Side-by-side crime statistics from official UK Police data.
S63 · Barnsley
51
crimes in February 2026
Below national average
S65 · Rotherham
196
crimes in February 2026
Above national average
Barnsley has less crime — 51 vs 196 incidents in February 2026.
Rotherham recorded substantially more crime than Barnsley in February 2026 — 196 incidents compared to 51, a 3.8x difference. Both areas share Violence & sexual offences as their most common crime type, though Rotherham records significantly more (92 vs 26 incidents). Barnsley is below the national average while Rotherham is above, making Barnsley the safer choice on this measure.
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Based on February 2026 Police data, Barnsley recorded fewer crimes than Rotherham — 51 vs 196 incidents. That is 74% fewer crimes. Barnsley is also below the national average for crime.
Both areas share Violence & sexual offences as their top crime category. In February 2026, Barnsley recorded 26 incidents of this type vs 92 in Rotherham. Overall, Barnsley had fewer total crimes (51 vs 196).