Is Oxford safe? For most residents, students and visitors, yes: Oxford recorded 13,177 crimes in the 12 months to April 2026, a crime rate of 80.69 per 1,000 people. That is about 53 per cent above the Oxfordshire average of 52.66 and 31 per cent above the South East (61.44), but close to Cardiff, Reading and Slough and around a quarter below Birmingham, Bristol or Leeds. Oxford is the county’s busiest centre for shopping, tourism, students and nightlife, and it accounts for 29 per cent of all crime recorded in Oxfordshire. Bicycle theft is the risk that stands out: Oxfordshire’s rate is more than twice the South East’s. The figures describe recorded incidents, not the people who live in the city.
Data: police-recorded crime, 12 months to April 2026, counts and rates from CrimeRate’s analysis of data.police.uk (Thames Valley Police; Oxfordshire page updated 7 June 2026, checked 30 October 2026); district rates for 2025 from the Safer Oxfordshire Partnership Strategic Needs Assessment (published June 2026); neighbourhood teams from data.police.uk, whose latest month is August 2026. Rates for other cities are from the same CrimeRate release, as checked on 27–28 October 2026. Percentages and shares are our own arithmetic. CrimeRate’s Oxford page still shows its 2020 version, so Oxford’s own category breakdown and ten-year series are not available for the current release; the category and trend tables below are for Oxfordshire and say so. Updated 30 October 2026.
What is the crime rate in Oxford?
Oxford’s crime rate was 80.69 crimes per 1,000 people in the 12 months to April 2026, according to CrimeRate, from 13,177 recorded offences. That is about 1.5 times the Oxfordshire rate (52.66) and about 31 per cent above the South East (61.44). Oxfordshire as a whole recorded 45,926 offences, so Oxford alone accounts for 28.7 per cent of the county’s crime (our arithmetic).
A city rate above its county is normal. Oxford is Oxfordshire’s main destination for shopping, tourism, work, study and nights out, so many offences involve people who do not live there. CrimeRate’s rate also uses its own population base, so rates from different websites are not directly comparable. All the rates on this page come from one source and method unless a table says otherwise.
Is Oxford the most dangerous place in Oxfordshire?
Oxford is second of the 15 Oxfordshire towns and cities CrimeRate lists, at 80.69 per 1,000 in the 12 months to April 2026. Only Blackbird Leys (85.41), an estate on Oxford’s south-eastern edge that CrimeRate lists separately, is higher. Banbury (76.36) and Bicester (71.87) follow. Smaller towns such as Thame (36.63) and Kidlington (35.79) record less than half Oxford’s rate.
| Place (Oxfordshire) | Crimes, 12 months to April 2026 | Per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Blackbird Leys | 1,201 | 85.41 |
| Oxford | 13,177 | 80.69 |
| Banbury | 4,912 | 76.36 |
| Bicester | 3,003 | 71.87 |
| Great Faringdon | 544 | 55.55 |
| Wantage | 849 | 55.50 |
| Abingdon | 1,969 | 52.67 |
| Witney | 1,792 | 51.36 |
| Didcot | 1,752 | 49.52 |
| Henley-on-Thames | 722 | 45.24 |
| Grove | 456 | 41.81 |
| Carterton | 657 | 40.39 |
| Wallingford | 422 | 38.60 |
| Thame | 571 | 36.63 |
| Kidlington | 620 | 35.79 |
| Oxfordshire | 45,926 | 52.66 |
Source: CrimeRate Oxfordshire, all 15 towns and cities listed, 12 months to April 2026. Oxford’s 13,177 offences are more than the next three towns combined (9,116 for Banbury, Bicester and Blackbird Leys).
Is Oxford safe compared with other UK cities?
Oxford’s crime rate of 80.69 per 1,000 in the 12 months to April 2026 is almost level with Cardiff (79.55), Slough (78.72) and Reading (78.39), and about 30 per cent below Birmingham (105.05) and Bristol (104.64). It is a little above High Wycombe (73.62), the other large Thames Valley town we cover.
| Place | Per 1,000, 12 months to April 2026 | Compared with Oxford |
|---|---|---|
| Westminster (London) | 125.00 | 55% higher |
| Nottingham | 107.74 | 34% higher |
| Leeds | 107.10 | 33% higher |
| Southampton | 106.50 | 32% higher |
| Liverpool | 106.48 | 32% higher |
| Birmingham | 105.05 | 30% higher |
| Bristol | 104.64 | 30% higher |
| Leicester | 97.87 | 21% higher |
| Sheffield | 84.09 | 4% higher |
| Newcastle | 82.69 | 2% higher |
| Oxford | 80.69 | – |
| Cardiff | 79.55 | 1% lower |
| Slough | 78.72 | 2% lower |
| Reading | 78.39 | 3% lower |
| High Wycombe | 73.62 | 9% lower |
| South East | 61.44 | 24% lower |
| Oxfordshire | 52.66 | 35% lower |
Source: CrimeRate, 12 months to April 2026 (Oxford, Oxfordshire and South East checked 30 October 2026; other places as checked on 27–28 October 2026 from the same release). For the nearest comparable places, read is Reading safe?, Slough crime rate and High Wycombe crime rate, all policed by Thames Valley Police, or is Milton Keynes safe? For larger cities, see is Bristol safe? and is Southampton safe?
How does Oxford compare with the rest of Oxfordshire by type of crime?
In 2025, Oxford recorded 34.6 acquisitive crimes (theft, burglary, robbery and vehicle crime) per 1,000 residents, about 1.7 times Cherwell (20.5) and three times the other three Oxfordshire districts, according to the Safer Oxfordshire Partnership. For violence with injury the gap is much smaller: Oxford 6.3 per 1,000, Cherwell 6.0.
| District, calendar year 2025 | Acquisitive crime per 1,000 residents | Violence with injury per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| Oxford | 34.6 | 6.3 |
| Cherwell (Banbury, Bicester) | 20.5 | 6.0 |
| South Oxfordshire | 11.7 | 3.7 |
| West Oxfordshire | 11.5 | 4.4 |
| Vale of White Horse | 11.4 | 3.9 |
Source: Safer Oxfordshire Partnership Strategic Needs Assessment 2026 (published June 2026), rates per 1,000 residents based on mid-2024 population estimates. These are resident-based rates for council districts, so they are not comparable with CrimeRate’s rates above.
The pattern says something useful. Oxford’s lead over the rest of the county is mostly about theft: it is where the shops, colleges, tourist sights, stations and parked bikes are. The violence gap with Cherwell is small. The same assessment says Oxford recorded 47 knife crime offences in 2025, the highest count of any district, ahead of Cherwell’s 42; per head that is 0.3 per 1,000 residents, against 0.1 in South and West Oxfordshire. Oxfordshire as a whole recorded 45,042 offences in 2025, 2.7 per cent fewer than in 2024.
What kind of crime is recorded in Oxfordshire?
Violence and sexual offences made up 43.6 per cent of crime recorded in Oxfordshire in the 12 months to April 2026: 20,006 of 45,926 offences. Most categories are below the South East rate. Two are above it: bicycle theft, at more than twice the regional rate, and theft from the person, 36 per cent higher. CrimeRate does not publish Oxford’s own category mix for this release, so the table is for the county.
| Category | Oxfordshire, 12 months to April 2026 | Share of total | Oxfordshire per 1,000 | South East per 1,000 | Thames Valley Police per 1,000 | Oxfordshire vs South East |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences | 20,006 | 43.6% | 22.96 | 26.98 | 24.14 | −15% |
| Shoplifting | 4,959 | 10.8% | 5.69 | 6.88 | 5.91 | −17% |
| Public order | 4,184 | 9.1% | 4.79 | 5.15 | 4.85 | −7% |
| Other theft | 4,031 | 8.8% | 4.63 | 4.84 | 4.91 | −4% |
| Criminal damage and arson | 3,683 | 8.0% | 4.24 | 5.50 | 4.49 | −23% |
| Vehicle crime | 2,064 | 4.5% | 2.37 | 3.22 | 3.60 | −26% |
| Burglary | 1,826 | 4.0% | 2.09 | 2.23 | 2.15 | −6% |
| Drugs | 1,544 | 3.4% | 1.77 | 2.37 | 2.00 | −25% |
| Bicycle theft | 1,242 | 2.7% | 1.42 | 0.68 | 0.95 | +109% |
| Other crime | 1,026 | 2.2% | 1.17 | 1.61 | 1.27 | −27% |
| Theft from the person | 543 | 1.2% | 0.61 | 0.45 | 0.53 | +36% |
| Robbery | 484 | 1.1% | 0.55 | 0.72 | 0.71 | −24% |
| Possession of weapons | 334 | 0.7% | 0.37 | 0.81 | 0.38 | −54% |
| Anti-social behaviour (not in total) | 5,244 | – | 6.03 | 10.87 | 6.84 | −45% |
Source: CrimeRate Oxfordshire, 12 months to April 2026. The 13 categories add up to exactly 45,926.
Bicycle theft is the standout. Oxfordshire recorded 1,242 bike thefts, 17 per cent of all those in the South East (7,315), although its share of the region’s population base is about 8 per cent (our arithmetic). CrimeRate’s index puts the county at 1.95 times the national rate. In 2020, the last year CrimeRate split out for the city, Oxford alone accounted for 1,042 of the county’s 1,471 bicycle thefts, so most of today’s figure is very likely the city too. Theft from the person, which includes pickpocketing and phone snatching, is the other category above the regional rate. Violence, robbery, weapons possession and anti-social behaviour are all below it.
Is crime in Oxfordshire going up or down?
Down for the second year running. Oxfordshire recorded 45,926 offences (52.66 per 1,000) in the 12 months to April 2026, 3.3 per cent fewer than the 47,473 (54.75) a year earlier and 10.4 per cent below the 2023 peak of 51,233 (60.76). The county’s rate has stayed below the South East rate in every year since 2017.
| Year (12 months to April) | Oxfordshire crimes | Oxfordshire per 1,000 | South East per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 36,123 | 45.79 | 55.04 |
| 2018 | 38,049 | 47.83 | 63.85 |
| 2019 | 39,535 | 49.37 | 65.82 |
| 2020 | 39,686 | 49.11 | 65.97 |
| 2021 | 41,990 | 51.46 | 61.36 |
| 2022 | 49,164 | 59.40 | 68.58 |
| 2023 | 51,233 | 60.76 | 68.83 |
| 2024 | 47,431 | 55.35 | 65.86 |
| 2025 | 47,473 | 54.75 | 63.35 |
| 2026 | 45,926 | 52.66 | 61.44 |
Source: CrimeRate Oxfordshire, yearly rows to April 2026 (the partial 2016 row is left out). Over ten years the county’s count rose 27 per cent and its rate 15 per cent, a little faster than the South East’s 12 per cent (our arithmetic). Unlike the region, Oxfordshire did not dip in the lockdown year to April 2021; it then jumped 17 per cent in 2022. The Safer Oxfordshire Partnership’s calendar-year count tells the same story: 45,042 offences in 2025, down 2.7 per cent on 2024. CrimeRate does not publish a current ten-year series for Oxford itself, so we cannot say whether the city fell faster or slower than the county.
Which police teams cover Oxford?
Thames Valley Police covers the city through seven neighbourhood policing teams, all named after Oxford on data.police.uk. Oxford Central, based at St Aldates police station, covers the city centre and a population of 22,614.
| Neighbourhood team (data.police.uk) | ID | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Oxford Central | N448 | City centre; St Aldates police station; population 22,614 |
| Oxford Cowley | N449 | – |
| Oxford East | N450 | – |
| Oxford North | N451 | – |
| Oxford North East | N452 | – |
| Oxford South East | N453 | – |
| Oxford Barton, Risinghurst and Sandhills | N447 | – |
Source: data.police.uk neighbourhoods API for Thames Valley Police, checked 30 October 2026. The police.uk team pages with 12-month counts could not be read on the day of writing, so this page does not give per-team counts. You can contact any team through 101, Thames Valley Police’s non-emergency number, or by email from its police.uk page.
When is crime most likely in Oxford?
Across Oxfordshire in 2025, violence with injury peaked between 23:00 and 03:00 on Friday and Saturday nights, with a second, smaller rise on weekday afternoons from 15:00 to 17:00, according to the Safer Oxfordshire Partnership. That analysis covers the whole county, not Oxford alone, but the late weekend peak matches the city’s pubs, clubs and late buses. Police street-level data on police.uk has no time of day, so it cannot show this for individual streets. For the national picture by hour, day and season, see when crime is most likely in the UK.
Is Oxford safe at night?
Oxford is generally safe at night with ordinary care, but its late-night risks follow the county pattern: in 2025 violence with injury in Oxfordshire was most concentrated between 23:00 and 03:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Oxford’s rate of violence with injury, 6.3 per 1,000 residents, was the highest of the five districts, though only just above Cherwell’s 6.0. Keep to lit, busy routes between the city centre, the railway station and the bus stations. Plan your way home before a night out, and use licensed taxis. Check the streets you will use in the postcode checker.
One gap matters at Oxford station. Crimes on the railway are recorded by British Transport Police. data.police.uk lists BTP crime data as not provided for every month from March 2025 to August 2026, so incidents inside Oxford station are missing from recent police maps, including ours. Thames Valley Police has no crime-data gaps listed for 2025 or 2026. Read how the police crime map works for the other limits.
Is Oxford a safe place to live or study?
For most residents and students, yes. Most of Oxford’s extra crime compared with the county is theft linked to a busy centre, not violence at home. Across Oxfordshire, burglary is 4.0 per cent of recorded crime and 6 per cent below the South East rate, and vehicle crime is 26 per cent below it. The household crime most worth planning for is bicycle theft: use a good D-lock through the frame, lock to a fixed stand and keep bikes indoors overnight where you can. The city-wide number also hides large differences between streets. Blackbird Leys records 85.41 per 1,000, while Kidlington, just north of the city, records 35.79. Compare two postcodes before you choose, and read how to check crime in your area for the limits of any single number. The figures describe recorded incidents, not the people who live here.
How do I check a specific street or postcode in Oxford?
- Enter your postcode in the postcode checker to see 12 months of police-recorded crime and the trend by month.
- Add a second postcode, for example one in Headington or Summertown, to compare two areas side by side.
- Zoom into the UK crime map to see what was recorded near a street, college or station.
These figures describe areas, not addresses. Police data covers reported crime only, and each crime is shown at a nearby anonymised point. Read where our crime data comes from for the limits.
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Oxford crime FAQ
Is Oxford safe?
Broadly, yes. Oxford’s crime rate of 80.69 per 1,000 in the 12 months to April 2026 is higher than Oxfordshire’s (52.66) but level with Cardiff and Reading and about 30 per cent below Birmingham or Bristol. Most of the gap with the rest of the county is theft, especially bicycle theft.
What is the crime rate in Oxford?
Oxford recorded 13,177 crimes in the 12 months to April 2026, a rate of 80.69 per 1,000 people (CrimeRate). That is about 53 per cent above the Oxfordshire average of 52.66 and 31 per cent above the South East (61.44).
Is Oxford safe at night?
Mostly, with ordinary city-centre care. In 2025, violence with injury in Oxfordshire was most concentrated between 23:00 and 03:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Crimes inside Oxford station are missing from police data for March 2025 to August 2026.
Is bike theft a problem in Oxford?
Yes. Oxfordshire recorded 1,242 bicycle thefts in the 12 months to April 2026, 1.42 per 1,000, more than twice the South East rate (0.68). In 2020, the last year with a city split, Oxford accounted for 71 per cent of the county’s bike thefts.
Is crime in Oxford going up?
County-wide, no. Oxfordshire’s recorded crime fell 3.3 per cent to 45,926 offences in the 12 months to April 2026 and is 10 per cent below its 2023 peak. A current series for Oxford alone is not published.
Other towns and cities: Reading, Slough and High Wycombe (also Thames Valley Police), Milton Keynes, Cambridge, Bristol, Southampton and London. In an emergency call 999.