Crime in Rayleigh
Recorded crime in Rayleigh is about the Rochford average and 0.6 times the England and Wales average. Over 5 years it has fallen 14%. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences. Police data to August 2026.
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Rayleigh: about 24,220 residents in 25 neighbourhoods.
- Safety
- 6/10Average crime
- Living
- 7.7/10Good
- 5-year change
- −14%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.0×the Rochford average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Rayleigh.
Crime over 5 years
Down 14% in 5 years Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Rayleigh, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: about the Rochford average (0.6× the England and Wales average). 50 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences: 68% of the harm here
- Burglary: 12% of the harm here
- Robbery: 5% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 68% 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: 11 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 | 2.5 |
| Violence and sexual offences | 22.3 |
| Drugs | 1.6 |
| Possession of weapons | 0.5 |
| Other crime | 1.1 |
| Other theft | 4.0 |
| Theft from the person | 0.6 |
| Vehicle crime | 4.3 |
| Criminal damage and arson | 4.6 |
| Public order | 4.5 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.4 |
| Shoplifting | 3.1 |
Postcode districts in Rayleigh
Nearby towns
Council: Rochford
Questions about crime in Rayleigh
- Is Rayleigh a safe place to live?
- Rayleigh scores 6 out of 10 for safety (average crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is about the Rochford average.
- Is crime going up or down in Rayleigh?
- Down 14% over 5 years, from 1,380 recorded crimes a year to 1,183.
- What is the most common crime in Rayleigh?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences, about 22 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Rayleigh compare with Rochford?
- Crime severity in Rayleigh is about the Rochford average.