Surrey rankings
Surrey towns for retirees
Retirement buyers in Surrey often weigh three things heavily: a safe neighbourhood, manageable running costs, and access to services. This page ranks Surrey's eleven districts on crime rate per 1,000 residents (lowest first) and shows the annual Band D council tax charge alongside — two figures that translate directly into day-to-day cost of living.
Access to GP surgeries, hospitals and public transport at a specific postcode level is covered in a full Area Report but is not available as a per-district aggregated measure in this ranking.
Surrey as a whole has some of the lower crime rates in the South East. Within the county, the gap between districts on recorded offences per head is nonetheless meaningful — from the quietest rural districts to the more urban edges of the county.
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 first. 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 |
All eleven Surrey districts shown, sorted by crime rate. Council tax is the Band D total charge for the most recent available financial year.
How we ranked this
The ranking uses two criteria:
- Recorded offences per 1,000 residents (primary sort) — total police-recorded offences in the district divided by the ONS mid-year population estimate. Lowest rate ranks first. Source: Home Office Police Recorded Crime (PRC), Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Band D council tax (secondary column) — total annual Band D charge including district, county and all precepts, most recent financial year available in the VOA dataset. Source: Valuation Office Agency, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Not yet wired — healthcare access: proximity to NHS GP surgeries, community hospitals and specialist services is not available as a per-district live aggregate in this system. Buyers should consult NHS Find a GP for specific-location healthcare access.
District-level crime rates do not reveal the variation within a district — a quieter village and a town centre in the same district will have very different street-level figures. An Area Report on a specific postcode shows the police-recorded crime counts at street level around that exact location.
Check a specific Surrey postcode
An Area Report covers crime at street level, the exact council tax for that local authority, nearby amenities (GPs, supermarkets, parks), flood risk and the local property market — everything a retirement buyer needs before making an offer.
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. Open Government Licence v3.0.
District-level figures are indicative. Individual streets and property bills may differ. See our disclaimer.