Where are the safest places to live in the UK?

Choosing a new place to live involves balancing a lot of important factors, from property prices and rental costs to transport links, local amenities, and schools. one factor that often weighs heavily in the decision-making process is safety. Not only does the safety of a neighbourhood affect your peace of mind, but it can also influence the cost of your home insurance, especially in areas more prone to crime or severe weather events like storms and flooding. To help you navigate your search, we have analysed the latest data to highlight the safest and least safe, places to live across the UK based on key indicators.

Moving house? When selecting a city or neighbourhood, you'll probably consider the house prices or average rent, the commute and transport links, the local schools and parks.

You’ll also probably be thinking about how safe each area you consider is. And so will your prospective home insurer. If crimes like burglary, and severe weather events like storms and flooding are frequent in the area, they'll charge you more for cover.

To make your search a bit easier, we’ve gone through the data and worked out which areas of the UK are the safest (and least safe) based on a few key criteria.

Which areas have the lowest crime rates?

Low crime rates are often a top priority for almost every home mover. The lack of burglary, vandalism, drug use and violent crime make the following areas desirable—for both families and the insurers covering their home and possessions

The police force areas in England and Wales with the lowest per capita rates of crime in 2024/25:

1. Wiltshire (53.3 crimes per 1,000 people)

2. North Yorkshire (54.1)

3. Suffolk (57.4)

4. Surrey (60.2)

5. West Mercia (61.1)

The local authorities in Scotland with the lowest rates of police recorded crime in 2024/25

1. Shetland Islands (41.4 per 1000 crimes)

2. Orkney Islands (51.5)

3. Na h-Eileanan Siar (57.2)

4. East Renfrewshire (260.2)

5. East Dunbartonshire (264.1)

The policing districts in Northern Ireland with the lowest crime rates per capita in 2023/24

1. Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon (29 crimes per 1,000 people)

2. Antrim & Newtownabbey (30)

3. Mid & East Antrim (35)

4. Lisburn & Castlereagh City (38)

5. Mid Ulster (39)

Sources: Statista, ONS

Which areas have the highest crime rates?

We all can’t live in the UK’s safest neighbourhoods and cities, especially because many are rural and remote. Jobs, family and housing affordability and housing availability may draw us to a certain region with more crime.

As you search for a home, you may want to know which areas are the most troubled by crime. They aren’t necessarily unsafe. You may simply need to take precautions—and be aware of how these crime rates will impact your insurance premiums.

The police force areas in England and Wales with the highest per capita rates of crime in 2024/25:

1. Cleveland (122.1 crimes per 1,000 people)

2. West Yorkshire (114.5)

3. Greater Manchester (108.2)

4. South Yorkshire (106.3)

5. West Midlands (103.7)

The local authorities in Scotland with the highest rates of recorded crime in 2024/25:

1. Glasgow (873.43 crimes per 1,000 recorded crimes)

2. Edinburgh (635.260)

3. North Lanarkshire (323.06)

4. Fife (315.01)

5. South Lanarkshire (269.167)

The policing districts in Northern Ireland with the highest crime rate, April 2020-March 2021

1. Mid & East Antrim (38.4 crimes per 1,000 people)

2. Fermanagh & Omagh (34.2)

3. Mid Ulster (32.9)

4. Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon (31.5)

5. Lisburn & Castlereagh City (31.4)

Sources: Statista, ONS

Which areas have the lowest and highest residential burglary rates?

Burglary is a crime of particular interest to your home insurer. If your possessions are stolen from your house, your contents insurance will cover their replacement. Burglary can also cause damage, such as shattered windows and broken locks. Repairs will be covered by your home buildings insurance.

In areas with low burglary rates, you’ll pay lower premiums. But if your city is hit with a rash of thefts, expect premiums to rise. 

The police force areas in England and Wales with the lowest rates of residential burglary in the year ending March 2025:

1. Devon and Cornwall (1.3 instances per 1,000 people)

2. Norfolk (1.4)

3. North Yorkshire (1.6)

4. Sussex (1.8)

5. West Mercia (2)

6. Derbyshire (2.4)

The police force areas in England and Wales with the highest rates of residential burglary in the year ending March 2021:

1. South Yorkshire (5.3 instances per 1,000 people)

2. Cleveland (4.9)

3. West Midlands (3.8)

4. Greater Manchester (3.5)

5. Avon and Somerset (2.6)

Sources: ONS

Natural disaster and flood risk in different areas of the UK

The UK has been hit with a number of natural disasters in recent years, including supercharged storms and heavy rains and flooding. As the climate crisis accelerates, we can expect even harsher weather and more damage to our homes and property and threats to our safety.

Currently, flooding is the most common and costly natural threat to the UK. Flooding costs us around £1.3 billion each year, much of this covered by insurance.

Where is flooding most common in the UK?

River flooding is particularly likely in Somerset, Essex and Norfolk. Cumbria, the rainiest part of England, tops the list of areas prone to flood plain submersion, along with Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.

Areas most at risk of coastal flooding include Cornwall, Sussex, Kent and the east coast, especially Hull, Great Yarmouth and Peterborough. In fact, Hull has been named the UK’s most flood-ravaged city, with a flood risk six times the average. Carlisle followed as the second most flood-prone, then Lancaster.

Enter your postcode in the following services to see your home’s risk of flooding

• In England: government site

• In Scotland: Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)

• In Wales: Natural Resources Wales

• In Northern Ireland: nidirect

The 10 safest cities to live in in the UK

So where can you best avoid the hazards of modern life? We’ve examined the data, considering crime, traffic accidents, air pollution, and flood risk to find the 10 safest cities in the UK.

Of course, the safest places in the UK are sleepy hamlets, populated by fewer people than sheep. But we’re interested in the cities where most of us live.

The truth is that there’s no perfect city, at least in the UK. For example, dry Luton, with the lowest flood risk, is also unexpectedly polluted for a city of its size. Dundee, with few traffic accidents and little air pollution, also has one of the lowest life expectancies of any area in the UK. But the following cities perform well on most metrics.

1. Poole

Crime per 1,000 people: 70.69 (#2 lowest among urban areas in England and Wales)

Road casualties per 100,000 people: 77.66 (#2 lowest)

Air pollution: information not available. Neighbouring Bournemouth had 62 days with a Daily Air Quality Index (DAQI) above 4 (moderate), the worst of any metropolitan area.

Flood risk: vulnerable to coastal flooding, parts of Old Town in flood zone 3 (>0.5% chance of flooding from the sea in any given year)

Coastal Poole, known for its sandy beaches and historic Old Town, is also one of the UK’s safest cities, with little crime and safe roads. Air pollution is higher than might be expected but the flood risk is surprisingly low for a seaside city.

2. York

Crime per 1,000 people: 60.60 (#1 lowest among urban areas)

Road casualties per 100,000 people: 141.49 (52nd lowest of 196 areas)

Air pollution: 24 days with DAQI above 4 in 2018 (#19 out of 63 urban areas)

Flood risk: #10 city most likely to flood, with 1.5% of homes submerged in 2018 

York has the lowest crime of any major city in England and Wales, but unfortunately, the River Ouse has a tendency to burst its banks, regularly flooding some quarters.

3. Edinburgh

Crime per 1,000 people: 57.9 (lower than any city in England and Wales but the third highest in Scotland)

Road casualties per 100,000 people: 172.43 (#92 out of 195 areas)

Air pollution: 7 days with DAQI above 4 in 2018 (best among urban areas)

Flood risk: moderate risk of coastal flooding

Residents of Edinburgh enjoy low crime and the best air quality of any major city in the UK. But while the city is currently at just moderate risk of flooding, rising sea levels as a result of global heating mean some coastal areas may be underwater by 2050.

4. Telford

Crime per 1,000 people: 84.84 (#6 lowest among urban areas)

Road casualties per 100,000 people: 130.66 (#24 out of 195 areas)

Air pollution: 25 days with DAQI above 4 in 2018 (22nd out of 63 urban areas)

Flood risk: low, with no major rivers running through Telford

The town in Shropshire has low crime, safe roads, and little risk of flooding. It was pivotal in the Industrial Revolution but has shaken off some of its soot, ranking as the 22nd best urban area for air pollution.

5. Derby

Crime per 1,000 people: 107.54 (#29 out of 50 urban areas)

Road casualties per 100,00 people: 138.75 (#47 lowest out of 195 areas)

Air pollution: 16 days with DAQI above 4 in 2018 (#7 best among urban areas)

Flood risk: moderate, with areas where the River Derwent is most likely to flood not developed

Air pollution is particularly low in Derby and crime is average for a city. Although it’s on the banks of the River Derwent, Derby is protected by good flood defences. When the River Derwent reached its highest level ever in November 2019, those defences saved 1,100 homes.

6. Swansea

Crime per 1,000 people: 77.75 (#5 lowest among urban areas)

Road causalities per 100,000 people: 109.72 (#15 lowest)

Air pollution: 44 days with DAQI above 4 in 2018 (#55 out of 63 urban areas)

Flood risk: little risk of developed areas flooding from the sea, low risk of city centre flooding from River Tawe 

Residents of Wales’s second city enjoy low crime and safe roads but have to contend with some of the worst air pollution in the UK.

7. Warrington

Crime per 1,000 people: 92.05 (#10 among 50 urban areas)

Road casualties per 100,000 people: 177.13 (#95 out of 195 areas)

Air pollution: 23 days with DAQI above 4 in 2018 (#14 out of 63 urban areas)

Flood risk: somewhat high, with some residential areas given a medium risk of flooding (between 1% and 3.3% risk of flooding this year) and many industrial areas at high risk (3.3% risk) 

Residents of this town, ideally situated between Manchester and Liverpool, enjoy low crime and moderate air pollution but when the River Mersey floods it can submerge residential streets.

8. Huddersfield

Crime per 1,000 people: 101.21 (#20 out of 50 urban areas)

Road casualties per 100,000 people: 164.85 (#84 out of 195 areas)

Air pollution: 19 days with DAQI above 4 in 2018 (#8 best among urban areas)

Flood risk: Moderate flood risk along the River Colne

Low air pollution and safe roads make Huddersfield one of the safest large settlement in West Yorkshire.

9. Sheffield

Crime per 1,000 people: 94.44 (#12 among 50 urban areas)

Road casualties per 100,000 people: 242.45 (#147 out of 195 areas)

Air pollution: 22 days with DAQI above 4 in 2018 (#12 out of 63 urban areas)

Flood risk: Fairly high flood risk from five rivers

Crime and air pollution are low in Sheffield but because the city is in the confluence of five major rivers and surrounded by hills, it’s prone to flooding.

10. Plymouth

Crime per 1,000 people: 85.19 (#8 among 50 urban areas)

Road casualties per 100,000 people: 181.99 (#105 out of 195 areas)

Air pollution: 25 days with DAQI above 4 in 2018 (#22 out of 63 urban areas)

Flood risk: some areas near the docks are at risk of flooding, but in many places this risk is very low (less than 0.1% chance over a year)

Crime is low in Plymouth and the air is relatively clean for an urban area.

How does area safety impact home insurance prices?

When you buy home insurance, you’ll be asked to supply your postcode. Your insurer wants to know how likely you are to make a claim on a home insurance policy they sell you, and the location of your home, including its neighbourhood and city, gives them some important hints.

Crime

First, they’ll be considering the prevalence of crime. Home insurers are particularly interested in the frequency of burglary because they’ll be paying out for your stolen possessions if you become a victim and maybe also covering repairs of the damage burglars caused in entering your home. They may also consider how common other crimes like vandalism and arson are in your neighbourhood as these as well cause damage they’d have to cover. If crime is common in your area, expect to pay more for insurance coverage.

Natural disaster

Natural disasters are another major source of home insurance claims. Your insurer will want to know how likely severe weather and natural disasters are in your area and how vulnerable your particular home is to them.

Trees

For example, insurers will often ask about the trees on your property and how close they are to your home and charge more if they think branches felled by wind or a tree uprooted by a storm could hit your home. They’ll also be checking flood maps to see how likely your home is to end up underwater. If they think you’re more likely to claim for this type of damage, you’ll pay higher premiums for insurance coverage.

Floods

If you live in an especially flood-prone area, you may be denied coverage from standard insurers, charged very high premiums or given insurance only with a large excess. In these cases, you may need to use the government-backed Flood Re scheme for coverage.