Crime in Wells: statistics, rates and trends
988 crimes were recorded in Wells in the 12 months to August 2026, 87.6 per 1,000 residents. That is close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and down 3% on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (372), anti-social behaviour (140) and shoplifting (138) made up 66% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 501st of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Wells | Somerset | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 988 | 53,421 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 87.6 | 90.8 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -3% | +6% | -1% |
| Population | 11,283 | 588,328 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Wells peaked in the year to August 2018 (1,119 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2021 (707). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 12%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 988 | 87.6 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 1,014 | 89.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 977 | 86.6 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 930 | 82.4 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 956 | 84.7 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 707 | 62.7 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 983 | 87.1 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 1,010 | 89.5 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 1,119 | 99.2 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 60 |
| July 2026 | 89 |
| June 2026 | 99 |
| May 2026 | 59 |
| April 2026 | 80 |
| March 2026 | 91 |
| February 2026 | 68 |
| January 2026 | 98 |
| December 2025 | 101 |
| November 2025 | 108 |
| October 2025 | 80 |
| September 2025 | 55 |
Compared with England and Wales, Wells recorded notably more robbery (56% above the national rate), shoplifting (45% above the national rate) and public order (36% above the national rate), and notably less vehicle crime (64% below) and other theft (42% below).
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 372 | 33.0 | 34.2 | -8% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 140 | 12.4 | 15.4 | +9% |
| Shoplifting | 138 | 12.2 | 8.5 | -13% |
| Public order | 102 | 9.0 | 6.7 | +4% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 67 | 5.9 | 6.7 | -8% |
| Other theft | 42 | 3.7 | 6.4 | -2% |
| Burglary | 38 | 3.4 | 3.6 | +3% |
| Robbery | 24 | 2.1 | 1.4 | n/a |
| Vehicle crime | 20 | 1.8 | 5.0 | n/a |
| Other crime | 17 | 1.5 | 2.1 | n/a |
| Drugs | 12 | 1.1 | 3.3 | n/a |
| Possession of weapons | 9 | 0.8 | 1.0 | n/a |
| Bicycle theft | 5 | 0.4 | 0.8 | n/a |
| Theft from the person | 2 | 0.2 | 1.7 | n/a |
What each category covers: crime categories.
2 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Wells; the highest is Glastonbury (164.3 per 1,000) and the lowest Winscombe and Sandford (42.0).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Wells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shepton Mallet | 949 | 89.8 | +3% |
| Glastonbury | 1,502 | 164.3 | +88% |
| Street | 859 | 66.6 | -24% |
| Cheddar | 457 | 79.8 | -9% |
| Midsomer Norton | 959 | 67.5 | -23% |
| Paulton | 421 | 64.3 | -27% |
| Radstock | 912 | 82.4 | -6% |
| Winscombe and Sandford | 221 | 42.0 | -52% |
Wells is the one area listed within Wells, with 87.6 crimes per 1,000 residents.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wells | Neighbourhood | 11,283 | 988 | 87.6 |
The 10 locations below account for 41% of the crime recorded in Wells over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “High Street” (108).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near High Street | 108 |
| On or near Supermarket | 73 |
| On or near Parking Area | 43 |
| On or near Bus/Coach Station | 32 |
| On or near Churchill Close | 32 |
| On or near Sports/Recreation Area | 31 |
| On or near Tucker Street | 27 |
| On or near Southover | 25 |
| On or near Nightclub | 22 |
| On or near Barnard Court | 15 |
Of the 848 crimes in Wells with a recorded outcome, 36% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.7% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 140 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 340 | 40.1% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 302 | 35.6% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 60 | 7.1% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 41 | 4.8% | 4.7% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 32 | 3.8% | 1.3% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 31 | 3.7% | 5.2% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 12 | 1.4% | 0.5% |
| Court result unavailable | 10 | 1.2% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 10 | 1.2% | 3.1% |
| Offender given a caution | 4 | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 3 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 2 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
Wells has an estimated population of 11,283 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has an older population (33%, against 19%), more retired residents (35%, against 22%) and fewer students (5.6%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Wells average decile 6.5 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Wells | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 13.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 32.6% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 49.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 2.2% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 34.8% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.6% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 37.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 14.7% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 19.7% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 69.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 12.3% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 18.4% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 6.5 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Wells a safe place to live?
Wells recorded 87.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, close to the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 501st of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were robbery and shoplifting.
What is the most common crime in Wells?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 372 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (140).
Is crime in Wells going up or down?
Recorded crime in Wells was down 3% on the year before: 988 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 1,014 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Wells?
About 11,283 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 33% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Wells?
Wells is policed by Avon and Somerset.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.