Is Exeter a nice place to live?
Cathedral and university city on the Exe.
Police.uk data for 2026-06
700 crimes recorded
Within roughly a mile of Exeter centre. Most common: Violence & sexual offences.
Category breakdown
Violence & sexual offences
264 (38%)
Shoplifting
136 (19%)
Anti-social behaviour
102 (15%)
Criminal damage & arson
42 (6%)
Other theft
32 (5%)
Public order
27 (4%)
Bicycle theft
23 (3%)
Drugs
14 (2%)
Burglary
14 (2%)
Vehicle crime
12 (2%)
Possession of weapons
12 (2%)
Other crime
11 (2%)
Robbery
7 (1%)
Theft from the person
4 (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 Exeter'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.