Crime in Haywards Heath
Recorded crime in Haywards Heath is 1.1 times the Mid Sussex average and 0.6 times the England and Wales average. It is about the same as 5 years ago. Most of the harm comes from violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences). Police data to August 2026.
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Haywards Heath: about 27,351 residents in 23 neighbourhoods.
- Safety in the UK
- 7/10Low crime
- Living
- 7.2/10Good
- 5-year change
- −1%fewer crimes
- vs the council
- 1.1×the Mid Sussex average
Neighbourhoods by Safety
Within 1.5 km of the centre of Haywards Heath.
Crime over 5 years
About the same as 5 years ago Recorded crimes within 1.5 km of Haywards Heath, anti-social behaviour left out.
What is recorded
Crime severity: 1.1× the Mid Sussex average (0.6× the England and Wales average). 47 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
- Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences): 69% of the harm here
- Burglary: 10% of the harm here
- Other theft: 5% of the harm here
"Violence and sexual offences" is 69% of the harm here. It is a broad police category: most of these crimes are assaults without injury, harassment and threats, often indoors between people who know each other, and only a small part are sexual or serious violent offences. Police data does not say which, so each one is weighted at the England and Wales average for the category, which can overstate a quiet residential area.
Anti-social behaviour: 15 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, not scored. Not a crime, so it is not part of the Safety score.
Crimes recorded in Mid Sussex (the whole council area)
April 2025 to March 2026, for the whole Mid Sussex council area, not only Haywards Heath. Source: Home Office, police recorded crime by community safety partnership.
| Type | Crimes in 2025/26 | Per 1,000 residents | Change on 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars stolen | 132 | 0.82 | Down 18% |
| Cars broken into | 187 | 1.2 | Down 11% |
| Vandalism (homes, other buildings and vehicles) | 576 | 3.6 | Down 11% |
| Burglary of homes | 151 | 0.93 | Up 18% |
| Homicide (murder and manslaughter) | 1 | - | - |
Under 10 a year: no rate or change, the numbers are too small to compare.
How often crimes lead to a charge in RH16
In RH16, the postcode district at the centre of Haywards Heath, 6% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%).
- Charged or summonsed
- Caution or other action
- Suspect found, not prosecuted
- No suspect identified
- Still open
Show as a table
| Type | Crimes | Charged or summonsed | Caution or other action | Suspect found, not prosecuted | No suspect identified | Still open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 751 | 6% | 7% | 55% | 21% | 12% |
| Public order | 219 | 5% | 5% | 33% | 46% | 11% |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 185 | 5% | 3% | 19% | 67% | 5% |
| Other theft | 147 | 0% | 3% | 14% | 73% | 10% |
| Shoplifting | 141 | 6% | 6% | 13% | 72% | 3% |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 95 | 2% | 0% | 1% | 84% | 13% |
| Burglary | 56 | 5% | 0% | 9% | 79% | 7% |
| Other crime | 52 | 13% | 4% | 37% | 31% | 15% |
Uses the latest outcome police have recorded so far. 10% of these crimes are still open, so the final figures may be a little higher.
Crime by type
Recorded crimes per 1,000 residents per year, most serious first, not counting anti-social behaviour.
| Type | Per 1,000 a year |
|---|---|
| Robbery | 0.4 |
| Burglary | 1.9 |
| Violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences) | 20.4 |
| Drugs | 1.4 |
| Possession of weapons (knives and other weapons) | 0.6 |
| Other crime | 1.0 |
| Other theft | 4.2 |
| Theft from the person (pickpocketing, bag snatching) | 0.5 |
| Vehicle crime (cars stolen and broken into) | 1.9 |
| Criminal damage and arson (vandalism) | 5.3 |
| Public order | 5.7 |
| Bicycle theft | 0.8 |
| Shoplifting | 3.5 |
Postcode districts in Haywards Heath
Nearby towns
Council: Mid Sussex
Questions about crime in Haywards Heath
- Is Haywards Heath a safe place to live?
- Haywards Heath scores 7 out of 10 for safety (low crime), compared with every neighbourhood in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Crime severity is 1.1 times the Mid Sussex average.
- Is crime going up or down in Haywards Heath?
- About the same as 5 years ago: 1,287 recorded crimes a year then, 1,275 now.
- What is the most common crime in Haywards Heath?
- The most common recorded crime is violence and sexual offences (assaults, harassment, sexual offences), about 20 per 1,000 residents a year.
- How does crime in Haywards Heath compare with Mid Sussex?
- Crime severity in Haywards Heath is 1.1 times the Mid Sussex average.
- How often does crime lead to a charge in Haywards Heath?
- In RH16, the postcode district at the centre of Haywards Heath, 6% of crimes reported between September 2024 and August 2025 led to someone being charged or summonsed (England and Wales: 9%). 44% were closed without a suspect being identified.
- How many burglaries are solved in Haywards Heath?
- Of 56 burglaries reported in RH16, the postcode district at the centre of Haywards Heath between September 2024 and August 2025, 5% led to someone being charged or summonsed and 79% were closed with no suspect identified.
- How many cars are stolen in Haywards Heath?
- In Mid Sussex, the council area Haywards Heath is in, the police recorded 132 cars stolen in 2025/26 (April 2025 to March 2026), 0.8 per 1,000 residents, down 18% on the year before.
- Is vandalism common in Haywards Heath?
- 576 acts of vandalism to homes, other buildings and vehicles were recorded in 2025/26, in Mid Sussex, the council area Haywards Heath is in, 3.6 per 1,000 residents, 0.7 times the England and Wales average.
- How many murders were there in Haywards Heath last year?
- 1 homicide (murder or manslaughter) was recorded in 2025/26, in Mid Sussex, the council area Haywards Heath is in, against 2 the year before. Police data does not say where in the area they happened.