Safety index · Wandsworth, London · data through June 2026
Is Balham safe?
Balham sits at the safer end of Inner London by reported crime. Its SafeRoute safety index is 75 out of 100 — 16 points above the Inner London median of 59, ranking 41st of 248 Inner London areas — based on 266 incidents reported to the police within 1 km of the neighbourhood centre over the month to June 2026.
DATA THROUGH JUNE 2026 · 1 MONTH OF DATA
The 0–100 scale is calibrated to London — a typical London neighbourhood sits near 59. It ranks Balham against other neighbourhoods here, and cannot be read against a score in another city.
The largest reported category here is violent crime (14% of reports) — worth taking seriously when walking at night; the full mix is broken down below.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Violent crime | 36 · 14% | |
| Anti-social behaviour | 63 · 24% | |
| Vehicle crime | 38 · 14% | |
| Other theft | 30 · 11% | |
| Robbery | 12 · 5% | |
| Public order | 15 · 6% |
Walking in Balham at night?
SafeRoute scores every walking route against the same live crime data on this page — and shows how much of each route runs on lit streets. Pick the safer way, share your walk, and check in when you arrive. Free, no account.
Get SafeRoute on the App StoreNearby areas
- Northcote77/100 · Low risk
- Trinity72/100 · Moderate
- Clapham Common & Abbeville62/100 · Moderate
- South Balham76/100 · Low risk
- Lavender65/100 · Moderate
Common questions
Is Balham safe at night?
Low risk overall (safety index 75/100). Reported crime is low for Inner London, but stick to lit, busier streets late.
What is the most common crime in Balham?
Violent crime — 36 of 266 incidents (14%) reported within 1 km of the neighbourhood centre over the month to June 2026.
How is the Balham safety index calculated?
SafeRoute weights each police-recorded incident by severity (violence weighs more than shoplifting), sums the last available period within 1 km of the neighbourhood centre, and normalises against national crime rates onto a 0–100 scale — higher is safer. It describes reported crime only; it is not a guarantee of safety. The scale is calibrated within London, so scores compare neighbourhoods to each other and cannot be read against another city's.