Crime in Tonbridge: statistics, rates and trends
3,064 crimes were recorded in Tonbridge in the 12 months to August 2026, 79.9 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 3% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Tonbridge at a glance
- Crime trends in Tonbridge
- Types of crime in Tonbridge
- Tonbridge compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Tonbridge
- Streets with the most crime in Tonbridge
- What happened after crimes were reported in Tonbridge
- Demographics of Tonbridge
- Questions about crime in Tonbridge
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (987), anti-social behaviour (591) and shoplifting (382) made up 64% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 613th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Tonbridge | Tonbridge and Malling | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 3,064 | 9,281 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 79.9 | 67.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +3% | +3% | -1% |
| Population | 38,327 | 136,853 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Tonbridge peaked in the year to August 2018 (3,982 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (2,964). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 23%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 3,064 | 79.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 2,964 | 77.3 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 3,161 | 82.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 3,635 | 94.8 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 3,475 | 90.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 3,351 | 87.4 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 3,916 | 102.2 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 3,720 | 97.1 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 3,982 | 103.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 310 |
| July 2026 | 265 |
| June 2026 | 271 |
| May 2026 | 284 |
| April 2026 | 254 |
| March 2026 | 258 |
| February 2026 | 200 |
| January 2026 | 268 |
| December 2025 | 259 |
| November 2025 | 224 |
| October 2025 | 221 |
| September 2025 | 250 |
Compared with England and Wales, Tonbridge recorded notably more criminal damage and arson (26% above the national rate), and notably less burglary (56% below) and robbery (52% below). On the year before, anti-social behaviour rose from 422 to 591 and robbery rose from 20 to 25, while other crime fell from 98 to 71 and possession of weapons fell from 31 to 25.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 987 | 25.8 | 34.2 | -7% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 591 | 15.4 | 15.4 | +40% |
| Shoplifting | 382 | 10.0 | 8.5 | -4% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 325 | 8.5 | 6.7 | +16% |
| Other theft | 196 | 5.1 | 6.4 | +13% |
| Public order | 135 | 3.5 | 6.7 | -8% |
| Drugs | 125 | 3.3 | 3.3 | +15% |
| Vehicle crime | 114 | 3.0 | 5.0 | -7% |
| Other crime | 71 | 1.9 | 2.1 | -28% |
| Burglary | 60 | 1.6 | 3.6 | +5% |
| Possession of weapons | 25 | 0.7 | 1.0 | -19% |
| Robbery | 25 | 0.7 | 1.4 | +25% |
| Bicycle theft | 17 | 0.4 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 11 | 0.3 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Tonbridge; the highest is Paddock Wood (89.4 per 1,000) and the lowest Borough Green (43.0).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Tonbridge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southborough | 507 | 46.9 | -41% |
| Pembury | 484 | 83.4 | +4% |
| Royal Tunbridge Wells | 4,218 | 79.5 | -1% |
| Paddock Wood | 838 | 89.4 | +12% |
| Rusthall and Langton Green | 408 | 51.0 | -36% |
| Borough Green | 269 | 43.0 | -46% |
| Sevenoaks | 1,553 | 56.6 | -29% |
| Kings Hill | 494 | 49.1 | -39% |
Of the 5 areas within Tonbridge, Judd had the highest crime rate (122.2 per 1,000) and Higham the lowest (32.9), 4 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Judd | Neighbourhood | 7,283 | 890 | 122.2 |
| Vauxhall | Neighbourhood | 9,480 | 824 | 86.9 |
| Trench | Neighbourhood | 6,737 | 513 | 76.1 |
| Cage Green & Angel | Neighbourhood | 8,744 | 637 | 72.8 |
| Higham | Neighbourhood | 6,083 | 200 | 32.9 |
The 10 locations below account for 38% of the crime recorded in Tonbridge over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Supermarket” (271).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Supermarket | 271 |
| On or near Parking Area | 267 |
| On or near Police Station | 179 |
| On or near Botany | 95 |
| On or near Railway Approach | 67 |
| On or near Lambert'S Yard | 65 |
| On or near B2260 | 60 |
| On or near Crabapple Road | 56 |
| On or near High Street | 53 |
| On or near Arnolds Court | 36 |
Of the 2,473 crimes in Tonbridge with a recorded outcome, 33% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 10.0% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 591 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 827 | 33.4% | 35.3% |
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 810 | 32.8% | 34.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 247 | 10.0% | 5.2% |
| Under investigation | 232 | 9.4% | 11.5% |
| Local resolution | 111 | 4.5% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 100 | 4.0% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 59 | 2.4% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 43 | 1.7% | 1.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 19 | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 14 | 0.6% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 9 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Tonbridge has an estimated population of 38,327 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (5.9%, against 7.9%), less private renting (16%, against 20%) and fewer households without a car (18%, against 23%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Tonbridge average decile 7.2 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Tonbridge | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 18.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 60.4% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.6% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.6% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.9% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 35.5% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 15.3% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 18.4% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 65.1% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 19.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 15.7% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.2 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Tonbridge a safe place to live?
Tonbridge recorded 79.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 613th 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.
What is the most common crime in Tonbridge?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 987 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (591).
Is crime in Tonbridge going up or down?
Recorded crime in Tonbridge was up 3% on the year before: 3,064 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 2,964 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Tonbridge?
About 38,327 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 19% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Tonbridge?
Tonbridge 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.