Locacity has analysed 12 months of official Police.uk crime data to rank the East of England's major towns and cities by crime rate. The analysis covers 15 Built-Up Areas with a population of 75,000 or above, using ONS Census 2021 population data to calculate crimes per 1,000 residents.
Key Findings
St Albans
Safest major urban area in the East of England
92.2
Regional average crimes per 1,000 residents
Peterborough
Highest crime rate in the East of England
Rankings — Crimes per 1,000 Residents
| Rank | Area | Crimes per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Albans | 77.2 |
| 2 | Ipswich | 77.8 |
| 3 | Chelmsford | 82.5 |
| 4 | Luton | 83.9 |
| 5 | Harlow | 88.3 |
| 6 | Watford | 89.1 |
| 7 | Norwich | 90.3 |
| 8 | Hemel Hempstead | 91.5 |
| 9 | Southend-on-Sea | 92.4 |
| 10 | Stevenage | 93.5 |
| 11 | Cambridge | 95 |
| 12 | Colchester | 96.3 |
| 13 | Bedford | 100.2 |
| 14 | Basildon | 106.7 |
| 15 | Peterborough | 117.8 |
Source: Locacity analysis of Police.uk data (April 2025 – March 2026) and ONS Census 2021 population estimates.
Analysis
St Albans emerged as the safest major urban area in the East of England, recording 77.2 crimes per 1,000 residents. Ipswich ranked second at 77.8, followed by Chelmsford (82.5) and Luton (83.9) — the latter a result that may surprise those who associate Luton primarily with its airport and higher crime reputation.
Peterborough recorded the highest crime rate in the region at 117.8 crimes per 1,000 residents — significantly above the regional average of 92.2. Basildon ranked second from bottom at 106.7.
Cambridge, one of England's most prestigious and expensive cities, ranked 11th at 95.0 crimes per 1,000 residents — above the regional average. The high student population and city centre activity are likely contributing factors.
The East of England's regional average of 92.2 crimes per 1,000 residents is below the national average of 101.5 crimes per 1,000 residents across all major urban areas in England and Wales analysed by Locacity (excludes Greater Manchester, where data is not published through Police.uk).
The findings carry real implications for the property market. According to a Churchill Home Insurance survey, around 29,000 property sales fall through every year across England and Wales due to buyers’ concerns about local crime — representing an estimated £6.6 billion in lost property transactions annually. Understanding crime levels before committing to a purchase has never been more important.
However, these figures represent averages across entire urban areas. Crime levels can vary significantly from one street to the next within the same town or city — making street-level analysis essential for anyone making a property decision.
What this means for homebuyers and renters
Regional rankings provide a useful starting point, but they only tell part of the story. A Locacity report gives you a detailed, street-level picture of crime around a specific property — including the area immediately surrounding your home, nearby schools, transport hubs, and 999 police and ambulance response times.
Methodology
- • Analysis covers 15 Built-Up Areas (BUAs) in the East of England with a population of 75,000 or above, as defined by the Office for National Statistics.
- • Crime data sourced from Police.uk open data service (April 2025 – March 2026).
- • Population data sourced from ONS Census 2021.
- • BUA boundaries sourced from ONS Built-Up Areas (December 2022) boundary data.
- • Crime coordinates in Police.uk data are approximated to the nearest street in accordance with Police.uk anonymisation policy; a small number of crimes near BUA boundaries may therefore be assigned to an adjacent area.
- • Greater Manchester Police does not publish data through Police.uk and is excluded from all Locacity analysis.