A new map using Home Office figures reveals the areas where households are most at risk of burglary, with Middlesborough recording England’s highest break-in rate despite overall home burglaries
Families living in deprived parts of Britain face a far greater risk of being burgled than those in wealthy communities, new research suggests.
Crime figures released by the Home Office show residential burglaries continued to fall. There were 154,000 home break-ins and attempted break-ins in 2025, down 11% on the previous year and 20% lower than in 2022. Of the residential burglaries recorded last year, just one in 20 (5%) resulted in someone being charged with an offence. That figure could still rise, with 7% of cases remaining under investigation.
Charge rates varied widely across the country. South Wales recorded the highest rate, with around one in eight cases (12%) resulting in a charge, while Hertfordshire had the lowest at just 2%.
Although Britain’s biggest cities recorded the highest total number of residential burglaries in 2025 – led by Birmingham with 4,994 and Leeds with 4,203 – the picture looked very different when population size was taken into account. When adjusted for the number of households, Middlesbrough had the highest burglary rate. Despite a 12% fall in home break-ins, the town still recorded 863 residential burglaries last year – equivalent to 14 break-ins for every 1,000 households.
Separate figures show Middlesbrough has the second-highest average levels of deprivation of any local authority in England, behind only Blackpool. Bradford had the next highest burglary rate, with 13 break-ins per 1,000 households. The city ranked 12th out of more than 300 English council areas for average deprivation across a range of measures.
Other northern cities featured prominently in the top 10, including Kingston upon Hull, Leeds and Burnley, each recording around 12 burglaries per 1,000 households. They were joined by Birmingham, along with Westminster (13 per 1,000 households) and the London boroughs of Camden (12) and Southwark (12). At the other end of the scale, the lowest burglary rates were recorded in more affluent rural communities. North Norfolk, Breckland and Eden in Cumbria each recorded just two burglaries per 1,000 households.
You can use our interactive map to see how your area compares.
A residential burglary is defined as entering an inhabited building without permission with the intent to steal. As well as homes, it can include break-ins at sheds and garages. Police figures also include aggravated burglary, where an offender is armed with a weapon, as well as distraction burglaries and attempted break-ins.
Previous analysis by the Office for National Statistics found most burglaries were concentrated in urban areas, and the latest figures suggest that pattern has remained unchanged. Affluent rural communities may benefit from greater geographic isolation and tighter-knit neighbourhoods, including local Neighbourhood Watch schemes.
More densely populated urban areas, meanwhile, can offer greater anonymity for opportunistic burglars. Despite the overall fall in burglaries, police stressed that home security should remain a priority regardless of where people live.
