Newcastle crime rate and Crime Score · New South Wales council area
Newcastle is a council area in New South Wales with about 178,935 residents. It has a Crime Score 68 out of 100 (high), 74th of 362 councils nationally.
The score blends national percentile ranks for each published offence category with fixed severity weights; here it is driven most by assault (66th percentile), robbery (90th percentile), sexual offences (71st percentile). Five years earlier the same basis gave 70.
In 2025-26: violent 1,667 per 100,000 (+14% vs five years earlier); property 5,584 per 100,000 (+7% vs five years earlier); break-ins 720 per 100,000 (+12% vs five years earlier); theft 2,668 per 100,000 (+20% vs five years earlier). For violent crime that is 42nd of 129 New South Wales councils with data, highest first.
Unemployment in the Newcastle council area is 4.9% (New South Wales 4.9%), Census, 10 August 2021. Social housing makes up 5.5% of occupied homes (2,947 public and 696 community-housing dwellings at the 2021 Census; New South Wales 4.2%). An estimated 1,038 people were homeless on Census night 2021, 60.4 per 10,000 residents (New South Wales 43.4), apportioned from ABS Statistical Area Level 2 counts. 15.5% of residents were born overseas (New South Wales 31%), most often in England, New Zealand, India. Modelled estimates for 2026-27, not measurements: unemployment about 4.8% (confidence 85 of 100); social housing about 5% of homes; about 59.5 homeless people per 10,000 residents; about 15.7% born overseas. Confidence falls with distance from the last published figure, and the map's Estimates toggle shows every year back to 1994-95.
| Offences | Per 100,000 | Count | 5-yr change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent | 1,667 | 2,982 | +14% |
| Property | 5,584 | 9,991 | +7% |
| Break-ins | 720 | 1,289 | +12% |
| Theft | 2,668 | 4,774 | +20% |
Questions
Is Newcastle safe?
Newcastle recorded 1,670 violent offences per 100,000 residents in 2025-26, about 45% higher than the New South Wales rate (1,150) and about 30% higher than the national rate (1,280). Its Crime Score is 68.4 out of 100 (high), 74th of 362 councils. These are offences recorded by police per resident: they describe the area as a whole, not the risk on any particular street, and places with a busy centre record more because offences are counted where they happen.
How many break-ins are there in Newcastle?
1,289 break-ins were recorded in 2025-26: 720 per 100,000 residents, 2.4 times the New South Wales rate (301).
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Police news near Newcastle
- Multiple people injured after being struck by vehicle, driver arrested - Newcastle · Newcastle, 3 Oct 2026 · 6 km away
Part of Newcastle: Newcastle crime rate and crime map.
Suburbs in the Newcastle council area
Adamstown · Adamstown Heights · Bar Beach · Beresfield · Birmingham Gardens · Broadmeadow · Callaghan · Carrington · Cooks Hill · Elermore Vale · Fletcher · Georgetown · Hamilton · Hamilton DC · Hamilton East · Hamilton North · Hamilton South · Hexham · Islington · Jesmond · Kooragang · Kotara · Kotara East · Lambton · Lenaghan · Maryland · Maryville · Mayfield · Mayfield East · Mayfield North · Mayfield West · Merewether · Merewether Heights · Minmi · New Lambton · New Lambton Heights · Newcastle · Newcastle East · Newcastle West · North Lambton · Rankin Park · Sandgate · Shortland · Stockton · Tarro · The Hill · The Junction · Tighes Hill · Wallsend · Wallsend DC · Wallsend South · Warabrook · Waratah · Waratah West · Wickham
Postcodes in the Newcastle council area
2287 · 2289 · 2291 · 2292 · 2293 · 2294 · 2295 · 2296 · 2297 · 2298 · 2299 · 2300 · 2302 · 2303 · 2304 · 2305 · 2307 · 2308 · 2322
australiancrimerate.com.au/council/nsw-newcastle/ · Australian Crime Map