Middlesbrough has been named the most dangerous place to live in England and Wales, with a crime rate of 150 per 1,000 residents, according to the latest Home Office figures.
The North Eastern town has surpassed Blackpool, which held the top spot last December. By July 2026, Blackpool had seen a 4% fall in crime while Middlesbrough witnessed a 1% rise, propelling it to the top of the rankings.
What the data shows
Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows no overall increase in crime across England and Wales over the past 12 months. Many serious and property-related offences fell in the year to March 2026, while the overall level of crime, as measured by the Crime Survey, remained broadly stable.
However, fraud remains a significant concern, and reports of anti-social behaviour have increased. The ONS estimated that 40.9% of people experienced or witnessed some form of anti-social behaviour, up from 35.5% the previous year, although changes to the survey questions contributed to this increase.
Middlesbrough's challenges
Middlesbrough has a population of around 156,000, according to the latest census in 2024. The town faces a number of challenges, including high levels of deprivation in many neighbourhoods, lower employment and income levels than the national average, significant health inequalities, some areas with higher crime, and a town centre still undergoing substantial regeneration.
According to Middlesbrough Council, there are significant differences in crime between neighbourhoods. According to the 2025 deprivation data, Middlesbrough ranked fourth among English local authorities for crime deprivation, with 54.4% of its neighbourhoods falling within the most deprived 10% nationally.
The measure includes offences such as violence, burglary, theft, criminal damage, public-order offences, weapons offences and anti-social behaviour.
Other towns on the list
The town centre has been a particular focus of efforts to address anti-social behaviour and retail crime. In June 2026, Middlesbrough Council announced a multi-million-pound programme involving increased policing, additional CCTV and support for vulnerable people.
Despite its 4% reduction in crime, Blackpool retains the second-highest crime rate in the nation, with 146 offences per 1,000 residents. Taking third place is Manchester with a rate of 143 crimes per 1,000 residents, followed by Hartlepool (134) and Bristol (131).
The statistics rank the capital city of London separately from other regions. Overall, London has a crime rate of 102 offences per 1,000 people, though these figures are skewed by tourist-heavy areas, which inflate the data as opportunistic criminals target easy pickpocketing targets. In Westminster, one of the capital's most visited tourist hotspots, the crime rate stands at 355 crimes per 1,000 residents — considerably higher than anywhere else across the country. A significant proportion of these offences are theft-related.
