Crime in Warrington: statistics, rates and trends
13,695 crimes were recorded in Warrington in the 12 months to August 2026, 80.9 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and up 1% on the year before.
Table of Contents
- Crime map
- Crime in Warrington at a glance
- Crime trends in Warrington
- Types of crime in Warrington
- Warrington compared with nearby towns
- Areas within Warrington
- Streets with the most crime in Warrington
- What happened after crimes were reported in Warrington
- Demographics of Warrington
- Questions about crime in Warrington
- About this data
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (6,272), public order (1,558) and anti-social behaviour (1,153) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 595th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Warrington | Warrington | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 13,695 | 16,060 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 80.9 | 74.6 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | +1% | +1% | -1% |
| Population | 169,280 | 215,391 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Warrington peaked in the year to August 2018 (19,160 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2025 (13,554). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 29%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 13,695 | 80.9 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 13,554 | 80.1 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 14,322 | 84.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 15,359 | 90.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 16,251 | 96.0 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 17,237 | 101.8 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 18,669 | 110.3 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 18,241 | 107.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 19,160 | 113.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,213 |
| July 2026 | 1,256 |
| June 2026 | 1,332 |
| May 2026 | 1,182 |
| April 2026 | 1,104 |
| March 2026 | 1,281 |
| February 2026 | 1,135 |
| January 2026 | 1,011 |
| December 2025 | 1,029 |
| November 2025 | 1,003 |
| October 2025 | 1,077 |
| September 2025 | 1,072 |
Compared with England and Wales, Warrington recorded notably more public order (38% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (87% below) and robbery (63% below). On the year before, public order rose from 1,310 to 1,558 and robbery rose from 73 to 86, while theft from the person fell from 79 to 38 and bicycle theft fell from 224 to 170.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 6,272 | 37.1 | 34.2 | -2% |
| Public order | 1,558 | 9.2 | 6.7 | +19% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 1,153 | 6.8 | 15.4 | +8% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 885 | 5.2 | 6.7 | +4% |
| Other theft | 825 | 4.9 | 6.4 | +2% |
| Shoplifting | 757 | 4.5 | 8.5 | +5% |
| Drugs | 631 | 3.7 | 3.3 | -17% |
| Vehicle crime | 449 | 2.7 | 5.0 | +15% |
| Burglary | 407 | 2.4 | 3.6 | +10% |
| Other crime | 328 | 1.9 | 2.1 | -11% |
| Bicycle theft | 170 | 1.0 | 0.8 | -24% |
| Possession of weapons | 136 | 0.8 | 1.0 | -1% |
| Robbery | 86 | 0.5 | 1.4 | +18% |
| Theft from the person | 38 | 0.2 | 1.7 | -52% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Warrington; the highest is St Helens (St. Helens) (119.7 per 1,000) and the lowest Lymm (44.7).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Warrington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newton-le-Willows | 2,096 | 79.4 | -2% |
| Lymm | 580 | 44.7 | -45% |
| Culcheth | 288 | 48.4 | -40% |
| Haydock | 1,080 | 74.3 | -8% |
| Runcorn | 5,298 | 88.5 | +9% |
| Widnes | 5,487 | 89.5 | +11% |
| St Helens (St. Helens) | 12,250 | 119.7 | +48% |
| Prescot | 4,093 | 100.0 | +24% |
Of the 18 areas within Warrington, Bewsey and Whitecross had the highest crime rate (284.8 per 1,000) and Great Sankey North and Whittle Hall the lowest (26.7), 11 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bewsey and Whitecross | Neighbourhood | 13,087 | 3,727 | 284.8 |
| Poplars and Hulme | Neighbourhood | 10,964 | 1,359 | 124.0 |
| Orford | Neighbourhood | 11,790 | 1,249 | 105.9 |
| Fairfield and Howley | Neighbourhood | 13,762 | 1,385 | 100.6 |
| Latchford East | Neighbourhood | 9,975 | 835 | 83.7 |
| Latchford West | Neighbourhood | 7,598 | 602 | 79.2 |
| Birchwood | Neighbourhood | 10,442 | 721 | 69.0 |
| Westbrook | Neighbourhood | 6,875 | 471 | 68.5 |
| Stockton Heath | Neighbourhood | 6,154 | 346 | 56.2 |
| Poulton North | Neighbourhood | 11,210 | 629 | 56.1 |
| Great Sankey South | Neighbourhood | 10,342 | 542 | 52.4 |
| Rixton and Woolston | Neighbourhood | 9,021 | 454 | 50.3 |
| Chapelford and Old Hall | Neighbourhood | 13,121 | 607 | 46.3 |
| Poulton South | Neighbourhood | 5,259 | 200 | 38.0 |
| Appleton | Neighbourhood | 10,665 | 350 | 32.8 |
| Grappenhall | Neighbourhood | 7,455 | 242 | 32.5 |
| Penketh and Cuerdley | Neighbourhood | 9,607 | 276 | 28.7 |
| Great Sankey North and Whittle Hall | Neighbourhood | 11,560 | 309 | 26.7 |
The 10 locations below account for 19% of the crime recorded in Warrington over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Shopping Area” (709).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Shopping Area | 709 |
| On or near Supermarket | 429 |
| On or near Parking Area | 362 |
| On or near Hospital | 197 |
| On or near Nightclub | 188 |
| On or near Elm Road | 183 |
| On or near Bridge Foot | 144 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 142 |
| On or near Police Station | 108 |
| On or near Prince Henry Square | 80 |
Of the 12,542 crimes in Warrington with a recorded outcome, 25% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 8.2% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 1,153 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 5,509 | 43.9% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 3,109 | 24.8% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 1,255 | 10.0% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 1,027 | 8.2% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 576 | 4.6% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 474 | 3.8% | 2.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 213 | 1.7% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 193 | 1.5% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 66 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 56 | 0.4% | 0.5% |
| Offender given a caution | 43 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 21 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Warrington has an estimated population of 169,280 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has fewer students (5.6%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Warrington average decile 6.3 (1 = most deprived), close to the middle.
| Measure | Warrington | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 18.6% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 18.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 60.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.9% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 22.0% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 31.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 17.2% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 19.1% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 66.6% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 16.8% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 16.5% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.3 | 5.5 (England) |
| Residents in the most deprived 10% of areas | 8.4% | 10.1% (England) |
Is Warrington a safe place to live?
Warrington recorded 80.9 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 595th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were public order.
What is the most common crime in Warrington?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 6,272 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by public order (1,558).
Is crime in Warrington going up or down?
Recorded crime in Warrington was up 1% on the year before: 13,695 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 13,554 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Warrington?
About 169,280 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 19% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Warrington?
Warrington is policed by Cheshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.