Crime in Northwich
Recorded crime in Northwich is 1.4 times the Cheshire West and Chester average and 1.1 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 18%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Northwich: about 14,705 residents in 20 neighbourhoods.
- Safety
- 3/10Above average crime
- Living
- 7.7/10Good
- 5-year change
- −18%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.4×the Cheshire West and Chester average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Northwich.
Crime over 5 years
Down 18% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Northwich, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.4× the Cheshire West and Chester average (1.1× the England and Wales average). 95 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 74% of the harm here
- Burglary: 9% of the harm here
- Other theft: 4% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 74% 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: 24 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Cheshire West and Chester (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Cheshire West and Chester council area, not only Northwich. Source: Home Office, police recorded crime by community safety partnership.
| Type | Crimes in 2025/26 | Per 1,000 residents | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars stolen | 161 | 0.43 | Down 17% |
| Cars broken into | 262 | 0.70 | Up 8% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 1,118 | 3.0 | Down 15% |
| Burglary of homes | 373 | 1.0 | Down 7% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 1 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
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 | 3.2 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 41.4 |
| Drugs | 2.4 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.7 |
| Other crime | 1.9 |
| Other theft | 6.2 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.5 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 2.1 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 8.6 |
| Public order | 15.1 |
| Bicycle theft | 1.3 |
| Shoplifting | 10.9 |
Postcode districts in Northwich
Nearby towns
Council: Cheshire West and Chester
Questions about crime in Northwich
- Is Northwich a safe place to live?
- Northwich scores 3 out of 10 for safety (above average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.4 times the Cheshire West and Chester average.
- Is crime going up or down in Northwich?
- Down 18% over 5 years, from 1,593 recorded crimes a year to 1,301.
- What is the most common crime in Northwich?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 41 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Northwich compare with Cheshire West and Chester?
- Crime severity in Northwich is 1.4 times the Cheshire West and Chester average.
- How many cars are stolen in Northwich?
- In Cheshire West and Chester, the council area Northwich is in, the police recorded 161 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.4 per 1,000 residents, down 17% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Northwich?
- 1,118 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Cheshire West and Chester, the council area Northwich is in, 3.0 per 1,000 residents, 0.6 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Northwich last year?
- 1 homicide (murder or manslaughter) was recorded in 2025/26, in Cheshire West and Chester, the council area Northwich is in, against 3 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.