Safe Cities in the UK to Buy a Home in 2026

Location is one of the most important factors when buying a home, alongside affordability. One thing that makes a good location is how safe the area is. So it helps to find safe cities in UK areas that have good amenities, schools and transport links, but also low crime rates. That's why we analysed the crime index of 105 towns and cities. We wanted to reveal the safest places across the UK to buy a home in 2026, according to the latest, available data. See if you can guess which cities made the top 10.

The top 5 safest cities in the UK for homebuyers

The North Yorkshire town of Harrogate is known for its spas and hot chocolate. Now it has a low crime index of 17.44. It has officially been named the best place to buy a home, if you want a safe area with low crime rates.

Fellow market town Wokingham came in second. Chester took third place, famed for its Tudor-style properties. In fourth and fifth place are Sevenoaks and Horsham, found in Kent and West Sussex respectively. That cements the South East of England as one of the safest regions in the UK.

Here's the list of top 5 safest cities to buy a home in the UK 2026:

1. Harrogate
2. Wokingham
3. Chester
4. Sevenoaks
5. Horsham

House prices in some of these areas are on the higher side too. According to

Right Move

, properties in Harrogate typically average £397,105, while Horsham homes typically sell for around £441,414.

As you can see, many of the safest cities sit close to major towns, particularly London if you look at the top 10. So if you want somewhere fairly close, or a commutable distance to work, but don't want the city centre, you could choose one of the safer surrounding areas.

If you want to see what homes actually sold for near a postcode you are considering, the tool below pulls the figures from HM Land Registry.

The safest places to live in the UK by region

From comparing over 100 towns and cities by crime index rate, lower rates typically fall in the South East and East. There are some exceptions in the North West. For homebuyers, this suggests you're more likely to find a home in a safe neighbourhood if you focus your search in these regions.

What's interesting is that these regions are home to, or close to, major cities like London, Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool. Yet the inner cities tend to sit lower down the list. Crime index rates will nearly always be higher in major urban cities than the outskirts. It does show how you can balance a safe suburban area with close proximity to a busy city.

Full table of safe cities in the UK to buy a home

Find the full list of 105 towns and cities ranked by their crime index score. Use the table to see the safest towns and cities, as well as the least safe. You can also search for individual places using the search bar to see where they rank.

Where are the least safe areas to buy a home in the UK?

Down at the bottom of the table are the towns and cities with the highest crime index rates, so the least safe. There doesn't appear to be much of a pattern between them. They're dispersed across the UK.

It's interesting to see how close they are to some of the safest areas. For example, Dover comes in as the 3rd least safe place in the UK for homebuyers. Yet Sevenoaks, also in Kent, is among the safest.

Oldham, Preston and Rochdale also appear at the bottom of the table. They're closely grouped in the North West, with Rochdale being the least safe city in the UK. Meanwhile Ayr, in Scotland, comes in 4th.

That just shows how important it is for buyers to look into local statistics. It's the only way to truly understand what areas to purchase a property in.

Here's the list of the 5 least safe places to buy a home:

1. Rochdale
2. Preston
3. Dover
4. Oldham
5. Ayr

Buying a home is a really big decision, and local safety is just one of many considerations. Other things about the surrounding city, or town, include amenities, schools and transport links.

You should also take into account the property itself. That's where a home survey or building survey can be useful. A safe postcode tells you nothing about the roof, the damp or the wiring inside the walls, and those are the things that cost money after you move in. Our guide to the 10 red flags on a house survey shows what a viewing rarely reveals.

If you're looking for a detailed breakdown of RICS Home Surveys, check out this Complete Guide.

Frequently asked questions

What are the safest cities in the UK to live in?

According to CJ Bloor's latest analysis, some of the safest cities in the UK include Harrogate, Wokingham, Chester, Sevenoaks and Horsham. These locations show consistently low crime index rates, making them appealing to homeowners and families. Harrogate tops the table with a crime index of 17.44.

How is the safe cities ranking worked out?

CJ Bloor's rankings are based on Numbeo data, which uses surveys similar to official government methodologies. The survey measures perceptions of crime, perceived safety during daylight and nighttime hours, specific crime concerns, and both property and violent crime severity across the 105 towns and cities we compared.

Why do different lists of safe places to live in the UK disagree?

Each publication uses a slightly different methodology. Some rank on overall crime, while others focus on violent or property crime specifically. Some include extra factors such as street lighting, police response times or public perception surveys, which leads to variations in the results.

Are big cities always less safe than small towns?

Typically, smaller towns and suburban areas record lower crime levels than major urban centres, but that doesn't mean all large cities are unsafe. Many metropolitan areas have safer districts and well-policed neighbourhoods, so it is always worth checking localised data before deciding.

How can I check crime figures for a specific area?

You can view up-to-date crime figures using the official police data portal at police.uk. It provides detailed street-level statistics for every city and region across the UK, helping you compare areas before buying or renting.