 |
The 10 locations below account for 30% of the crime recorded in St Austell over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (236).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 236 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 84 |
| On or near Supermarket | 77 |
| On or near Cross Lane | 71 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 66 |
| On or near Grant'S Walk | 56 |
| On or near Church Street | 54 |
| On or near Truro Road | 51 |
| On or near B3273 | 48 |
| On or near Bridge Road | 37 |
Of the 2,177 crimes in St Austell with a recorded outcome, 22% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 5.5% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 405 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 995 | 45.7% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 480 | 22.0% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 329 | 15.1% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 119 | 5.5% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 77 | 3.5% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 55 | 2.5% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 43 | 2.0% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 35 | 1.6% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 18 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 13 | 0.6% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 8 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 5 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
St Austell has an estimated population of 24,336 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (4.9%, against 7.9%), fewer residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (24%, against 34%) and more retired residents (27%, against 22%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up St Austell average decile 4.6 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | St Austell | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 17.5% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 23.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 53.1% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 27.4% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 24.0% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 18.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 19.5% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 64.0% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 14.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 21.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 4.6 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 7.7% | 10.1% (England) |
Is St Austell a safe place to live?
St Austell recorded 106.1 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 288th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were criminal damage and arson and possession of weapons.
What is the most common crime in St Austell?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 1,118 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (405).
Is crime in St Austell going up or down?
Recorded crime in St Austell was almost unchanged on the year before: 2,582 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,572 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of St Austell?
About 24,336 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 24% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers St Austell?
St Austell 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.