OpenCrime

The most deprived areas in England

Blackpool is the most deprived local authority area in England, and it also has one of the highest recorded crime rates. That pairing is real, and it is a weaker rule than it looks: across all 293 English areas with a full year of figures, deprivation accounts for about 17% of the difference in crime rates. The places that break the pattern hardest are not poor at all.

309 English local authority areas ranked by deprivation
0.41 correlation between deprivation and recorded crime
17% of the difference in crime rates that moves with deprivation

Deprived is not the same as poor. This table ranks areas by the English Index of Multiple Deprivation, which is not a measure of income. Income is 22.5% of it. The rest is employment, education, health, barriers to housing, the living environment, and crime. An area can rank badly because its air is dirty, its housing is unaffordable and its residents are unwell, without being the poorest place on the list. Where this page says poverty it means that broader thing.

Where the pattern breaks

More crime than deprivation predicts

Measured against the rate an area's deprivation alone would suggest.

Area Deprivation rank Recorded Predicted Difference
City of London 280 659.5 67.4 +879%
Westminster 95 421.3 102.6 +310%
Camden 100 217.8 101.6 +114%
Kensington and Chelsea 134 178.6 93.2 +92%
Islington 64 182.4 109.2 +67%

Every one of these is a place far more people visit than live in. That is a fact about the denominator, not about the residents.

Less crime than deprivation predicts

Area Deprivation rank Recorded Predicted Difference
Isles of Scilly 250 33.0 73.3 -55%
West Devon 155 45.3 89.6 -49%
Torridge 97 54.4 102.0 -47%
North Norfolk 126 50.0 95.0 -47%
Mid Suffolk 218 40.8 77.7 -47%

Poor areas that are not high crime

Among the 40 most deprived areas in England, these record the lowest crime rates. They are the direct counterexample to the assumption the table invites.

Area Deprivation rank Per 1,000 Crime rank
Halton 31 90.1 133 of 314
Tendring 27 92.3 128 of 314
Knowsley 13 93.0 123 of 314
Pendle 15 95.4 115 of 314
East Lindsey 37 95.6 112 of 314

And comfortable areas that are

Area Deprivation rank Per 1,000 Crime rank
City of London 280 659.5 1 of 314
Cambridge 270 110.2 72 of 314
Oxford 214 106.3 84 of 314
Wandsworth 206 99.3 103 of 314
Welwyn Hatfield 226 97.4 110 of 314

Every English area ranked by deprivation

Most deprived first, with the recorded crime rate in the 12 months to June 2026 beside each one. The England and Wales rate is 91.2 per 1,000.

# Area Score Per 1,000 Crime rank Vs predicted
1 Blackpool 43.8 187.8 4 of 314 +23%
2 Middlesbrough 40.2 185.8 5 of 314 +29%
3 Burnley 39.0 141.6 17 of 314 0%
4 Manchester 38.6 – – –
5 Birmingham 38.3 123.3 43 of 314 -11%
6 Hartlepool 37.6 162.8 8 of 314 +19%
7 Liverpool 37.4 135.3 27 of 314 -1%
8 Kingston upon Hull 37.4 138.1 22 of 314 +1%
9 Hastings 37.3 139.3 19 of 314 +2%
10 Oldham 37.1 – – –
11 Bradford 37.0 130.1 34 of 314 -4%
12 Blackburn with Darwen 36.9 111.9 63 of 314 -17%
13 Knowsley 36.1 93.0 123 of 314 -30%
14 Hyndburn 35.7 127.8 36 of 314 -3%
15 Pendle 35.5 95.4 115 of 314 -28%
16 Rochdale 34.6 – – –
17 Leicester 34.4 122.5 47 of 314 -5%
18 Great Yarmouth 34.2 110.4 70 of 314 -14%
19 Stoke-on-Trent 33.9 138.2 21 of 314 +8%
20 Sandwell 33.9 101.5 94 of 314 -21%
21 Nottingham 33.9 154.4 10 of 314 +21%
22 Sunderland 33.0 100.6 97 of 314 -20%
23 Wolverhampton 32.8 98.2 107 of 314 -21%
24 Salford 32.2 – – –
25 Thanet 32.2 116.2 56 of 314 -6%
26 Walsall 32.2 101.5 93 of 314 -18%
27 Tendring 32.1 92.3 128 of 314 -25%
28 Hackney 31.7 148.1 13 of 314 +21%
29 Bolton 31.7 – – –
30 Newham 31.4 136.6 25 of 314 +13%
31 Halton 31.2 90.1 133 of 314 -26%
32 South Tyneside 31.1 105.4 87 of 314 -13%
33 Haringey 30.9 134.3 28 of 314 +12%
34 Doncaster 30.8 132.5 31 of 314 +11%
35 Tower Hamlets 30.6 145.3 15 of 314 +22%
36 Redcar and Cleveland 30.5 137.3 23 of 314 +15%
37 East Lindsey 30.4 95.6 112 of 314 -19%
38 North East Lincolnshire 30.3 137.1 24 of 314 +16%
39 Barking and Dagenham 30.3 105.2 88 of 314 -11%
40 Rotherham 30.1 110.9 68 of 314 -6%
41 Barnsley 30.1 106.9 82 of 314 -9%
42 Tameside 30.0 – – –
43 Enfield 29.9 113.4 59 of 314 -4%
44 Brent 29.9 123.6 42 of 314 +5%
45 Luton 29.8 92.7 125 of 314 -21%
46 St. Helens 29.2 94.4 118 of 314 -18%
47 Lincoln 29.0 155.0 9 of 314 +35%
48 County Durham 28.8 117.9 52 of 314 +3%
49 Newcastle upon Tyne 28.7 120.9 49 of 314 +6%
50 Derby 28.5 132.8 30 of 314 +17%
51 Boston 28.4 111.7 65 of 314 -2%
52 Preston 28.4 130.2 33 of 314 +15%
53 Gateshead 28.3 98.3 105 of 314 -13%
54 Sheffield 27.8 112.5 61 of 314 0%
55 Wirral 27.8 79.6 183 of 314 -29%
56 Peterborough 27.8 124.4 39 of 314 +11%
57 Calderdale 27.7 117.5 54 of 314 +5%
58 Coventry 27.7 95.6 113 of 314 -15%
59 Wakefield 27.3 117.9 53 of 314 +6%
60 Scarborough 27.2 122.8 44 of 314 +11%
61 Barrow-in-Furness 27.1 101.3 95 of 314 -8%
62 Mansfield 27.0 115.6 57 of 314 +5%
63 Torbay 27.0 108.9 77 of 314 -1%
64 Islington 26.7 182.4 6 of 314 +67%
65 Swale 26.6 100.0 99 of 314 -8%
66 Portsmouth 26.5 123.8 41 of 314 +14%
67 Norwich 26.3 124.8 38 of 314 +15%
68 Ealing 26.1 113.4 60 of 314 +5%
69 Stockton-on-Tees 26.1 139.3 20 of 314 +29%
70 Rossendale 26.1 89.1 136 of 314 -17%
71 Fenland 26.1 91.9 130 of 314 -15%
72 Kirklees 26.0 98.2 106 of 314 -9%
73 Darlington 25.8 122.6 45 of 314 +15%
74 Bolsover 25.7 85.2 158 of 314 -20%
75 Ashfield 25.6 99.4 101 of 314 -7%
76 Southampton 25.5 130.6 32 of 314 +23%
77 Lewisham 25.5 121.8 48 of 314 +15%
78 Ipswich 25.5 99.8 100 of 314 -6%
79 Copeland 25.5 69.4 226 of 314 -35%
80 Chesterfield 25.5 119.4 51 of 314 +12%
81 Wigan 25.4 – – –
82 Sefton 25.4 84.4 161 of 314 -20%
83 Folkestone and Hythe 25.1 84.1 164 of 314 -20%
84 Hounslow 24.9 111.6 67 of 314 +6%
85 Dover 24.9 86.9 148 of 314 -17%
86 Isle of Wight 24.7 82.8 169 of 314 -20%
87 Medway 24.5 101.9 92 of 314 -2%
88 Leeds 24.4 126.6 37 of 314 +22%
89 Telford and Wrekin 24.3 88.8 139 of 314 -14%
90 Allerdale 24.3 72.6 211 of 314 -30%
91 Bury 24.3 – – –
92 Plymouth 24.3 109.0 75 of 314 +6%
93 Southend-on-Sea 24.2 112.1 62 of 314 +9%
94 Eastbourne 24.1 135.9 26 of 314 +32%
95 Westminster 24.1 421.3 2 of 314 +310%
96 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 24.0 64.7 247 of 314 -37%
97 Torridge 23.8 54.4 286 of 314 -47%
98 Gravesham 23.8 94.2 119 of 314 -8%
99 Nuneaton and Bedworth 23.8 107.5 79 of 314 +5%
100 Camden 23.7 217.8 3 of 314 +114%
101 North Lincolnshire 23.6 94.6 117 of 314 -7%
102 Gosport 23.6 80.0 179 of 314 -21%
103 Greenwich 23.5 113.4 58 of 314 +12%
104 Waltham Forest 23.5 105.8 85 of 314 +5%
105 Dudley 23.4 79.4 186 of 314 -21%
106 Southwark 23.4 154.2 11 of 314 +53%
107 Slough 23.1 103.0 91 of 314 +3%
108 Lambeth 23.0 152.2 12 of 314 +52%
109 Croydon 22.7 104.3 90 of 314 +5%
110 Bristol 22.7 147.5 14 of 314 +49%
111 Basildon 22.7 98.1 108 of 314 -1%
112 Lancaster 22.6 97.6 109 of 314 -1%
113 Rother 22.5 71.3 220 of 314 -28%
114 Bassetlaw 22.5 95.5 114 of 314 -3%
115 Carlisle 22.4 94.1 120 of 314 -4%
116 Cornwall 22.3 71.8 216 of 314 -27%
117 Wyre Forest 22.2 86.4 152 of 314 -12%
118 Northumberland 22.1 80.7 178 of 314 -17%
119 North Devon 22.0 70.6 222 of 314 -27%
120 Gloucester 21.9 – – –
121 Sedgemoor 21.8 109.0 76 of 314 +13%
122 Harlow 21.6 106.5 83 of 314 +11%
123 West Lindsey 21.6 83.1 168 of 314 -14%
124 Havant 21.4 85.8 155 of 314 -10%
125 Hammersmith and Fulham 21.2 139.9 18 of 314 +47%
126 North Norfolk 21.1 50.0 295 of 314 -47%
127 Thurrock 21.1 99.4 102 of 314 +5%
128 North Tyneside 21.0 89.9 134 of 314 -5%
129 Erewash 21.0 90.6 132 of 314 -4%
130 South Holland 20.9 78.6 191 of 314 -17%
131 Hillingdon 20.9 120.9 50 of 314 +28%
132 Crawley 20.9 129.5 35 of 314 +37%
133 Wyre 20.8 79.6 184 of 314 -16%
134 Kensington and Chelsea 20.4 178.6 7 of 314 +92%
135 East Suffolk 20.4 57.0 281 of 314 -39%
136 Brighton and Hove 20.4 122.6 46 of 314 +32%
137 Redditch 20.3 85.5 156 of 314 -8%
138 Breckland 20.3 57.2 280 of 314 -38%
139 Tamworth 20.3 80.7 176 of 314 -13%
140 North Warwickshire 20.1 78.8 189 of 314 -15%
141 Redbridge 20.0 95.8 111 of 314 +4%
142 Cannock Chase 19.9 84.4 160 of 314 -8%
143 Bedford 19.8 92.6 126 of 314 +1%
144 Ashford 19.7 77.1 199 of 314 -16%
145 Barnet 19.6 93.1 122 of 314 +2%
146 Canterbury 19.5 109.3 74 of 314 +20%
147 Arun 19.4 87.6 142 of 314 -3%
148 Somerset West and Taunton 19.4 93.6 121 of 314 +3%
149 Worcester 19.2 110.7 69 of 314 +23%
150 Forest of Dean 19.1 – – –
151 Newcastle-under-Lyme 19.1 87.4 144 of 314 -3%
152 Newark and Sherwood 19.1 83.8 167 of 314 -7%
153 East Staffordshire 19.1 78.4 194 of 314 -13%
154 Stevenage 19.0 116.3 55 of 314 +30%
155 West Devon 19.0 45.3 307 of 314 -49%
156 Mid Devon 18.9 58.8 274 of 314 -34%
157 North East Derbyshire 18.8 71.1 221 of 314 -20%
158 Herefordshire 18.8 61.2 256 of 314 -31%
159 Reading 18.7 111.7 64 of 314 +26%
160 South Somerset 18.6 80.7 177 of 314 -9%
161 Stockport 18.5 – – –
162 Amber Valley 18.5 81.2 175 of 314 -8%
163 Milton Keynes 18.5 101.0 96 of 314 +15%
164 North Northamptonshire 18.5 87.7 141 of 314 -1%
165 West Lancashire 18.4 63.4 250 of 314 -28%
166 Maidstone 18.2 87.5 143 of 314 0%
167 Broxbourne 17.8 95.1 116 of 314 +10%
168 Cheshire West and Chester 17.8 72.3 212 of 314 -16%
169 High Peak 17.7 72.2 215 of 314 -16%
170 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 17.6 86.0 154 of 314 0%
171 Harrow 17.6 81.9 173 of 314 -5%
172 Castle Point 17.6 61.0 258 of 314 -29%
173 Shropshire 17.6 57.9 277 of 314 -33%
174 Swindon 17.5 82.3 171 of 314 -4%
175 Colchester 17.4 92.8 124 of 314 +8%
176 Dartford 17.3 109.5 73 of 314 +28%
177 Teignbridge 17.2 59.1 271 of 314 -30%
178 Solihull 17.1 86.5 151 of 314 +2%
179 Havering 16.9 88.9 138 of 314 +6%
180 Warrington 16.9 75.4 205 of 314 -10%
181 Lewes 16.8 71.6 218 of 314 -15%
182 Eden 16.8 61.3 255 of 314 -27%
183 Mendip 16.7 78.4 193 of 314 -6%
184 West Northamptonshire 16.7 91.9 129 of 314 +10%
185 Braintree 16.6 60.7 263 of 314 -27%
186 Ryedale 16.5 47.8 300 of 314 -43%
187 Chorley 16.4 79.9 181 of 314 -4%
188 Watford 16.4 110.4 71 of 314 +33%
189 Dorset 16.3 52.9 292 of 314 -36%
190 West Suffolk 16.2 60.8 262 of 314 -26%
191 Worthing 16.0 99.2 104 of 314 +21%
192 Exeter 16.0 108.5 78 of 314 +32%
193 Malvern Hills 15.9 56.0 284 of 314 -32%
194 Maldon 15.9 49.4 298 of 314 -39%
195 Wychavon 15.8 65.6 241 of 314 -20%
196 Fylde 15.8 75.0 206 of 314 -8%
197 Chichester 15.7 78.2 196 of 314 -3%
198 East Riding of Yorkshire 15.6 61.0 259 of 314 -25%
199 Bexley 15.5 77.8 198 of 314 -3%
200 North Somerset 15.5 86.6 150 of 314 +7%
201 Babergh 15.3 44.8 308 of 314 -44%
202 North West Leicestershire 15.3 70.0 224 of 314 -13%
203 Rushmoor 15.2 78.5 192 of 314 -2%
204 Richmondshire 15.2 44.3 310 of 314 -45%
205 Trafford 15.1 – – –
206 Wandsworth 15.1 99.3 103 of 314 +25%
207 South Hams 15.1 47.2 301 of 314 -41%
208 South Kesteven 15.1 72.6 210 of 314 -9%
209 Adur 15.0 68.7 229 of 314 -13%
210 Spelthorne 15.0 87.1 146 of 314 +10%
211 Staffordshire Moorlands 14.9 66.9 235 of 314 -15%
212 Melton 14.8 65.6 242 of 314 -17%
213 East Devon 14.6 47.1 302 of 314 -40%
214 Oxford 14.6 106.3 84 of 314 +36%
215 Gedling 14.5 67.0 234 of 314 -14%
216 Merton 14.4 75.8 203 of 314 -3%
217 Sevenoaks 14.4 63.0 251 of 314 -19%
218 Mid Suffolk 14.4 40.8 313 of 314 -47%
219 South Derbyshire 14.3 61.1 257 of 314 -21%
220 South Ribble 14.3 78.4 195 of 314 +1%
221 Cheshire East 14.3 66.3 238 of 314 -14%
222 Epping Forest 14.1 75.6 204 of 314 -2%
223 Hertsmere 14.1 88.9 137 of 314 +15%
224 Dacorum 14.1 85.2 157 of 314 +11%
225 Rugby 14.1 72.2 214 of 314 -6%
226 Welwyn Hatfield 14.0 97.4 110 of 314 +27%
227 Stafford 13.9 78.7 190 of 314 +3%
228 Selby 13.9 59.1 272 of 314 -23%
229 Tunbridge Wells 13.9 67.7 231 of 314 -12%
230 Sutton 13.9 76.9 200 of 314 +1%
231 Hinckley and Bosworth 13.8 66.0 239 of 314 -13%
232 Broxtowe 13.8 79.1 188 of 314 +4%
233 Hambleton 13.8 53.4 289 of 314 -30%
234 Derbyshire Dales 13.8 54.6 285 of 314 -28%
235 Wiltshire 13.7 60.7 264 of 314 -20%
236 South Staffordshire 13.5 57.2 279 of 314 -24%
237 Oadby and Wigston 13.4 60.9 260 of 314 -19%
238 Charnwood 13.4 80.0 180 of 314 +6%
239 Chelmsford 13.2 81.3 174 of 314 +9%
240 Central Bedfordshire 13.2 60.2 268 of 314 -19%
241 North Kesteven 13.2 53.9 288 of 314 -28%
242 Cheltenham 13.1 – – –
243 Tonbridge and Malling 13.1 66.8 237 of 314 -10%
244 South Norfolk 13.1 48.4 299 of 314 -35%
245 Basingstoke and Deane 13.0 69.8 225 of 314 -6%
246 New Forest 12.9 58.2 276 of 314 -21%
247 Craven 12.9 46.7 305 of 314 -37%
248 Bromley 12.7 87.3 145 of 314 +19%
249 Wealden 12.7 53.2 291 of 314 -27%
250 Isles of Scilly 12.7 33.0 – -55%
251 Lichfield 12.6 67.0 233 of 314 -9%
252 Stroud 12.6 – – –
253 Cherwell 12.6 72.3 213 of 314 -1%
254 Tandridge 12.6 68.8 227 of 314 -6%
255 South Lakeland 12.4 58.7 275 of 314 -19%
256 Runnymede 12.4 84.1 163 of 314 +16%
257 Bath and North East Somerset 12.2 88.6 140 of 314 +23%
258 Broadland 12.2 39.5 314 of 314 -45%
259 Test Valley 12.2 60.3 267 of 314 -16%
260 East Cambridgeshire 12.2 59.0 273 of 314 -18%
261 Cotswold 12.0 – – –
262 Buckinghamshire 12.0 62.4 253 of 314 -13%
263 Huntingdonshire 11.9 68.6 230 of 314 -4%
264 York 11.9 91.4 131 of 314 +28%
265 Stratford-on-Avon 11.8 63.8 249 of 314 -10%
266 South Gloucestershire 11.7 77.9 197 of 314 +10%
267 Tewkesbury 11.7 – – –
268 Woking 11.6 73.4 208 of 314 +4%
269 Rochford 11.5 50.0 296 of 314 -29%
270 Cambridge 11.5 110.2 72 of 314 +57%
271 Harrogate 11.3 56.7 282 of 314 -19%
272 North Hertfordshire 11.3 65.0 246 of 314 -7%
273 Kingston upon Thames 11.1 87.0 147 of 314 +25%
274 West Berkshire 11.1 65.1 243 of 314 -6%
275 Eastleigh 11.1 64.6 248 of 314 -7%
276 Brentwood 11.0 74.5 207 of 314 +8%
277 Bromsgrove 11.0 60.7 265 of 314 -12%
278 Warwick 10.8 83.8 166 of 314 +22%
279 Blaby 10.4 68.8 228 of 314 +2%
280 City of London 10.3 659.5 1 of 314 +879%
281 Winchester 10.3 62.9 252 of 314 -6%
282 Reigate and Banstead 10.2 70.2 223 of 314 +5%
283 Three Rivers 10.2 66.9 236 of 314 0%
284 West Oxfordshire 10.1 49.7 297 of 314 -26%
285 Bracknell Forest 10.1 65.0 245 of 314 -3%
286 East Hampshire 9.9 47.0 303 of 314 -29%
287 Ribble Valley 9.9 51.1 293 of 314 -23%
288 Uttlesford 9.9 60.6 266 of 314 -9%
289 Rutland 9.8 46.8 304 of 314 -29%
290 East Hertfordshire 9.8 67.4 232 of 314 +2%
291 Mole Valley 9.8 65.1 244 of 314 -1%
292 Horsham 9.6 56.1 283 of 314 -14%
293 Richmond upon Thames 9.6 73.1 209 of 314 +12%
294 Guildford 9.6 82.2 172 of 314 +26%
295 Vale of White Horse 9.5 53.3 290 of 314 -18%
296 South Cambridgeshire 9.4 57.8 278 of 314 -11%
297 Harborough 9.2 50.9 294 of 314 -21%
298 Windsor and Maidenhead 8.9 66.0 240 of 314 +3%
299 Mid Sussex 8.7 60.0 269 of 314 -5%
300 South Oxfordshire 8.6 46.6 306 of 314 -26%
301 Waverley 8.2 43.8 312 of 314 -29%
302 St Albans 8.2 79.7 182 of 314 +29%
303 Fareham 8.1 59.6 270 of 314 -3%
304 Surrey Heath 8.1 60.8 261 of 314 -1%
305 Elmbridge 8.1 61.5 254 of 314 0%
306 Epsom and Ewell 8.0 83.9 165 of 314 +37%
307 Rushcliffe 7.9 53.9 287 of 314 -12%
308 Wokingham 6.2 44.3 311 of 314 -22%
309 Hart 5.9 44.4 309 of 314 -21%

Deprivation is the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, averaged across each area's neighbourhoods and weighted by population. England only: Wales publishes a different index on a different basis, and the two cannot share a ranking. 16 areas have a deprivation score and no crime figures here, because the force covering them has either stopped filing street-level returns or filed only part of the year. A rate built on nine months cannot be set against one built on twelve, and a short year would read as a quiet one. A correlation is not a cause, and nothing here says deprivation produces crime.

Questions

What is the poorest area in England?

On this index the most deprived local authority area is Blackpool, followed by Middlesbrough and Burnley. Poorest is not quite the right word for what the index measures, though. It combines income with employment, education, health, housing, the local environment and crime, so it describes how hard life is in a place rather than how much money its residents have.

Do poorer areas have more crime?

On average yes, and much less reliably than people assume. The correlation is 0.41, which accounts for roughly 17% of the difference between areas. Plenty of deprived places record ordinary crime rates, and the highest rates in the country are in wealthy central London districts where the working and visiting population dwarfs the residential one.

Why is the crime rate so high in rich city centres?

Because a crime rate divides by residents only. The City of London, Westminster and Camden count the offences of everyone who commutes in, shops, drinks and passes through, against the small number of people on the electoral roll. It makes those areas look many times more dangerous than anywhere deprived, which is a measurement artefact rather than a fact about either place. How the figures work explains it in full.

Where do these figures come from?

Deprivation from the English Indices of Deprivation 2025; crime from police recorded crime published at data.police.uk, counted over the 12 months to June 2026. Both are open government data and both are listed on data sources with their licences.

Crime figures cover the 12 months to June 2026, the most recent month any force has published. Deprivation is the 2025 index, which is updated every few years rather than monthly.