Worried about safety in London? I totally get it.
Whether you’re moving to London or traveling here for a visit, many newcomers to London are worried about their personal safety in this huge city.
Where are the safest areas of London? And what areas should you be extra cautious in?
Let’s dive in and look at the safest areas of London, whether you’re a London tourist or live here.
Table of Contents
Yes, London is Safe!
London is a generally very safe city.
Compared to other major metropolitan cities worldwide, London’s crime rates are fairly low.
London has CCTV pretty much everywhere and a robust police force.
The Most Common Crime in London
The most common crime in London is personal theft, and this is usually phone theft.
If anything bad will happen to you during your time in this incredible city, phone theft is the most likely.
But you can prevent phone theft.
Be careful with your phone in public places. Don’t use it standing on street corners, and don’t leave in on the table while eating at a restaurant.
Keep it tucked away out of sight (i.e. not hanging out of your back pocket) while walking crowded areas.
Is London Safe for Tourists?
See my complete guide for tourist safety in London here.
Yes, London is generally very safe for tourists. Some areas have higher crime rates than others, just as in any large city.
Here’s a quick summary if you don’t want to read through the data below:
🛑 Most Dangerous Areas to Stay 🛑 (based on 2021-23 crime data, analyzed further below)
- Westminster, Tower Hamlets, Lambeth, Hackney, and Tower Hamlets.
🟢 Safest Places to Stay 🟢 (based on 2021-23 crime data, analyzed further below)
- Kensington & Chelsea, Islington, Lewisham, and Hammersmith & Fulham.
If you’re a tourist and very worried about safety, pick one of the safest places on the above list.
But the most important thing you can do to keep safe in London is to have common sense, both with yourself and with your belongings.
If you’re a tourist coming to London, those are the most important things to know.
But if you live in London or want to move to London, I’ve done a full breakdown of all the crime data below.
London Crime Statistics: How I Analysed the Data
Want to dive in further to the data? I’ve compiled it all here for you.
I’ve broken down the crime rates for each borough for only the crimes that Londoners – and visitors – are most concerned about.
I’ve filtered the data to the following categories:
- VIOLENCE (with injury and without injury)
- HOME BURGLARY
- RAPE (and other sex crimes)
- RACIST OR RELIGIOUS ATTACKS (which I have called Hate Crimes for this data set)
- PERSONAL THEFT
- HOMICIDE
- BICYCLE THEFT
I pulled this data from the official source: the London Datastore, run by the Greater London Authority and the Mayor of London.
The date range is from August of 2021 to July of 2023* (the most recent available data at the time of publication).
Later down in this post I will also include population data to further interpret local crime rates.
*Please note that this is my interpretation of the data, as I have only looked at the numbers for the above listed types of crimes. Therefore the totals do not reflect accurately the total number of crimes for each borough; they only reflect the total of the included crimes that I have analyzed.
With those caveats, let’s look at London’s layout and crime rates.
London Boroughs: Understanding the Layout
London is massive. It is divided into boroughs, each having their own Council which governs the area.
The crime data is divided by borough, so to understand it, you need to know where all the London boroughs are.
Generally – with some exceptions – the closer to Central London and the City of London a borough is, the more dangerous it is. The highest crime rates have always been in Westminster, with it’s hugely fluctuating daily population of tourists and workers.
The farther out you go from Central London, the safer it is. But what do those numbers look like? How much safer is Greater London than Central London?
Let’s take a look at the crime statistics.
London Crime Statistics: What are the Safest Areas in London?
Let’s break down the safest and most dangerous areas of London in detail.
1. Safest Areas of London for Violent Crime
The safest area of Central London.
The most dangerous area of Central London is Westminster.
Violent crime is a big concern for both visitors to London and London residents. So what do the numbers say about the safest places in London?
Violent crime can range from minor assaults to more severe incidents. The boroughs with the lowest reported violent crimes are:
- Sutton
- Richmond Upon Thames
- Merton
- Kingston Upon Thames
- Bexley
Kensington and Chelsea also has some fairly low numbers, and that’s the only borough on this list close to Central London. All the others are within Greater London, and are not particularly close to the center of the city.
The boroughs with the highest number of reported violent crimes are:
- Westminster
- Croydon
- Newham
- Ealing
- Tower Hamlets
From the highest number of reported violent crimes, Westminster is within Central London, and Tower Hamlets is also close to Central London. The other boroughs lie within Greater London.
2. Safe Areas of London for Personal Theft
You’re most likely to have something stolen in Westminster, Camden, Hackney, and Southwark.
You’re least likely to have something stolen in Bexley, Sutton, Merton, Kingston, and Richmond.
Personal theft is fairly common in London, especially in tourist-heavy areas. Phone theft is a very common crime in London, so be careful with your devices when you’re in a touristy area.
We’re seeing a theme here already!
The safest areas for personal theft crime in London are all outside of Central London. Not surprising, but these areas are commonly coming up as the safest areas to live in London.
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3. Home Burglary in London: Safest Areas
The most home burglaries occur in Barnet, Suffolk, Tower Hamlets, and Hackney.
The least home burglaries occur in Richmond Upon Thames, Bexley, Sutton and Kingston Upon Thames.
Home burglary is a concern no matter where you live in the world. In London, the numbers for home burglary are fairly consistent across boroughs, with a few exceptions.
The most dangerous areas to live in London for home burglary are:
- Barnet: 3,801
- Southwark: 3,574
- Tower Hamlets: 3,379
- Hackney: 3,371
The safest areas to live in London for home burglary are:
- Kingston Upon Thames: 1,154
- Bexley: 1,239
- Richmond Upon Thames: 1,492
- Sutton: 1,539
Once again we have the same 5 boroughs in the running!
They’ve all come up as the safest London boroughs for violent crime, home burglary, and personal theft.
But let’s keep going and looking at crime stats. What does the rest of the data say about the safest areas of London?
4. London Safest Areas: Sexual Crimes
Sexual crimes are most common in:
- Westminster, Croydon, Lambeth & Newham
Sexual crimes are least common in:
- Richmond Upon Thames, Sutton, Merton & Bexley.
If you’re a woman traveling anywhere in the world (or just existing in the world, tbh) sexual violence and assault is a common fear. In London this is no exception, but there are some areas that are safer than others.
5. Safest Areas in London: Hate Crimes
London is a melting pot of cultures, but hate crimes, unfortunately, do occur.
The boroughs with the fewest reported hate crimes are:
- Merton
- Bexley
- Havering
- Sutton
- Kingston Upon Thames
The London boroughs with the most reported hate crimes are:
- Westminster
- Tower Hamlets
- Lambeth
- Newham
- Brent
Our data is still championing the boroughs of Richmond, Kingston, Sutton, Merton and Bexley.
Will it hold up for the most serious of all crimes: homicide?
6. London Safest Areas: Homicide
Homicide rates are highest in:
- Haringey
- Newham
- Hounslow
- Croydon
- Lambeth
Homicide rates are lowest in:
- Sutton
- Bromley
- Merton
- Havering
- Hackney
- Richmond
- Kingston
Homicide in London is rare. Still, there are some boroughs that are statistically safer than others.
From the above graph, you can see that the safest places to live in London for homicide rates all lie outside of Central London.
Our 5 safest boroughs are still holding up to homicide rates.
7. Safest Areas of London for Bicycle Theft
You are least likely to get your bike stolen in:
- Bexley
- Harrow
- Havering
- Barking & Dagenham
- Bromley
You are most likely to have your bike stolen in:
- Hackney
- Tower Hamlets
- Southwark
- Westminster
- Hammersmith & Fulham
For our final data point we’re looking at bicycle theft, which may not be a big concern for visitors to London. But for those of use who live here, it’s something we constantly worry about.
It’s interesting that our 5 favorite boroughs were not all immune to high bike theft rates. Kingston and Richmond had higher rates of bike theft compared with other crimes on this list.
The Safest Places to Live in London
From all of the above data, we can conclude that the 5 safest boroughs in London are Kingston Upon Thames, Richmond Upon Thames, Sutton, Bexley, and Merton.
But where are these boroughs, and are they convenient to Central London? And how much does it cost to rent there?
Safest Neighborhoods in London #1: Kingston Upon Thames
Kingston Upon Thames lies south of the Thames, about 12 miles or 19 kilometers from Central London.
This area is absolutely stunning, with lovely parks, great facilities, and excellent access for commuting to the city.
You can access Central London in about 45 minutes, with Southwestern Railway connecting to the Victoria Line at Vauxhall.
The average rental price in Kingston Upon Thames is £744/week, which makes it fairly average for Greater London.
Safest Neighborhoods in London #2: Richmond Upon Thames
Richmond Upon Thames lies on the south bank of the River Thames, about 10 miles or 16 kilometers from Central London.
Ted Lasso fans, this is where the show is set and filmed, and has had a huge boost in popularity recently.
This area is absolutely stunning, with lovely parks, great facilities, and excellent access for commuting to the city. But be warned: it’s very posh and very pricey.
The District Line and the Overground both connect to Central London stations, making for a commute time from about 45 minutes.
The average rental price in Richmond is a whopping £1255 per week, making it one of the most expensive suburbs of Central London.
Safest Neighborhoods in London #3: Bexley
The London Borough of Bexley also lies south of the Thames, about 15 miles or 24 kilometers from Central London.
This is a beautiful leafy borough away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It’s great for families, or anyone who just wants more space.
Southeastern Rail connects to Bexley Station via London Bridge, making for a commute of about 45 minutes to an hour.
The average rental price in Bexley is the most affordable £1277 per month (£319/week), making it one of the most affordable places to live in all of London. Bexley is basically the only place in London that is a (relatively) cheap, safe place to live according to crime and rental data.
Safest Neighborhoods in London #4: Merton
The London Borough of Merton is well known as the home of Wimbledon, both the tennis tournament and the town. Yet it’s still relatively easy to get to Central London.
Merton is about 9 miles, or 14 kilometers, to the city centre. Taking the Northern Line from South Wimbledon to any Central London station will only take you about 45 minutes.
The average rental price in Merton is £738 per week, which is pretty average for London suburbs as a whole.
Safest Neighborhoods in London #5: Sutton
Sutton is another lovely South London borough with lots to offer: more space, better prices, and a pretty stellar safety record.
Sutton is 13 miles, or 20 kilometers, from Central London, and is serviced by both Thameslink and Southern Railway to Central London stations. Your commute would likely take you about an hour.
The average rental price in Sutton is a very reasonable £517/week. You can’t find better prices, except in Bexley!
The Safest Places to Stay When Visiting London
If you’re going to be visiting London and wondering what the data says about areas of Central London, I’ve got you covered.
I filtered the data for only Central London neighborhoods – areas where tourists are most likely to stay. I added an additional filter to include only crimes that tourists may be concerned about.
The result? I found out the safest places to stay in London. Let’s take a look.
There’s a lot of info here, but we can notice some patterns.
Westminster is constantly the highest in every category. The lesson? Staying in Westminster is riskier than other places.
It’s likely you’ll be in Westminster seeing things like Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, etc. Just keep your wits about you, keep your phone tucked away, and don’t get distracted.
On the other end of the spectrum, Kensington & Chelsea is a borough constantly on the lower end of crime rates. Statistically, you’ll be safest staying in Kensington & Chelsea. Just be prepared to pay more for the privilege; it’s the poshest area in London.
Where to Stay & Where Not to Stay in London
From the data, we can summarize that the areas where tourists are most likely to encounter crime are:
- Westminster
- Lambeth
- Tower Hamlets
- Hackney
- Camden
Tourists are least likely to encounter crime in:
- Kensington & Chelsea
- Hammersmith & Fulham
- Lewisham
- Islington
- Greenwich
Some areas to consider if you’d like recommendations for places to stay: Angel (Islington), Fulham, Deptford (Lewisham), Earl’s Court (Kensington & Chelsea, but a bit more affordable).
Safest Neighborhoods in London: TL;DR Summary
That was a lot of data! Let’s summarize.
- The safest areas of London with the lowest crime rates are all in Greater London, not within Central London.
- The 5 safest boroughs in London to live are Kingston Upon Thames, Richmond Upon Thames, Sutton, Bexley, and Merton.
- The most dangerous areas to stay within Central London are Westminster, Tower Hamlets, Lambeth, Hackney, and Tower Hamlets.
- The safest places to stay within Central London are Kensington & Chelsea, Islington, Lewisham, and Hammersmith & Fulham.
Data Sources
- Greater London Authority for Crime Data in London Boroughs 2021-23
- Population Data . org for Borough Population Data 2021
Read More on Staying in London
Masterlist: 68 Indoor Playgrounds for the Best Soft Play in London (2023)
Where to Stay your First time in London
London Hotels for Family: 10 Great Values to Book Now
The Cheapest Places to Live in London
30 Best Places to Live in London
First time Renting in London: Ultimate Rental Guide
Tips for finding Short Term Rentals
Moving to London: First 3 Months Checklist
