Crime by Postcode
PO32Postcode district

PO32 crime rate and crime map

Recorded crime in PO32 is 0.8 times the Isle of Wight average and 0.7 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 15%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences. Police data to August 2026.

East Cowes, Isle of Wight. 9,087 residents in 5 neighbourhoods.

Safety
6/10Average crime
Living
5.1/10Fair
5-year change
−15%fewer crimes
vs the council
0.8×the Isle of Wight average
Open on the map

Safety and Living

Safety

Crime severity: 0.8× the Isle of Wight 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

Isle of Wight 003A: Safety 6 out of 10, average crimeIsle of Wight 003B: Safety 6 out of 10, average crimeIsle of Wight 001E: Safety 6 out of 10, average crimeIsle of Wight 003D: Safety 6 out of 10, average crimeIsle of Wight 003E: Safety 6 out of 10, average crime
1 = least safe, 10 = safest. Grey: no score. Select a neighbourhood to open it on the map.

Crime over 5 years

Down 15% in 5 years Recorded crimes in PO32, anti-social behaviour left out.

Sep 2021 – Aug 2022: 649 crimesSep 2021 – Aug 2022649Sep 2022 – Aug 2023: 610 crimesSep 2022 – Aug 2023610Sep 2023 – Aug 2024: 503 crimesSep 2023 – Aug 2024503Sep 2024 – Aug 2025: 588 crimesSep 2024 – Aug 2025588Sep 2025 – Aug 2026: 552 crimesSep 2025 – Aug 2026552

What is recorded

Crime severity: 0.8× the Isle of Wight average (0.7× the England and Wales average). 56 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.

  • Violence and sexual offences: 79% of the harm here
  • Burglary: 7% of the harm here
  • Other theft: 3% of the harm here

"Violence and sexual offences" is 79% of the harm here. It is a broad police category: most of these crimes are assaults without injury, harassment and threats, often indoors between people who know each other, and only a small part are sexual or serious violent offences. Police data does not say which, so each one is weighted at the England and Wales average for the category, which can overstate a quiet residential area.

Anti-social behaviour: 9.6 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

Good accessScore 8 out of 10
  • Typical distance to a large supermarket: 930 m.
  • Waitrose East Cowes (Waitrose), 1.2 km from the district centre
  • Aldi Cowes (Aldi), 2.7 km from the district centre
  • Sainsburys Isle Of Wight (Sainsburys), 5.9 km from the district centre

Transport

Limited accessScore 4 out of 10
  • Typical number of bus stops within 400 m: 4.
  • Nearest railway station: Ryde Pier Head Rail Station, 13.5 km from the district centre
  • Nearest tram or metro stop: Wootton (Isle of Wight Steam Railway), 5.6 km from the district centre

Schools

Weak schools nearbyScore 3 out of 10

Primary schools within 2 km

  • Holy Cross Catholic Primary School: Needs attention (report card, 2026), 580 m away
  • No rated secondary school within 2 km, so that half of the score counts as 1.

Health

Good accessScore 7 out of 10
  • Nearest GP surgery: EAST COWES MEDICAL CENTRE, 910 m from the district centre, CQC rating: Good, rated 2019
  • Nearest hospital with A&E: Gosport War Memorial Minor Injuries Unit, 15.6 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
Burglary1.7
Violence and sexual offences29.6
Drugs1.4
Possession of weapons0.6
Other crime1.2
Other theft3.4
Theft from the person0.2
Vehicle crime1.1
Criminal damage and arson6.4
Public order6.5
Bicycle theft0.3
Shoplifting2.8

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.

20165.520177.020189.420199.8202010.6202111.7202215.4202312.9202411.9202512.4202611.3

Last 12 months: 11.1 against a 10-year average of 11.0, about the same.

Questions about crime in PO32

Is PO32 a safe place to live?
PO32 scores 6 out of 10 for safety (average crime), compared with every postcode district in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 0.8 times the Isle of Wight average.
Is crime going up or down in PO32?
Down 15% over 5 years, from 649 recorded crimes a year to 552.
What is the most common crime in PO32?
The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences, about 30 per 1,000 residents a year.
How does crime in PO32 compare with Isle of Wight?
Crime severity in PO32 is 0.8 times the Isle of Wight average.

Towns

Council: Isle of Wight

PO32 crime rate and crime map (East Cowes, Isle of Wight) | Crime by Postcode