Crime in Wantage: statistics, rates and trends
884 crimes were recorded in Wantage in the 12 months to August 2026, 64.4 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 18% on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (367), anti-social behaviour (125) and public order (89) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 870th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the lower half.
| Measure | Wantage | Vale of White Horse | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 884 | 7,947 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 64.4 | 53.2 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -18% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 13,726 | 149,347 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Wantage peaked in the year to August 2025 (1,077 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2019 (686). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it rose 5%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 884 | 64.4 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,077 | 78.5 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 937 | 68.3 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 872 | 63.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 1,030 | 75.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 772 | 56.2 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 735 | 53.5 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 686 | 50.0 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 839 | 61.1 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 94 |
| July 2026 | 85 |
| June 2026 | 84 |
| May 2026 | 62 |
| April 2026 | 71 |
| March 2026 | 65 |
| February 2026 | 64 |
| January 2026 | 76 |
| December 2025 | 77 |
| November 2025 | 73 |
| October 2025 | 79 |
| September 2025 | 54 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and shoplifting (73% below) and vehicle crime (71% below) were well below it. On the year before, drugs rose from 26 to 39 and other theft rose from 50 to 69, while shoplifting fell from 97 to 31 and vehicle crime fell from 29 to 20.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 367 | 26.7 | 34.2 | -20% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 125 | 9.1 | 15.4 | -21% |
| Public order | 89 | 6.5 | 6.7 | -1% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 72 | 5.2 | 6.7 | -27% |
| Other theft | 69 | 5.0 | 6.4 | +38% |
| Drugs | 39 | 2.8 | 3.3 | +50% |
| Shoplifting | 31 | 2.3 | 8.5 | -68% |
| Burglary | 29 | 2.1 | 3.6 | +32% |
| Other crime | 26 | 1.9 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Vehicle crime | 20 | 1.5 | 5.0 | -31% |
| Possession of weapons | 6 | 0.4 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 6 | 0.4 | 1.7 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 4 | 0.3 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Robbery | 1 | 0.1 | 1.4 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
3 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Wantage; the highest is Abingdon-on-Thames (68.5 per 1,000) and the lowest Shrivenham and Watchfield (45.8).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Wantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grove (Vale of White Horse) | 597 | 55.4 | -14% |
| Didcot | 2,234 | 61.7 | -4% |
| Faringdon | 693 | 66.7 | +4% |
| Abingdon-on-Thames | 2,257 | 68.5 | +6% |
| Shrivenham and Watchfield | 335 | 45.8 | -29% |
| Wallingford | 463 | 53.0 | -18% |
| Highworth | 400 | 47.4 | -26% |
| Hungerford | 405 | 65.8 | +2% |
Of the 2 areas within Wantage, Wantage Charlton had the highest crime rate (68.5 per 1,000) and Wantage & Grove Brook the lowest (56.7).
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wantage Charlton | Neighbourhood | 8,180 | 560 | 68.5 |
| Wantage & Grove Brook | Neighbourhood | 7,302 | 414 | 56.7 |
The 10 locations below account for 31% of the crime recorded in Wantage over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (39).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 39 |
| On or near Elder Way | 36 |
| On or near St Mary'S | 34 |
| On or near Market Place | 32 |
| On or near Springfield Road | 26 |
| On or near Cowslip Road | 23 |
| On or near The Wharf | 23 |
| On or near Chandlers Close | 22 |
| On or near The Ivies | 22 |
| On or near Kent Mews | 20 |
Of the 759 crimes in Wantage with a recorded outcome, 30% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 2.5% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 125 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 286 | 37.7% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 224 | 29.5% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 113 | 14.9% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 31 | 4.1% | 4.7% |
| Local resolution | 30 | 4.0% | 3.1% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 22 | 2.9% | 1.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 19 | 2.5% | 5.2% |
| Offender given a caution | 16 | 2.1% | 0.6% |
| Court result unavailable | 11 | 1.4% | 2.5% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 6 | 0.8% | 0.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 1 | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Wantage has an estimated population of 13,726 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (4.7%, against 7.9%), fewer households without a car (16%, against 23%) and less private renting (14%, against 20%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Wantage average decile 8.1 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Wantage | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.9% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 20.7% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 61.9% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 24.2% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 4.7% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 39.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 14.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 15.9% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 68.7% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 17.1% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 14.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 8.1 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Wantage a safe place to live?
Wantage recorded 64.4 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 870th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Wantage?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 367 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (125).
Is crime in Wantage going up or down?
Recorded crime in Wantage was down 18% on the year before: 884 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,077 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Wantage?
About 13,726 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 21% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Wantage?
Wantage is policed by Thames Valley.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.