What is the most common crime in your suburb?

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Data uncover the five most common crimes in every suburb across NSW.
Australia Criminal Law

Is your neighbourhood getting safer? Despite the general picture painted, there has been a slight decrease in overall crime numbers in the past 5 years across New South Wales, according to the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR). Interestingly, crime in NSW is higher in regional NSW than in Sydney. 

With this research we uncover the five most common crimes in every suburb across NSW, revealing the cities in New South Wales with the least – and most – crime incidents and rates. 

Discover how your suburb ranks with the interactive tables below. 

Most common criminal offences in NSW

1507230a.jpg

Crime incident data from April 2023 - March 2024 (incl.)
Chart: Astor LegalSource: BOCSARCreated with Datawrapper

Overall, the most common crime in New South Wales is theft, with 35% of all criminal offences being a form of 'Theft'. The second most common crime at 16% is 'Against Justice Procedures', this includes acts or omissions occurring during justice processes and breaches of court-ordered sentencing.

The least common reported crimes in the state are 'Sexual Offences', 'Robbery' & Homicide', with only 3.4% of cases falling into these categories. Following this at 3.5% is 'Disorderly Conduct' which involves offensive language and conduct, trespassing and criminal intent.

Total incidents of offences per LGA

1507230b.jpg

Crime incident data from April 2023 - March 2024 (incl.). Incidents are recorded by location of occurrence.
Map: Astor LegalSource: BOCSARMap data: PSMA Australia LimitedCreated with Datawrapper

Criminal offence incidents are recorded at the place of occurrence, therefore offences like breaching bail conditions and theft from a retail store are more frequent in regional centres.

With that in mind, Sydney LGA holds the bottom spot, having the highest number of incidents of 36,275. The most common incident at 3,943 incidents, is 'Breaching Bail Conditions', followed by 'Non-Domestic Assault' with 2,921 incidents. Ranking second last is Blacktown LGA with a total of 27,542 incidents. Again, 'Breaching Bail Conditions' is the most common incident with 2,655 cases followed by 'Fraud' at 2,600 incidents. Central Coast LGA rounds out the bottom three, with a total of 25,155 incidents. The two most common crimes are 'Intimidation, Stalking & Harassment' which is only 10 incidents ahead of 'Breaching Bail Conditions'.

Balranald LGA in the Riverina area of western New South Wales is the LGA with the fewest offences with only 109 criminal incidents. 18 of these incidents are the 'Use & Possession of Cannabis', followed by 11 cases of 'Intimidation, Stalking & Harassment'. Coolamon LGA has the second fewest, with a total of 115 criminal offence incidents. The most common offence in Coolamon is 'Fraud' sitting at 16 incidents, followed by 'Malicious Damage to Property' with 13 incidents.

Rate of offences per LGA

The bottom ranking LGAs when analysing the rate per 100,000 people are located in more regional areas in the north and north west of the state, with Walgett, Moree Plains and Coonamble ranking bottom with a high offence rate per capita. 'Breaching Bail Conditions', 'Intimidation, Stalking & Harassment', 'Domestic Assault' and 'Malicious Damage to Property' are shared as common offences among these three LGA.

Despite its higher population density, Sydney remains in the bottom 10 with an incident rate of 16,632 per 100,000 population. Unsurprisingly, 'Steal from Retail Store' and 'Non-Domestic Assault' are among the most common here as a central shopping and nightlife district.

All located in Sydney's North Shore, Ku-Ring-Gai, Mosman and Lane Cove could be regarded as the three safest LGAs in terms of incident rate, all with less than 2,500 incidents per 100,000 in population over the year. Although infrequent, 'Fraud', 'Malicious Damage to Property' and 'Intimidation, Stalking & Harassment' are shared as the most common among these LGAs.

LGAs in NSW with the Lowest Crime Rate

  LGA Total Incidents Rate per 100,000 Population Rate Rank
1 Albury 7,258 12,808 109
2 Armidale Regional 3,572 12,166 103
3 Ballina 3,084 6,583 54
4 Bathurst Regional 4,202 9,525 82
5 Bayside 8,360 4,698 29
6 Bega Valley 1,535 4,265 26
7 Bellingen 845 6,372 50
8 Berrigan 603 6,968 63
9 Blacktown 27,542 6,703 60
10 Bland 558 10,157 85
11 Blayney 416 5,480 38
12 Blue Mountains 3,203 4,111 23
13 Broken Hill 3,369 19,176 117
14 Burwood 2,606 6,383 51
15 Byron 3,033 8,306 75
16 Cabonne 514 3,712 15
17 Camden 4,308 3,371 12
18 Campbelltown 15,852 8,789 80
19 Canada Bay 3,003 3,367 11
20 Canterbury-Bankstown 19,881 5,343 36
21 Central Coast 25,155 7,204 68
22 Cessnock 5,781 8,775 79
23 Clarence Valley 5,366 9,817 84
24 Cobar 460 11,369 99
25 Coffs Harbour 9,031 11,328 98
26 Coolamon 115 2,576 5
27 Coonamble 841 21,987 118
28 Cootamundra-Gundagai 852 7,471 70
29 Cowra 1,228 9,666 83
30 Cumberland 14,627 6,161 47
31 Dubbo Regional 9,985 17,864 116
32 Dungog 399 4,105 22
33 Edward River 1,054 12,463 106
34 Eurobodalla 3,878 9,516 81
35 Fairfield 11,619 5,619 42
36 Federation 675 5,251 34
37 Forbes 1,163 12,453 105
38 Georges River 6,164 4,023 20
39 Gilgandra 504 11,724 101
40 Glen Innes Severn 975 10,900 94
41 Goulburn Mulwaree 2,725 8,402 76
42 Greater Hume Shire 505 4,483 27
43 Griffith 3,041 11,258 97
44 Gunnedah 1,708 12,996 110
45 Gwydir 243 4,935 31
46 Hawkesbury 3,740 5,511 40
47 Hilltops 1,519 7,895 72
48 Hornsby 3,800 2,504 4
49 Hunters Hill 402 2,886 7
50 Inner West 10,986 6,000 45
51 Inverell 2,247 12,506 107
52 Junee 299 4,625 28
53 Kempsey 4,758 15,260 112
54 Kiama 705 3,070 8
55 Ku-Ring-Gai 2,101 1,693 1
56 Kyogle 468 4,950 32
57 Lachlan 962 15,670 113
58 Lake Macquarie 13,357 6,166 48
59 Lane Cove 1,000 2,495 3
60 Leeton 1,196 10,442 87
61 Lismore 4,514 10,195 86
62 Lithgow 2,178 10,465 88
63 Liverpool 15,975 6,663 58
64 Liverpool Plains 506 6,606 55
65 Lockhart 179 5,312 35
66 Maitland 7,926 8,466 77
67 Mid-Coast 8,444 8,683 78
68 Mid-Western Regional 1,712 6,636 56
69 Moree Plains 3,748 29,124 119
70 Mosman 698 2,482 2
71 Murray River 866 6,653 57
72 Murrumbidgee 241 6,758 61
73 Muswellbrook 2,058 12,443 104
74 Nambucca Valley 1,622 7,870 71
75 Narrabri 1,396 10,974 95
76 Narrandera 806 14,088 111
77 Narromine 1,135 17,652 115
78 Newcastle 18,210 10,615 90
79 North Sydney 2,386 3,440 14
80 Northern Beaches 8,494 3,227 9
81 Oberon 236 4,217 24
82 Orange 4,791 10,899 93
83 Parkes 1,802 12,560 108
84 Parramatta 16,665 6,401 52
85 Penrith 18,032 8,163 73
86 Port Macquarie-Hastings 6,184 7,003 65
87 Port Stephens 5,318 6,936 62
88 Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional 3,676 5,724 43
89 Randwick 8,318 6,131 46
90 Richmond Valley 2,486 10,489 89
91 Ryde 4,395 3,352 10
92 Shellharbour 4,585 5,853 44
93 Shoalhaven 7,788 7,106 66
94 Singleton 1,672 6,663 58
95 Snowy Monaro Regional 1,346 6,169 49
96 Snowy Valleys 1,072 7,177 67
97 Strathfield 2,502 5,413 37
98 Sutherland Shire 8,649 3,731 16
99 Sydney 36,275 16,632 114
100 Tamworth Regional 7,724 11,971 102
101 Temora 329 5,487 39
102 Tenterfield 765 11,121 96
103 The Hills Shire 5,249 2,635 6
104 Tweed 6,346 6,478 53
105 Upper Hunter Shire 738 5,163 33
106 Upper Lachlan Shire 336 3,929 18
107 Uralla 255 4,260 25
108 Wagga Wagga 7,291 10,669 91
109 Walcha 249 8,272 74
110 Walgett 1,694 30,711 120
111 Warrumbungle Shire 1,060 11,464 100
112 Waverley 4,850 6,996 64
113 Weddin 202 5,589 41
114 Wentworth 816 10,741 92
115 Willoughby 3,045 4,035 21
116 Wingecarribee 2,058 3,897 17
117 Wollondilly 1,908 3,420 13
118 Wollongong 15,722 7,264 69
119 Woollahra 2,106 3,936 19
120 Yass Valley 821 4,724 30

Crime incident data from April 2023 - March 2024 (incl.). Overall rate is calculated from ABS population data as yearly rate per 100,000 population. Rates for LGAs of populations less than 3,000 are not computed as rates can be unreliable and have been excluded from this table.
Table: Astor LegalSource: BOCSARGet the dataCreated with Datawrapper

NSW top LGA per criminal offence

Criminal Offences in NSW and Top LGAs

Most common offences by total number

  Offence Category Total Offences LGA Most Incidents # Incidents LGA Highest Rate Rate p/100,000
1 Breach Bail Conditions Against Justice Procedures 54,042 Campbelltown 4,260 Walgett 4,279
2 Malicious Damage to Property Malicious Damage to Property 49,367 Blacktown 2,490 Moree Plains 2,704
3 Intimidation, Stalking and Harassment Other Offences 46,146 Central Coast 2,822 Walgett 3,934
4 Fraud Theft 46,058 Blacktown 2,600 Sydney 1,137
5 Domestic Assault Assault 36,501 Blacktown 2,171 Walgett 3,571
6 Non-Domestic Assault Assault 33,292 Sydney 2,921 Walgett 1,595
7 Steal From Motor Vehicle Theft 28,648 Newcastle 1,853 Forbes 1,927
8 Steal From Retail Store Theft 27,420 Sydney 2,662 Moree Plains 1,306
9 Breach AVO Against Justice Procedures 24,345 Central Coast 1,353 Walgett 2,774
10 Other Theft Theft 20,665 Sydney 2,859
11 Break and Enter Dwelling Theft 20,340 Newcastle 1,002 Moree Plains 2,277
12 Steal From Dwelling Theft 16,093 Sydney 1,042 Narromine 684
13 Motor Vehicle Theft Theft 14,516 Blacktown 752 Moree Plains 1,080
14 Prohibited and Regulated Weapons Offences Other Offences 14,277 Sydney 890 Walgett 961
15 Use/Possess Cannabis Drug Offences 14,062 Sydney 1,278 Walgett 852
16 Trespass Disorderly Conduct 12,322 Sydney 746 Moree Plains 1,787
17 Sexual Assault Sexual Offences 9,049 Central Coast 469 Moree Plains 544
18 Break and Enter Non-Dwelling Theft 8,617 Newcastle 402 Coonamble 1,124
19 Receiving/Handling Stolen Goods Theft 7,861 Sydney 1,167 Sydney 535
20 Sexual Touching, Sexual Act and Other Sexual Offences Sexual Offences 7,788 Sydney 408 Warrumbungle Shire 433
21 Liquor Offences Other Offences 6,822 Sydney 1,304 Snowy Monaro Regional 921
22 Use/Possess Amphetamines Drug Offences 6,533 Sydney 582 Narrandera 455
23 Use/Possess Other Drugs Drug Offences 5,555 Sydney 684 Narrandera 350
24 Other Drug Offences Drug Offences 5,275 Liverpool 522 Narrandera 280
25 Resist/Hinder Officer Against Justice Procedures 5,221 Sydney 599 Walgett 526
26 Arson Other Offences 4,571 Central Coast 194 Moree Plains 1,049
27 Offensive Conduct Disorderly Conduct 3,089 Sydney 726 Sydney 333
28 Criminal Intent Disorderly Conduct 2,801 Sydney 271 Coonamble 392
29 Assault Police Assault 2,548 Sydney 308 Walgett 381
30 Other Offences Against Justice Procedures Against Justice Procedures 2,200 Blacktown 150 Albury 115
31 Use/Possess Cocaine Drug Offences 2,191 Sydney 511 Sydney 234
32 Steal From Person Theft 2,174 Sydney 510 Sydney 234
33 Blackmail and Extortion Other Offences 1,672 Blacktown 109 Walgett 91
34 Deal/Traffic Amphetamines Drug Offences 1,578 Central Coast 365 Lake Macquarie 116
35 Other Offences Against the Person Other Offences 1,566 Central Coast 102 Edward River 130
36 Pornography Offences Other Offences 1,192 Blacktown 65 Snowy Valleys 127
37 Use/Possess Narcotics Drug Offences 1,181 Fairfield 221 Fairfield 107
38 Robbery Without a Weapon Robbery 1,115 Sydney 130 Moree Plains 93
39 Offensive Language Disorderly Conduct 1,065 Sydney 109 Edward River 166
40 Use/Possess Ecstacy Drug Offences 1,002 Sydney 239 Byron 126
41 Deal/Traffic Cocaine Drug Offences 980 Sydney 255 Sydney 117
42 Fail to Appear Against Justice Procedures 859 Cumberland 66 Walcha 266
43 Robbery With a Weapon Not Firearm Robbery 724 Sydney 57 Moree Plains 86
44 Cultivating Cannabis Drug Offences 652 Mid-Coast 26 Kyogle 148
45 Deal/Traffic Cannabis Drug Offences 509 Central Coast 52 Hilltops 73
46 Deal/Traffic Other Drugs Drug Offences 437 Sydney 86 Sydney 39
47 Abduction and Kidnapping Other Offences 258 Sydney 23 Narromine 31
48 Deal/Traffic Narcotics Drug Offences 242 Sydney 74 Sydney 34
49 Deal/Traffic Ecstacy Drug Offences 236 Sydney 57 Hilltops 68
50 Stock Theft Theft 227 Snowy Monaro Regional 10 Walgett 109
51 Escape Custody Against Justice Procedures 134 Sydney 11 Parkes 21
52 Importing Drugs Drug Offences 109 Bayside 27 Bayside 15
53 Robbery With a Firearm Robbery 101 Canterbury-Bankstown 12 Gilgandra 23
54 Murder Homicide 64 ID 4 Narrabri 8
55 Manufacture Drug Drug Offences 57 Georges River 5 Broken Hill 6
56 Betting and Gaming Offences Other Offences 42 Sydney 16 Tenterfield 44
57 Prostitution Offences Other Offences 21 Sydney 3 Mid-Western Regional 4
58 Attempted Murder Homicide 15 Canterbury-Bankstown 3 Upper Lachlan Shire 12
59 Manslaughter Homicide 12 Bayside 2 Snowy Monaro Regional 5
60 Murder Accessory, Conspiracy Homicide 3 Bayside 1 Bayside 1

Crime incident data from April 2023 - March 2024 (incl.). Incidents are recorded by location of occurrence. Overall rate is calculated from ABS population data as yearly rate per 100,000 population. 
Table: Astor LegalSource: BOCSARCreated with Datawrapper

The most common offence in New South Wales is 'Breaching Bail Conditions' where Campbelltown has the highest number of incidents of 4,260 and Walgett has the highest rate per 100,000 people resulting in 4,279 incidents. 'Malicious Damage to Property' is the second most common offence with Blacktown LGA having the highest number of incidents of 2,490 and Moore Plains holds the highest rate resulting in 2,704 incidents.

The least common offence is murder accessory, conspiracy with a total of 3 offences. 'Manslaughter' is the second least common offence, with a total of 12 incidents. Interestingly, Bayside LGA has the highest number of incidents for 3 of the 10 least common crimes in the state, 'Murder Accessory, Conspiracy', 'Manslaughter' and 'Importing Drugs'.

Theft is the most common category of crime in New South Wales, with 4 of the top 10 criminal offences in the state falling into the 'Theft' category. The least common category is 'Homicide', where 4 of the bottom 10 offences fall into this category.

About the data

The data used for this study was obtained from the  NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) for crime incident data from April, 2023 – March, 2024 inclusive. The incidents are recorded by the Local Government Area (LGA) of occurrence. The information on this page was checked by  criminal lawyers in Sydney before being published.

The  rate per 100,000 population illustrates the relative crime per head of residential population for each LGA over the course of a year. This is computed by dividing the number of recorded incidents by the residential population for each area. Rates are calculated using population data provided by Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). 

LGAs with populations of less than 3000 are hatched because their recorded crime rate can be unreliable. In areas with small populations, a modest number of incidents/victims/offenders can have a large effect on the calculated crime rate thus giving a misleading representation of crime in that location. Rates should also be treated cautiously for regions with high visitor numbers relative to the residential population: a particular issue for the Sydney city centre. 

State rankings are based on the total number of LGAs available for comparison for incidents and rate per 100,000 population.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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