Is Chelmsford a nice place to live?
Essex county town between London and Colchester.
Police.uk data for 2026-06
590 crimes recorded
Within roughly a mile of Chelmsford centre. Most common: Violence & sexual offences.
Category breakdown
Violence & sexual offences
228 (39%)
Shoplifting
83 (14%)
Anti-social behaviour
79 (13%)
Criminal damage & arson
38 (6%)
Public order
37 (6%)
Other theft
32 (5%)
Drugs
30 (5%)
Vehicle crime
17 (3%)
Burglary
13 (2%)
Other crime
9 (2%)
Possession of weapons
7 (1%)
Robbery
6 (1%)
Theft from the person
6 (1%)
Bicycle theft
5 (1%)
What this data does and doesn't tell you
This is a count of crimes reported to police and recorded within roughly a mile of Chelmsford's centre — it isn't a "safety score" and it doesn't capture things like community, schools, transport links or how an area actually feels to live in. Areas with more footfall (town centres, retail parks) often show higher raw counts simply because more people pass through them, not because they're more dangerous to live in. Use this alongside a proper visit, not instead of one.