Surrey rankings
Surrey towns for downsizers
Downsizers in Surrey typically want a quieter location with manageable ongoing costs — council tax and day-to-day safety being two of the most cited factors. This ranking lists Surrey's eleven districts by recorded crime rate per 1,000 residents (lowest first), with the Band D council tax charge as a secondary column. Both figures are from open public-sector data.
District-level figures give a broad picture. Within any district, crime and council tax vary by parish and property band. An Area Report on a specific postcode gives the street-level crime data and the exact Band D charge for that local authority.
Other downsizer priorities — proximity to healthcare, flat terrain, access to amenities — are covered in a full Area Report.
Get an Area Report for any Surrey postcodeThe ranking
Sources: Home Office Police Recorded Crime + ONS population estimates; VOA Council Tax dataset. Sorted lowest crime rate first. Both contain public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
| # | District | Offences per 1,000 residents | Band D council tax (annual) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waverley | 36.8 | £2,483.85 |
| 2 | Elmbridge | 50.6 | £2,442.92 |
| 3 | Mole Valley | 52.9 | £2,405.75 |
| 4 | Surrey Heath | 53.5 | £2,467.86 |
| 5 | Tandridge | 54.9 | £2,471.62 |
| 6 | Woking | 59.6 | £2,482.03 |
| 7 | Reigate and Banstead | 61.0 | £2,459.2 |
| 8 | Epsom and Ewell | 62.5 | £2,416.84 |
| 9 | Runnymede | 69.2 | £2,380.06 |
| 10 | Guildford | 70.3 | £2,428.89 |
| 11 | Spelthorne | 80.7 | £2,412.78 |
Council tax figures are the total Band D charge (district + county + precepts) for the most recent financial year in the dataset.
How we ranked this
The ranking uses two criteria applied in order:
- Recorded offences per 1,000 residents (primary sort) — total police-recorded offences divided by the ONS mid-year population estimate for the district. Lowest rate ranks first. Source: Home Office Police Recorded Crime (PRC) open data, Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Band D council tax charge (secondary column) — total annual Band D charge including district, county and any precepts for the most recent financial year available in the VOA dataset. Shown as context for running costs; not used as a filter. Source: VOA Council Tax Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Recorded crime is not a complete picture of offending — it covers offences reported to and recorded by Surrey Police. Under-reporting and changes to recording standards mean year-on-year figures require care in interpretation. Street-level crime near a specific address is available in an Area Report.
Council tax varies by property band and by parish (some parishes levy a precept on top of the district figure). The Band D figure here is the standard billing authority charge and may differ from the actual bill for a specific property.
Check a specific Surrey postcode
An Area Report shows the crime picture at street level, the exact council tax for that local authority, nearby amenities (GPs, supermarkets, parks), flood risk and the full local property market — in one place.
Get an Area ReportSources
- Crime. Home Office Police Recorded Crime open data, joined with ONS mid-year population estimates. Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Council tax. Valuation Office Agency (VOA) Council Tax Statistics. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
District-level figures are indicative. Individual streets and properties may differ. See our disclaimer.