Crime in Cowes
Recorded crime in Cowes is 0.8 times the Isle of Wight average and 0.7 times the England and Wales average. It is about the same as 5 years ago. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences. Police data to August 2026.
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Cowes: about 14,598 residents in 14 neighbourhoods.
- Safety
- 6/10Average crime
- Living
- 6.2/10Fair
- 5-year change
- 0%about the same
- vs the council
- 0.8×the Isle of Wight average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Cowes.
Crime over 5 years
About the same as 5 years ago Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Cowes, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 0.8× the Isle of Wight average (0.7× the England and Wales average). 54 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences: 78% of the harm here
- Burglary: 7% of the harm here
- Drugs: 4% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 78% 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.
Crime by type
Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents per year, most serious first, not counting anti-social behaviour.
| Type | Per 1,000 a year |
|---|---|
| Robbery | 0.2 |
| Burglary | 1.7 |
| Violence and sexual offences | 27.9 |
| Drugs | 1.7 |
| Possession of weapons | 0.6 |
| Other crime | 1.1 |
| Other theft | 3.7 |
| Theft from the person | 0.3 |
| Vehicle crime | 1.1 |
| Criminal damage and arson | 6.3 |
| Public order | 6.0 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.5 |
| Shoplifting | 2.6 |
Postcode districts in Cowes
Nearby towns
Council: Isle of Wight
Questions about crime in Cowes
- Is Cowes a safe place to live?
- Cowes scores 6 out of 10 for safety (average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 0.8 times the Isle of Wight average.
- Is crime going up or down in Cowes?
- About the same as 5 years ago: 849 recorded crimes a year then, 850 now.
- What is the most common crime in Cowes?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences, about 28 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Cowes compare with Isle of Wight?
- Crime severity in Cowes is 0.8 times the Isle of Wight average.