Cheltenham has a crime rate of 96.97 per 1,000 residents — around the national average for England and Wales, ranked #218 of 331 local authorities nationally. Crime levels vary significantly across Cheltenham's wards; some neighbourhoods are considerably safer than the city average. See the ward breakdown and hotspot map on this page for a detailed local picture.

What is the crime rate in Cheltenham?

As of January 2026, Cheltenham has an annual crime rate of 96.97 per 1,000 residents, based on 1,003 recorded offences in the latest reporting period. This figure is sourced from Police.uk open data and normalised using ONS Census 2021 population estimates to allow accurate comparisons between areas.

How does Cheltenham rank nationally for crime?

Cheltenham ranks #218 out of 331 local authorities in England and Wales by annual crime rate per 1,000 residents. A rank of #1 indicates the highest crime rate nationally. Rankings are recalculated each month as new Police.uk data becomes available, covering all recorded crimes across the area.

What is the most common crime in Cheltenham?

The most common crime type in Cheltenham is Violence & Sexual Offences, accounting for 309 incidents in January 2026 — 30.8% of all recorded crime in the area. Data is sourced from Police.uk and covers all crimes recorded by the responsible police force across the Cheltenham local authority area.

January 2026 Source: Gloucestershire Constabulary Police

Crime in Cheltenham: Crime Rate & Statistics 2026

Cheltenham recorded 1,003 crimes in January 2026 — a crime rate of 8.23 per 1,000 residents. This places Cheltenham at #218 of 331 local authorities in England and Wales. Violence & Sexual Offences accounts for the largest share of crime at 30.8% of all offences recorded. Crime is up 3.7% compared to the same period last year.

info Crime is above average compared to other UK areas.

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Key Statistics

monitoring96.97 crimes per 1,000 residents annually
assignment1,003 crimes recorded in January 2026
leaderboardRanked #218 of 331 UK local authorities by crime rate
trending_upCrime up 3.7% year-on-year

Data Sources:Police.ukONS Census 2021HM Land Registry Period: January 2026 • Updated monthly

info

Data Delayed

The local police force is behind on data submission. Showing the most recent available data from January 2026.

Total Crimes

1,003

trending_down -1.9% vs last month

Annual Crime Rate

96.97per 1k

Moderate

National Safety

#218of 331

Ranked by annual rate

Gloucestershire

#5rank

Ranked by annual rate

12-Month Crime Trend

Monthly Totals

Interactive Crime Map

District View

Live Points

Crime Incident

Area Boundary

Incident Distribution

Top Locations

Location Reference	Crime Breakdown	Primary Count
On or near Supermarket Map	Shoplifting: 23 Public order: 4 Other theft: 3	23
On or near Shopping Area Map	Shoplifting: 22 Public order: 3 Robbery: 1	22
On or near High Street Map	Anti-social behaviour: 8 Violence and sexual offences: 6 Criminal damage and arson: 2	8
On or near Bath Street Map	Anti-social behaviour: 8 Violence and sexual offences: 6 Drugs: 1	8
On or near Nightclub Map	Violence and sexual offences: 13	13
On or near Crescent Terrace Map	Violence and sexual offences: 7 Public order: 3 Drugs: 1	7
On or near Shopping Area Map	Anti-social behaviour: 11	11
On or near Parking Area Map	Shoplifting: 9 Theft from the person: 1	9
On or near Fairview Road Map	Shoplifting: 10	10
On or near Hospital Map	Shoplifting: 9	9

Crime Breakdown

January 2026

1,003 Total

Violence & Sexual Offences

309

30.8%

Anti-social Behaviour

214

21.3%

Shoplifting

121

12.1%

Other Theft

6.9%

Public Order

6.4%

Vehicle Crime

6.0%

Criminal Damage & Arson

5.7%

Burglary

5.4%

Other Crime

2.6%

Drug Offences

0.9%

Bicycle Theft

0.9%

Robbery

0.5%

Weapons Possession

0.3%

Theft from Person

0.3%

Crime Analysis: Cheltenham

Cheltenham recorded 1,003 crimes in January 2026, equivalent to a rate of 96.97 per 1,000 residents — above the national average for England and Wales, ranked #218 of 331.

Violence & Sexual Offences makes up the largest share of crime in Cheltenham at 30.8%. Anti-social Behaviour (21.3%) and Shoplifting (12.1%) are the next most common categories.

Compared to the same period last year, crime in Cheltenham has risen slightly — by 3.7%. The 12-month trend chart above shows where this change is concentrated across individual offence categories.

All figures are published monthly by Gloucestershire Constabulary through the Police.uk open data platform and cross-referenced with ONS 2021 Census population estimates to produce the per-resident rates above. Data typically appears 1–2 months after the end of the recording period.

Expert Safety Insights

Ward Safety Rankings

20 wards

Highest Crime

#	Ward	Crimes	Rate
1	All Saints	76	167.2
2	St Paul's	78	156.6
3	St Mark's	50	135.9
4	Swindon Village	89	130.4
5	St Peter's	80	123.8

Safest Wards

	Ward	Crimes	Rate
shield	Charlton Park	12	2.4
shield	Up Hatherley	14	2.7
shield	Leckhampton	12	2.1
shield	Prestbury	26	4.2
shield	Warden Hill	21	3.9

Growth Analysis

Month-on-Monthtrending_down -1.9%

Year-on-Yeartrending_up +3.7%

12m Rolling Trendtrending_up +0.8%

Data Transparency

Crime rates are calculated per 1,000 residents using ONS Census 2021 population data. Rankings cover all 331 local authorities in England & Wales.

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