Crime by Postcode
BH24Postcode district

BH24 crime rate and crime map

Recorded crime in BH24 is 0.9 times the New Forest average and 0.7 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 26%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences. Police data to August 2026.

Ringwood, New Forest. 25,273 residents in 16 neighbourhoods.

Safety
6/10Average crime
Living
5.2/10Fair
5-year change
−26%fewer crimes
vs the council
0.9×the New Forest average
Open on the map

Safety and Living

Safety

Crime severity: 0.9× the New Forest average (0.7× the England and Wales average)

Crime only, by how serious it is. Compared with every postcode district. Higher is safer.

Living

Based on schools, transport, health, supermarkets, weighted by importance. Crime is not part of it. Higher is better.

Neighbourhoods by Safety

Dorset 015A: Safety 7 out of 10, low crimeDorset 015B: Safety 10 out of 10, very low crimeDorset 015C: Safety 7 out of 10, low crimeDorset 015D: Safety 9 out of 10, very low crimeNew Forest 016D: Safety 4 out of 10, above average crimeNew Forest 010A: Safety 3 out of 10, above average crimeNew Forest 010B: Safety 6 out of 10, average crimeNew Forest 016E: Safety 7 out of 10, low crimeNew Forest 010C: Safety 8 out of 10, low crimeNew Forest 012A: Safety 7 out of 10, low crimeNew Forest 010D: Safety 6 out of 10, average crimeNew Forest 010E: Safety 8 out of 10, low crimeNew Forest 012B: Safety 5 out of 10, average crimeNew Forest 012C: Safety 6 out of 10, average crimeNew Forest 012D: Safety 3 out of 10, above average crimeNew Forest 012E: Safety 4 out of 10, above average crime
1 = least safe, 10 = safest. Grey: no score. Select a neighbourhood to open it on the map.

Crime over 5 years

Down 26% in 5 years Recorded crimes in BH24, anti-social behaviour left out.

Sep 2021 – Aug 2022: 1,702 crimesSep 2021 – Aug 20221,702Sep 2022 – Aug 2023: 1,371 crimesSep 2022 – Aug 20231,371Sep 2023 – Aug 2024: 1,431 crimesSep 2023 – Aug 20241,431Sep 2024 – Aug 2025: 1,435 crimesSep 2024 – Aug 20251,435Sep 2025 – Aug 2026: 1,252 crimesSep 2025 – Aug 20261,252

What is recorded

Crime severity: 0.9× the New Forest average (0.7× the England and Wales average). 57 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.

  • Violence and sexual offences: 53% of the harm here
  • Burglary: 28% of the harm here
  • Other theft: 5% of the harm here

Anti-social behaviour: 10 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.

Shops, transport, schools and health

Distances are straight-line, not walking routes. Scores use fixed distance bands, so they do not depend on other districts. Higher is better.

Supermarkets

Fair accessScore 6 out of 10
  • Typical distance to a large supermarket: 2.4 km.
  • Sainsburys Ringwood (Sainsburys), 490 m from the district centre
  • Waitrose Ringwood (Waitrose), 660 m from the district centre
  • Lidl Ringwood (Lidl), 870 m from the district centre

Transport

Limited accessScore 3 out of 10
  • Typical number of bus stops within 400 m: 4.
  • Nearest railway station: Christchurch Rail Station, 11.6 km from the district centre
  • Nearest tram or metro stop: Swanage (Swanage Railway), 32.0 km from the district centre

Schools

Fair schools nearbyScore 5 out of 10

Primary schools within 2 km

  • Ringwood Church of England Infant School: Expected standard (report card, 2026), 480 m away
  • St Ives Primary & Nursery School: Outstanding (graded inspection, 2023), 620 m away
  • Sopley Primary School: Good (ungraded inspection, 2024), 1.8 km away

Secondary schools within 2 km

  • Ringwood School Academy: Good (ungraded inspection, 2022), 600 m away

    Health

    Good accessScore 7 out of 10
    • Nearest GP surgery: RINGWOOD MEDICAL CENTRE, 450 m from the district centre, CQC rating: Good, rated 2016
    • Nearest hospital with A&E: Royal Bournemouth Hospital, 11.1 km from the district centre

    Crime by type

    Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents per year, most serious first, not counting anti-social behaviour.

    TypePer 1,000 a year
    Robbery0.2
    Burglary6.6
    Violence and sexual offences19.6
    Drugs1.1
    Possession of weapons0.4
    Other crime0.7
    Other theft5.5
    Theft from the person0.3
    Vehicle crime6.6
    Criminal damage and arson7.1
    Public order5.2
    Bicycle theft0.6
    Shoplifting3.2

    Trend over the years

    Crime severity per resident (sentence-days of the crimes recorded each year). Hatched bars are years with fewer than twelve months of data for most residents.

    20167.5201710.9201810.3201911.2202012.7202111.7202213.120239.2202410.9202510.020269.6

    Last 12 months: 9.4 against a 10-year average of 10.9, 13% lower.

    Questions about crime in BH24

    Is BH24 a safe place to live?
    BH24 scores 6 out of 10 for safety (average crime), compared with every postcode district in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 0.9 times the New Forest average.
    Is crime going up or down in BH24?
    Down 26% over 5 years, from 1,702 recorded crimes a year to 1,252.
    What is the most common crime in BH24?
    The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences, about 20 per 1,000 residents a year.
    How does crime in BH24 compare with New Forest?
    Crime severity in BH24 is 0.9 times the New Forest average.

    Towns

    Council: New Forest

    BH24 crime rate and crime map (Ringwood, New Forest) | Crime by Postcode