From a general sense of security to the number of CCTV cameras and police officers– which factors make you feel the safest in the area that you live? Using data from the last three years, we’ve scored 32 of the UK’s most populated postcodes against a number of metrics to help you see which places are the most secure to live and buy a home.
Which postcodes are the best for different secure factors?
The top 10 most secure postcode groups in the UK
The following cities rank the highest overall across all metrics.
How did we calculate this index score?
Methodology
We selected 32 of the most populated cities across the UK (Belfast was excluded as data was unavailable for Northern Ireland in almost all cases).
For each, we found a series of data metrics– crimes and burglaries per 1,000 population, the number of police officers for the area, the number of CCTV cameras, and how secure locals feel based on a consumer survey. We additionally collected average ambulance response times and flood risk, assigned by postcodes, with both city-centre and all postcodes being found for the flood risk stat.
We then scored these metrics on a scale of 1-10, with “10” being the best score and “1” being the worst, with all other figures inbetween assigned proportional scores. Flood risk was weighted towards the city centre postcode to better represent the city itself and is indicated by a score of 0-4.
Each of these scores were then combined into a single average used to rank the cities from most to least secure. In some cases, data wasn’t available for the metrics selected, so the average relies on fewer scores, excluding empty results, rather than being penalised.
Finally, we repeated the above steps for London boroughs, excluding metrics which had the same data across all or nearly all boroughs - for example, police numbers.
Data was collected and analysed between 15th May - 27 May 2020.
Sources
- ons.gov.uk
- gov.scot
- gov.uk
- scotland.police.uk
- getthedata.com
- ambulanceresponsetimes.co.uk
- bigbrotherwatch.org.uk
- streetlist.co.uk
OnePoll Survey– 2,000 UK homeowners and renters were surveyed between 21/05/20 and 26/05/20.
| Rank | City | Postcode/s | Index Score |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Liverpool
|
L
|
6.91
|
|
2
|
Coventry
|
CV
|
6.9
|
|
3
|
Leicester
|
LE
|
6.69
|
|
4
|
London
|
EC, SE, W, WC, N, NW, E, SW, IG, RM, EN, DA, HA, BR, TN, CR, UB, TW, KT, SM
|
6.64
|
|
5
|
Milton Keynes
|
MK
|
6.57
|
|
6
|
Plymouth
|
PL
|
6.17
|
|
7
|
Birmingham
|
B
|
6.05
|
|
8
|
Dudley
|
DY
|
5.96
|
|
9
|
Cardiff
|
CF
|
5.81
|
|
10
|
Northampton
|
NN
|
5.57
|
Liverpool ranks best overall and is arguably the secure capital of the UK.
There are 35,254 CCTV cameras in place to keep an eye on people across the city – the most of any major UK city. Liverpool also has a considerably low crime rate, with just over 59,000 reports in one year, compared to the UK average of 71,000.
The top 10 least secure postcode groups in the UK
The following cities rank the lowest overall across all metrics.
How did we calculate this index score?
Methodology
We selected 32 of the most populated cities across the UK (Belfast was excluded as data was unavailable for Northern Ireland in almost all cases).
For each, we found a series of data metrics– crimes and burglaries per 1,000 population, the number of police officers for the area, the number of CCTV cameras, and how secure locals feel based on a consumer survey. We additionally collected average ambulance response times and flood risk, assigned by postcodes, with both city-centre and all postcodes being found for the flood risk stat.
We then scored these metrics on a scale of 1-10, with “10” being the best score and “1” being the worst, with all other figures inbetween assigned proportional scores. Flood risk was weighted towards the city centre postcode to better represent the city itself and is indicated by a score of 0-4.
Each of these scores were then combined into a single average used to rank the cities from most to least secure. In some cases, data wasn’t available for the metrics selected, so the average relies on fewer scores, excluding empty results, rather than being penalised.
Finally, we repeated the above steps for London boroughs, excluding metrics which had the same data across all or nearly all boroughs - for example, police numbers.
Data was collected and analysed between 15th May - 27 May 2020.
Sources
- ons.gov.uk
- gov.scot
- gov.uk
- scotland.police.uk
- getthedata.com
- ambulanceresponsetimes.co.uk
- bigbrotherwatch.org.uk
- streetlist.co.uk
OnePoll Survey– 2,000 UK homeowners and renters were surveyed between 21/05/20 and 26/05/20.
| Rank | City | Postcode/s | Index Score |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Hull
|
HU
|
3.13
|
|
2
|
Manchester
|
M
|
3.35
|
|
3
|
Southampton
|
SO
|
4.11
|
|
4
|
Sunderland
|
DH, SR
|
4.16
|
|
5
|
Newcastle
|
NE
|
4.52
|
|
6
|
Doncaster
|
DN
|
4.61
|
|
7
|
Sheffield
|
S
|
4.8
|
|
8
|
Glasgow
|
G, PA
|
4.92
|
|
9
|
Swansea
|
SA
|
4.96
|
|
10
|
Edinburgh
|
EH
|
5.07
|
Hull ranks lowest overall despite its residents scoring it a high sense of security (4.38).
The city was found to have the highest flood risk in our research, the fifth highest burglary rate and just 1,901 recorded police officers.
The complete data
Scroll across to explore the most secure postcodes in the UK.
| Ranking | City | Postcodes | Sense of security (1-5)* | Number of crimes | Burglaries per 1,000 people | Number of police officers | Ambulance response time | CCTV cameras | Flood risk (0-4)** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Liverpool, Merseyside
|
L1 - L69
|
4.43
|
59623
|
7.8
|
3588
|
4.3 mins
|
35254
|
0.01
|
|
2
|
Coventry, West Midlands
|
CV1 - CV47
|
4.35
|
28458
|
7.8
|
6405
|
4.2 mins
|
N/A
|
0.03
|
|
3
|
Leicester, Leicestershire
|
LE1 - LE67
|
4.34
|
41224
|
7.8
|
1803
|
2.0 mins
|
N/A
|
0.09
|
|
4
|
London, London
|
EC - SM
|
4.24
|
910093
|
9
|
31175
|
4.9 mins
|
13924
|
0.16
|
|
5
|
Milton Keynes, Thames Valley
|
MK1 - MK46
|
4.24
|
26082
|
4.5
|
4206
|
4.4 mins
|
N/A
|
0.03
|
|
6
|
Plymouth, Devon & Cornwall
|
PL1 - PL36
|
4.31
|
23078
|
4.1
|
2999
|
4.0 mins
|
274
|
0.05
|
|
7
|
Birmingham, West Midlands
|
B1 - B98
|
4.26
|
114560
|
9.3
|
6405
|
1.5 mins
|
422
|
0.09
|
|
8
|
Dudley, West Midlands
|
DY1 - DY14
|
4.28
|
23301
|
7.7
|
6405
|
4.3 mins
|
52
|
0.04
|
|
9
|
Cardiff, South Wales
|
CF3 - CF83
|
4.32
|
39180
|
6.3
|
2995
|
5.8 mins
|
32531
|
N/A
|
|
10
|
Northampton, Northamptonshire
|
NN1 - NN29
|
4.29
|
24747
|
9.1
|
1255
|
4.9 mins
|
N/A
|
0.09
|
|
11
|
Derby, Derbyshire
|
DE1 - DE75
|
4.29
|
27181
|
7
|
1800
|
4.1 mins
|
9819
|
0.2
|
|
12
|
Wakefield, West Yorkshire
|
WF1 - WF17
|
4.38
|
40977
|
7.7
|
5168
|
4.0 mins
|
177
|
0.38
|
|
13
|
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
|
NG1 - NG34
|
4.29
|
43619
|
7.6
|
1925
|
4.5 mins
|
21424
|
0.88
|
|
14
|
Leeds, West Yorkshire
|
LS1 - LS29
|
4.34
|
105277
|
11.5
|
5168
|
3.6 mins
|
N/A
|
0.18
|
|
15
|
Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
|
ST1 - ST21
|
4.28
|
27136
|
5.3
|
1579
|
4.8 mins
|
384
|
0.06
|
|
16
|
Wolverhampton, West Midlands
|
WV1 - WV16
|
4.28
|
24936
|
7.9
|
6405
|
5.2 mins
|
131
|
0.06
|
|
17
|
Walsall, West Midlands
|
WS1 - WS15
|
4.28
|
24080
|
7.7
|
6405
|
6.0 mins
|
90
|
0.06
|
|
18
|
Bristol, Avon & Somerset
|
BS1 - BS49
|
4.28
|
51804
|
6.7
|
2691
|
4.0 mins
|
658
|
0.16
|
|
19
|
Bradford, West Yorkshire
|
BD1 - BD24
|
4.38
|
73735
|
10.4
|
5168
|
5.9 mins
|
28353
|
0.31
|
|
20
|
Brighton and Hove, Sussex
|
BN1 - BN45
|
4.19
|
29260
|
5.9
|
2647
|
4.9 mins
|
84
|
0
|
|
21
|
Rotherham, South Yorkshire
|
S5 - S9,
|
4.38
|
26441
|
10
|
2394
|
4.8 mins
|
86
|
0.17
|
|
22
|
Barnsley, South Yorkshire
|
S70 - S75
|
4.38
|
24375
|
8.8
|
2394
|
5.8 mins
|
43
|
0.03
|
|
23
|
Edinburgh, Edinburgh City
|
EH1 - EH55
|
4.47
|
53441
|
N/A
|
3613
|
4.0 mins
|
238
|
N/A
|
|
24
|
Swansea, South Wales
|
SA1 - SA73
|
4.1
|
20602
|
4.8
|
2995
|
5.5 mins
|
13734
|
N/A
|
|
25
|
Glasgow, Greater Glasgow
|
G1 - PA80
|
4.47
|
81783
|
N/A
|
5595
|
5.5 mins
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
26
|
Sheffield, South Yorkshire
|
S1 - S81
|
4.26
|
56948
|
10
|
2394
|
4.8 mins
|
159
|
0.48
|
|
27
|
Doncaster, South Yorkshire
|
DN1 - DN41
|
4.38
|
37944
|
13.1
|
2394
|
4.3 mins
|
124
|
0.47
|
|
28
|
Newcastle, Northumbria
|
NE1 - NE71
|
4.03
|
37786
|
6.2
|
3084
|
4.3 mins
|
76
|
0.01
|
|
29
|
Sunderland, Northumbria
|
DH1 - SR8
|
4.03
|
31045
|
6.1
|
3084
|
6.5 mins
|
69
|
0.01
|
|
30
|
Southampton, Hampshire
|
SO14 - SO53
|
4.24
|
32784
|
9.8
|
2666
|
5.9 mins
|
335
|
0.11
|
|
31
|
Manchester, Greater Manchester
|
M1 - M90
|
4.15
|
92483
|
15
|
6539
|
4.3 mins
|
263
|
0.09
|
|
32
|
Hull, Humberside
|
HU1 - HU20
|
4.38
|
42670
|
12.5
|
1901
|
3.7 mins
|
292
|
2.11
|
*A consumer survey asked residents of each city how safe they feel on a scale of 1-5 (5 being very safe, 1 being not safe at all)
**Flood risk is ranked from 0 to 4 on the basis that 4 has a “High” likelihood of flooding and 0 has “None”
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