Is Rayleigh Safe?

Rayleigh has a CrimeRadar safety score of 8/100, rated High Crime. A total of 1,569 crimes were recorded in the last 12 months, a decrease of 7.1% year-on-year — a positive trend for the area. Crime levels in Rayleigh are above the UK average. Check the crime category breakdown below for more detail.

1,569 crimes were recorded in Rayleigh in the last 12 months, spanning all reported crime categories from violent crime to vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour. This represents a decrease of 7.1% compared to the previous 12-month period (1,689 crimes). The most common category was Violent Crime, with 721 incidents.

The most common crime in Rayleigh is Violent Crime, with 721 incidents recorded in the last 12 months — accounting for 46% of all reported crimes in the area. You can view a full breakdown of all crime categories, including anti-social behaviour, vehicle crime, and burglary, in the Crime by Category section on this page.

Crime in Rayleigh is decreasing. The year-on-year trend shows a fall of 7.1% — from 1,689 crimes in the previous 12 months to 1,569 in the most recent period. This downward trend is a positive sign for residents and prospective homebuyers.

Rayleigh has a safety score of 8 out of 100 (High Crime). CrimeRadar safety scores are calculated from crime volume, year-on-year trend, and crime resolution rate. A score of 85+ is Very Safe, 65–84 is Safe, 45–64 is Average, 25–44 is Below Average, and below 25 is High Crime.

Rayleigh has a safety score of 8/100, while the Essex Police force area average is 12/100. Rayleigh is below the force average for safety. Use the Compare tool to see a detailed side-by-side breakdown.

20% of crimes recorded in Rayleigh resulted in a formal outcome in the last 12 months. Formal outcomes include charges brought, cautions issued, fixed penalty notices, or other official resolutions recorded by Essex Police. The national average outcome rate in England and Wales is typically 5–15% across most crime types. A higher rate suggests more effective local enforcement.

721 violent crimes were recorded in Rayleigh in the last 12 months — representing 46% of all reported crimes. Anti-social behaviour accounted for a further 145 incidents. Violent crime encompasses assault, robbery, and related offences as classified by the UK Home Office. Data is sourced from official police reports submitted to data.police.uk.

The crime data for Rayleigh was last updated in March 2026. CrimeRadar sources all crime data directly from the official UK Police Data API, operated by the Home Office and published at data.police.uk under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Data is refreshed monthly and covers the most recent 36-month period. New monthly data is typically published with a 2-month lag.

You can compare Rayleigh with any other UK neighbourhood or city using the CrimeRadar Compare tool. It shows side-by-side safety scores, crime volumes by category, year-on-year trends, and crime resolution rates. The Compare tool covers all 44 police force areas across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with more than 4,000 built neighbourhoods available.