Crime in York: statistics, rates and trends
16,644 crimes were recorded in York in the 12 months to August 2026, 112.3 per 1,000 residents. That is higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and almost unchanged on the year before.
Crime map
Violence and sexual offences (5,256), anti-social behaviour (4,301) and shoplifting (1,959) made up 69% of all recorded crime. Its crime rate ranks 244th of the 1,390 towns covered by this site (1 = highest), in the highest quarter.
| Measure | York | York | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crimes, the 12 months to August 2026 | 16,644 | 19,487 | 5,618,064 |
| Crimes per 1,000 residents | 112.3 | 93.1 | 96.7 |
| Change on previous 12 months | -1% | -1% | -1% |
| Population | 148,268 | 209,301 | 58,127,638 |
Recorded crime in York peaked in the year to August 2018 (17,635 crimes) and was lowest in the year to August 2023 (15,975). Between the years to August 2018 and 2026 it fell 6%, in line with England and Wales.
| Period | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year to August 2026 | 16,644 | 112.3 | 96.7 |
| Year to August 2025 | 16,742 | 112.9 | 97.2 |
| Year to August 2024 | 16,962 | 114.4 | 97.9 |
| Year to August 2023 | 15,975 | 107.7 | n/a |
| Year to August 2022 | 17,376 | 117.2 | 102.0 |
| Year to August 2021 | 17,550 | 118.4 | 101.4 |
| Year to August 2020 | 16,545 | 111.6 | 102.7 |
| Year to August 2019 | 17,526 | 118.2 | 101.7 |
| Year to August 2018 | 17,635 | 118.9 | 100.8 |
Month by month
| Month | Crimes |
|---|---|
| August 2026 | 1,730 |
| July 2026 | 1,615 |
| June 2026 | 1,454 |
| May 2026 | 1,465 |
| April 2026 | 1,421 |
| March 2026 | 1,320 |
| February 2026 | 1,219 |
| January 2026 | 1,088 |
| December 2025 | 1,187 |
| November 2025 | 1,357 |
| October 2025 | 1,466 |
| September 2025 | 1,322 |
Compared with England and Wales, York recorded notably more bicycle theft (3.4 times the national rate), anti-social behaviour (89% above the national rate) and shoplifting (56% above the national rate), and notably less theft from the person (71% below) and vehicle crime (47% below). On the year before, robbery rose from 133 to 204 and public order rose from 801 to 957, while bicycle theft fell from 663 to 421 and drugs fell from 496 to 355.
| Crime type | Crimes | Per 1,000 | England and Wales per 1,000 | Change on year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 5,256 | 35.4 | 34.2 | +4% |
| Anti-social behaviour | 4,301 | 29.0 | 15.4 | +4% |
| Shoplifting | 1,959 | 13.2 | 8.5 | -6% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 1,132 | 7.6 | 6.7 | -4% |
| Public order | 957 | 6.5 | 6.7 | +19% |
| Other theft | 761 | 5.1 | 6.4 | +4% |
| Burglary | 511 | 3.4 | 3.6 | -9% |
| Bicycle theft | 421 | 2.8 | 0.8 | -37% |
| Vehicle crime | 389 | 2.6 | 5.0 | -21% |
| Drugs | 355 | 2.4 | 3.3 | -28% |
| Robbery | 204 | 1.4 | 1.4 | +53% |
| Other crime | 195 | 1.3 | 2.1 | -1% |
| Possession of weapons | 131 | 0.9 | 1.0 | -4% |
| Theft from the person | 72 | 0.5 | 1.7 | -24% |
What each category covers: crime categories.
1 of the 8 nearest towns have a higher crime rate than York; the highest is Selby (120.6 per 1,000) and the lowest Strensall (24.6).
| Town | Crimes | Per 1,000 | Rate vs York |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntington (York) | 950 | 86.6 | -23% |
| Haxby | 529 | 52.0 | -54% |
| Strensall | 127 | 24.6 | -78% |
| Tadcaster | 411 | 54.7 | -51% |
| Boston Spa | 249 | 40.6 | -64% |
| Easingwold | 339 | 57.5 | -49% |
| Selby | 2,445 | 120.6 | +7% |
| Wetherby | 818 | 68.5 | -39% |
Of the 13 areas within York, Guildhall had the highest crime rate (322.4 per 1,000) and Heworth Without the lowest (21.1), 15 times apart.
| Area | Type | Population | Crimes | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guildhall | Neighbourhood | 15,670 | 5,052 | 322.4 |
| Micklegate | Neighbourhood | 12,862 | 2,105 | 163.7 |
| Westfield | Neighbourhood | 14,322 | 1,834 | 128.1 |
| Clifton | Neighbourhood | 9,613 | 1,086 | 113.0 |
| Fishergate | Neighbourhood | 11,194 | 1,040 | 92.9 |
| Fulford & Heslington | Neighbourhood | 3,644 | 308 | 84.5 |
| Heworth | Neighbourhood | 14,690 | 1,164 | 79.2 |
| Rawcliffe & Clifton Without | Neighbourhood | 12,433 | 977 | 78.6 |
| Holgate | Neighbourhood | 12,608 | 942 | 74.7 |
| Hull Road | Neighbourhood | 15,957 | 1,006 | 63.0 |
| Dringhouses & Woodthorpe | Neighbourhood | 11,617 | 598 | 51.5 |
| Acomb | Neighbourhood | 8,944 | 327 | 36.6 |
| Heworth Without | Neighbourhood | 3,800 | 80 | 21.1 |
The 10 locations below account for 29% of the crime recorded in York over the 12 months to August 2026; the most were recorded at “On or near” (1,859).
| Location | Crimes |
|---|---|
| On or near | 1,859 |
| On or near Supermarket | 832 |
| On or near Parking Area | 661 |
| On or near Shopping Area | 477 |
| On or near Police Station | 201 |
| On or near Theatre/Concert Hall | 189 |
| On or near Waveney Grove | 161 |
| On or near Hospital | 152 |
| On or near Bridge Street | 147 |
| On or near Blake Street | 135 |
Of the 12,343 crimes in York with a recorded outcome, 28% ended with the investigation complete and no suspect identified, against 35% across England and Wales; 6.8% were awaiting a court outcome (England and Wales: 5.2%). The 4,301 anti-social behaviour reports have no outcome and are left out.
| Outcome | Crimes | Share | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unable to prosecute suspect | 4,695 | 38.0% | 34.5% |
| Investigation complete; no suspect identified | 3,437 | 27.8% | 35.3% |
| Under investigation | 1,698 | 13.8% | 11.5% |
| Awaiting court outcome | 838 | 6.8% | 5.2% |
| Status update unavailable | 519 | 4.2% | 4.7% |
| Court result unavailable | 415 | 3.4% | 2.5% |
| Local resolution | 338 | 2.7% | 3.1% |
| Further investigation is not in the public interest | 181 | 1.5% | 0.5% |
| Action to be taken by another organisation | 69 | 0.6% | 1.3% |
| Formal action is not in the public interest | 57 | 0.5% | 0.3% |
| Further action is not in the public interest | 52 | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Offender given a caution | 43 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
York has an estimated population of 148,268 (ONS, mid-2024). Compared with England and Wales it has more students (19.7%, against 7.9%), fewer residents with no qualifications (13%, against 18%) and fewer children (14%, against 18%). On the England IoD 2025, the small areas (LSOAs) that make up York average decile 7.2 (1 = most deprived), less deprived than average.
| Measure | York | England and Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Aged 0 to 15 | 14.3% | 18.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 15.8% | 18.9% |
| Residents 16+ in work | 56.2% | 57.2% |
| Residents 16+ unemployed | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| Residents 16+ retired | 18.4% | 21.6% |
| Residents 16+ who are students | 19.7% | 7.9% |
| Residents 16+ with Level 4 qualifications or above (degree, HND and similar) | 38.7% | 33.8% |
| Residents 16+ with no qualifications | 13.0% | 18.2% |
| Households with no car or van | 28.3% | 23.3% |
| Homes owned outright or with a mortgage | 59.8% | 62.5% |
| Social rented homes | 16.2% | 17.1% |
| Private rented homes | 23.8% | 20.3% |
| Average deprivation decile (1 = most deprived, 10 = least) | 7.2 | 5.5 (England) |
Is York a safe place to live?
York recorded 112.3 crimes per 1,000 residents in the 12 months to August 2026, higher than the England and Wales rate of 96.7, and ranks 244th of the 1,390 towns on this site by crime rate (1 = highest). The categories most above the national rate were bicycle theft and anti-social behaviour.
What is the most common crime in York?
Violence and sexual offences was the most common category, with 5,256 reports in the 12 months to August 2026, followed by anti-social behaviour (4,301).
Is crime in York going up or down?
Recorded crime in York was almost unchanged on the year before: 16,644 crimes in the 12 months to August 2026 against 16,742 in the previous 12 months.
What is the population of York?
About 148,268 people (ONS mid-2024 estimate), 16% of them aged 65 or over (England and Wales: 19%).
Which police force covers York?
York is policed by North Yorkshire.
Police-recorded crime from data.police.uk (September 2017 to August 2026), ONS population estimates and Census 2021. Definitions and limitations: methodology.