Side-by-side crime statistics from official UK Police data.
CM1 · Essex
267
crimes in February 2026
Above national average
CM16 · Essex
63
crimes in February 2026
Below national average
Epping has less crime — 63 vs 267 incidents in February 2026.
Chelmsford recorded substantially more crime than Epping in February 2026 — 267 incidents compared to 63, a 4.2x difference. Both areas share Violence & sexual offences as their most common crime type, though Chelmsford records significantly more (107 vs 29 incidents). Chelmsford sits above the national average for recorded crime while Epping is below — a significant gap for anyone weighing up the two.
Full reports cover 24 months of trends, ward breakdowns, outcome rates, and a detailed safety score — from £4.99.
Based on February 2026 Police data, Epping recorded fewer crimes than Chelmsford — 63 vs 267 incidents. That is 76% fewer crimes. Epping is also below the national average for crime.
Both areas share Violence & sexual offences as their top crime category. In February 2026, Chelmsford recorded 107 incidents of this type vs 29 in Epping. Overall, Epping had fewer total crimes (63 vs 267).