The East Midlands covers a wide spread of England — Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire and Rutland — and contains some of the lowest-crime postcodes in the Midlands once you step outside the urban cores of Nottingham, Leicester and Derby. For first-time buyers seeking value plus safety, the region offers a stronger trade than almost anywhere else in England.
This ranking draws on recent data from the official UK Police API. Four separate police forces cover the region — Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire — with Northamptonshire and Rutland sitting in their own respective force areas.
How the East Midlands Compares Nationally
Strip out the three biggest cities and the East Midlands sits in the lower band of England for recorded crime per resident. Rutland is consistently one of the lowest-crime counties in the country; rural Leicestershire, the Lincolnshire Wolds and the Derbyshire Dales are not far behind. The trade-off across the region is commute time and rural-service access rather than price — most of the safe pockets are still within reach of a major employer.
The Safest Pick: Rutland
Rutland is England's smallest county and one of its safest. Oakham, Uppingham and the villages of the Vale of Catmose record consistently low counts across violence, burglary and vehicle crime. The combination of a settled rural population, strong schools, no significant night-time economy and limited through-traffic gives Rutland the regional template for low-crime rural England. Houses cost more here than equivalent stock in Leicestershire or Lincolnshire — that's the price of the safety premium our crime and house prices guide covers.
Rural Leicestershire and the Harborough Corridor
Outside Leicester itself, the county holds several low-crime pockets. Market Harborough and the surrounding villages along the A6 are the clearest pick — a thriving market-town centre with no significant night-time strip, popular with London commuters via the East Midlands main line. Lutterworth, Kibworth and the south-Leicestershire villages towards Husbands Bosworth sit in the same band. To the north-west, Loughborough records a slightly higher profile lifted by the university, but the surrounding Quorn, Mountsorrel and Charnwood-edge villages are reliably quiet.
The Derbyshire Dales and the Amber Valley
The Peak District fringe is one of the safest areas in England. Bakewell, Ashbourne, Wirksworth and Hathersage sit at the bottom of the Derbyshire table, with the surrounding villages following the same low-crime pattern. The Amber Valley towns of Belper, Heanor and Ripley record a slightly higher profile but remain well below the regional average. Chesterfield sits in the upper-middle band, lifted by its town-centre count.
Lincolnshire and the Wolds
Lincolnshire is one of the least densely populated counties in England, and the data reflects it. Stamford, Bourne, Sleaford and the Lincolnshire Wolds villages between Horncastle and Louth record some of the lowest counts in the East Midlands. Stamford in particular is consistently ranked among England's safest market towns — a settled stone-built centre with a strong owner-occupier base. Lincoln itself sits in a higher band lifted by its city centre, but the suburban edges towards Welton and Nettleham are well below the city average.
Nottinghamshire Outside the City
Beyond Nottingham city, the county's safest postcodes sit in the Rushcliffe belt south of the Trent — West Bridgford, Ruddington, Keyworth and East Leake — and in the Newark-and-Sherwood villages towards Southwell and Bingham. Mansfield and Worksop record higher counts driven by their town centres, but the surrounding residential streets sit in a lower band.
South Northamptonshire and the Towcester Belt
The southern part of Northamptonshire, covered in more detail in our Northampton postcode breakdown, holds some of the region's lowest-crime postcodes. Towcester, Silverstone, Brackley and the villages along the Oxon border are settled commuter belt for both London and Birmingham, and the data reflects the profile.
How to Choose Between East Midlands Towns
Across the region, the safest towns share a profile: small market-town or village centres, a strong owner-occupier base, limited night-time economy, and a settled population. The trade-offs between Market Harborough, Stamford, Oakham and the Derbyshire Dales come down to commute, schools and price rather than safety — they all sit in the same low-crime band. See our national safest-areas rankings for the wider picture, or run a CrimeSafe report on any postcode for 24 months of trend data, a ward-level breakdown, and a safety score.