Is Folkestone and Hythe safe to live in?
There is no official "safety" score for Folkestone and Hythe, but the recorded-crime rate gives useful context: Folkestone and Hythe (Kent) recorded 134.9 offences per 1,000 residents in the financial year 2024/25 (April 2024 to March 2025) — 10% below the England-and-Wales CSP average of 149.3, ranking 148 of 310. Gera Local Crime Index: 93/100. Source: Home Office CSP open data, published 23 April 2026.
These are neutral official statistics. Recorded-crime rates reflect reporting and recording practices and an area's daytime and visitor population as well as underlying offending — they are context, not a measure of how safe an area is, and say nothing about its residents. Use them alongside a visit, local knowledge and other factors when deciding where to live.
- Recorded crime / 1,000
- 134.9
- Gera Local Crime Index
- 93/100
- Rank (1 = highest)
- 148/310
- vs CSP average
- -10%
Folkestone and Hythe falls within the Kent police force area. Its recorded-crime rate is below the England-and-Wales CSP average of 149.3 offences per 1,000 residents (15,035 recorded offences across a population of 111,486, financial year 2024/25 (April 2024 to March 2025)).
What kind of crime is recorded in Folkestone and Hythe?
Rate per 1,000 residents, financial year 2024/25 (April 2024 to March 2025).
| Offence group | Rate / 1,000 |
|---|---|
| Violence against the person | 59.3 |
| Theft offences | 33.3 |
| Criminal damage and arson | 14.7 |
| Public order offences | 8.4 |
| Drug offences | 6.4 |
| Robbery | 0.9 |
Note: anti-social behaviour is an incident category, not a notifiable recorded offence, so it is not included. Fraud is recorded centrally rather than by area and is excluded from these totals.
See the full recorded-crime statistics for Folkestone and Hythe (Home Office Community Safety Partnership open data).
Compare with the whole force: Kent crime rate.
Thinking of moving to Folkestone and Hythe? See the average house price in Folkestone and Hythe (HM Land Registry).
Other areas in Kent
- Is Ashford safe?GLCI 94/100
- Is Canterbury safe?GLCI 92/100
- Is Dartford and Gravesham safe?GLCI 97/100
- Is Dover safe?GLCI 92/100
- Is Sevenoaks safe?GLCI 96/100
- Is Swale safe?GLCI 90/100
Frequently asked questions
- Is Folkestone and Hythe a safe place to live?
- There is no official safety score for any area, so the honest answer is to look at the recorded-crime context. Folkestone and Hythe recorded 134.9 offences per 1,000 residents in the financial year 2024/25 (April 2024 to March 2025), 10% below the England-and-Wales CSP average of 149.3. Recorded-crime rates reflect reporting and recording practices and an area's daytime and visitor population as well as underlying offending, so they are context rather than a verdict on how safe a place is.
- What is the crime rate in Folkestone and Hythe?
- Folkestone and Hythe (Kent) recorded 134.9 offences per 1,000 residents in the financial year 2024/25 (April 2024 to March 2025) — 15,035 recorded offences across a population of 111,486 — according to official Home Office police-recorded-crime statistics at Community Safety Partnership level.
- How does Folkestone and Hythe compare with the rest of England and Wales?
- Folkestone and Hythe ranks 148 of 310 Community Safety Partnerships by recorded-crime rate in the financial year 2024/25 (April 2024 to March 2025) (1 = highest rate). Its rate is below the England-and-Wales CSP average. On the Gera Local Crime Index it scores 93/100, where 100 is the lowest recorded-crime rate among all 310 included areas and 0 the highest.
- Is there a lot of theft in Folkestone and Hythe?
- Police recorded 33.3 theft offences per 1,000 residents in Folkestone and Hythe in the financial year 2024/25 (April 2024 to March 2025) (Home Office CSP statistics). Theft offences include shoplifting, vehicle crime, bicycle theft and other property theft.
- What is the violent crime rate in Folkestone and Hythe?
- Police recorded 59.3 violence-against-the-person offences per 1,000 residents in Folkestone and Hythe in the financial year 2024/25 (April 2024 to March 2025) (official Home Office CSP statistics). This offence group covers assault, harassment and public-order violence.
- Where does this Folkestone and Hythe safety data come from?
- These are official recorded-crime statistics from the Home Office 'Police recorded crime Community Safety Partnership open data' tables (financial year 2024/25, published 23 April 2026). The rate per 1,000 uses ONS mid-2023 population estimates for the matching local authority. Figures exclude fraud (recorded centrally). Both sources are © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0, and presented as neutral context only.
More GeraRent area data
Free, official area data for anyone deciding where to live — each built to be cited.
- House prices by areaAverage paid prices from HM Land Registry for every local area.
- Rent index by areaMedian private rents by area from official ONS private-rent data.
- Liveability indexHow areas compare across crime, prices, transport and amenities.
- Council tax by areaBand-by-band council tax for every billing authority.
- True cost of rentingRent plus council tax, bills and broadband, area by area.
Reference period: financial year 2024/25 (April 2024 to March 2025) (population: ONS mid-2023). Source: Home Office — Police recorded crime by Community Safety Partnership (CSP) + ONS mid-2023 local authority population estimates. Contains Home Office and Office for National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right 2026, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Recorded-crime rates are official statistics presented as neutral context only and must not be used to characterise or stigmatise any area or its residents. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.