Crime in Woking: statistics, rates and trends
5,933 crimes were recorded in Woking in the 12 months to August 2026, 80.3 per 1,000 residents. That is lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Table of Contents
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (2,245), anti-social behaviour (911) and shoplifting (597) made up 63% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 605th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the upper half.
| Measure | Woking | Woking | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 5,933 | 7,636 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 80.3 | 72.3 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | 0% | -2% | -1% |
| Population | 73,900 | 105,679 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in Woking peaked in the year to August 2020 (7,007 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2023 (5,652). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 11%, while across England and Wales it fell 4%.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 5,933 | 80.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 5,928 | 80.2 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 5,799 | 78.5 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 5,652 | 76.5 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 5,833 | 78.9 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 6,319 | 85.5 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 7,007 | 94.8 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 6,933 | 93.8 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 6,690 | 90.5 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 505 |
| July 2026 | 549 |
| June 2026 | 567 |
| May 2026 | 566 |
| April 2026 | 500 |
| March 2026 | 483 |
| February 2026 | 410 |
| January 2026 | 410 |
| December 2025 | 431 |
| November 2025 | 474 |
| October 2025 | 548 |
| September 2025 | 490 |
No category with at least 20 crimes was notably above the England and Wales rate, and theft from the person (76% below) and vehicle crime (56% below) were well below it. On the year before, possession of weapons rose from 52 to 71 and shoplifting rose from 438 to 597, while vehicle crime fell from 215 to 163 and theft from the person fell from 39 to 30.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 2,245 | 30.4 | 34.2 | 0% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 911 | 12.3 | 15.4 | -2% |
| Shoplifting | 597 | 8.1 | 8.5 | +36% |
| Public order | 541 | 7.3 | 6.7 | -15% |
| Other theft | 429 | 5.8 | 6.4 | +10% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 420 | 5.7 | 6.7 | -12% |
| Vehicle crime | 163 | 2.2 | 5.0 | -24% |
| Burglary | 137 | 1.9 | 3.6 | 0% |
| Drugs | 132 | 1.8 | 3.3 | -6% |
| Other crime | 129 | 1.7 | 2.1 | +2% |
| Bicycle theft | 71 | 1.0 | 0.8 | +13% |
| Possession of weapons | 71 | 1.0 | 1.0 | +37% |
| Robbery | 57 | 0.8 | 1.4 | +36% |
| Theft from the person | 30 | 0.4 | 1.7 | -23% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
4 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than Woking; the highest is Guildford (104.6 per 1,000) and the lowest Lightwater (50.5).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs Woking |
|---|---|---|---|
| West End and Chobham | 565 | 55.6 | -31% |
| New Haw, West Byfleet and Sheerwater | 2,069 | 55.4 | -31% |
| Guildford | 8,387 | 104.6 | +30% |
| Lightwater | 342 | 50.5 | -37% |
| Byfleet | 825 | 62.4 | -22% |
| Addlestone | 1,298 | 93.3 | +16% |
| Bagshot | 531 | 83.6 | +4% |
| Chertsey | 1,018 | 83.9 | +4% |
Of the 7 areas within Woking, St John's had the highest crime rate (145.2 per 1,000) and Horsell the lowest (45.6), 3 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St John's | Neighbourhood | 11,374 | 1,652 | 145.2 |
| Knaphill | Neighbourhood | 10,639 | 1,113 | 104.6 |
| Hoe Valley | Neighbourhood | 9,036 | 695 | 76.9 |
| Goldsworth Park | Neighbourhood | 9,200 | 599 | 65.1 |
| Mount Hermon | Neighbourhood | 12,626 | 679 | 53.8 |
| Heathlands | Neighbourhood | 10,314 | 533 | 51.7 |
| Horsell | Neighbourhood | 10,739 | 490 | 45.6 |
The 10 locations below account for 29% of the crime recorded in Woking over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “Parking Area” (429).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near Parking Area | 429 |
| On or near Alexandra Gardens | 345 |
| On or near Supermarket | 283 |
| On or near Chapel Street | 123 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 111 |
| On or near The Broadway | 99 |
| On or near Petrol Station | 88 |
| On or near Nightclub | 84 |
| On or near Addison Road | 74 |
| On or near Rosebery Crescent | 73 |
Of the 5,022 crimes in Woking with a recorded outcome, 30% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 3.5% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 911 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 2,076 | 41.3% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 1,491 | 29.7% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 675 | 13.4% | 11.5% |
| Status update unavailable | 259 | 5.2% | 4.7% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 174 | 3.5% | 5.2% |
| Local resolution | 141 | 2.8% | 3.1% |
| Court result unavailable | 96 | 1.9% | 2.5% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 34 | 0.7% | 0.3% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 33 | 0.7% | 0.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 29 | 0.6% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 8 | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 5 | 0.1% | 0.6% |
Woking has an estimated population of 73,900 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more residents with Level 4 qualifications or above (45%, against 34%), fewer households without a car (16%, against 23%) and fewer students (5.8%, against 7.9%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up Woking average decile 7.5 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | Woking | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 19.8% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 15.9% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 64.7% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.1% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 18.1% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 5.8% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 45.1% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 13.4% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 16.2% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 64.2% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 12.6% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 23.1% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.5 | 5.5 (England) |
Is Woking a safe place to live?
Woking recorded 80.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, lower than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 605th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest).
What is the most common crime in Woking?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 2,245 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (911).
Is crime in Woking going up or down?
Recorded crime in Woking was almost unchanged on the year before: 5,933 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 5,928 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of Woking?
About 73,900 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 16% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers Woking?
Woking is policed by Surrey.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.