Is Preston a nice place to live?
Lancashire city on the River Ribble.
Police.uk data for 2026-06
814 crimes recorded
Within roughly a mile of Preston centre. Most common: Violence & sexual offences.
Category breakdown
Violence & sexual offences
256 (31%)
Anti-social behaviour
193 (24%)
Shoplifting
71 (9%)
Public order
57 (7%)
Criminal damage & arson
57 (7%)
Other theft
48 (6%)
Drugs
31 (4%)
Vehicle crime
27 (3%)
Burglary
19 (2%)
Other crime
18 (2%)
Robbery
12 (1%)
Bicycle theft
10 (1%)
Possession of weapons
10 (1%)
Theft from the person
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 Preston'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.