Crime in Macclesfield
Recorded crime in Macclesfield is 1.5 times the Cheshire East average and 1.1 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 11%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences. Police data to August 2026.
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Macclesfield: about 25,281 residents in 27 neighbourhoods.
- Safety
- 3/10Above average crime
- Living
- 7.9/10Good
- 5-year change
- −11%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.5×the Cheshire East average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Macclesfield.
Crime over 5 years
Down 11% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Macclesfield, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.5× the Cheshire East average (1.1× the England and Wales average). 89 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences: 73% of the harm here
- Burglary: 10% of the harm here
- Other theft: 4% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 73% 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: 20 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 | 0.5 |
| Burglary | 3.3 |
| Violence and sexual offences | 39.8 |
| Drugs | 2.5 |
| Possession of weapons | 0.7 |
| Other crime | 1.6 |
| Other theft | 6.0 |
| Theft from the person | 0.4 |
| Vehicle crime | 4.3 |
| Criminal damage and arson | 8.0 |
| Public order | 13.8 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.8 |
| Shoplifting | 6.8 |
Postcode districts in Macclesfield
Nearby towns
Council: Cheshire East
Questions about crime in Macclesfield
- Is Macclesfield a safe place to live?
- Macclesfield scores 3 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.5 times the Cheshire East average.
- Is crime going up or down in Macclesfield?
- Down 11% over 5 years, from 2,388 recorded crimes a year to 2,126.
- What is the most common crime in Macclesfield?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences, about 40 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Macclesfield compare with Cheshire East?
- Crime severity in Macclesfield is 1.5 times the Cheshire East average.