Living in Barking and Dagenham
Police recorded 91 crimes per 1,000 residents in Barking and Dagenham in the year to April 2026, above the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Homes sell for a median of about £4,833 per m², well above the typical council in England and Wales (£3,342). 31.5% of households rent from the council or a housing association, well above the UK average of 17.5%. About 13.0% of homes are in areas where road or rail noise reaches 65 dB, against 6.9% across Great Britain. 74% of homes are within a five-minute walk of a public park (Great Britain: 56%).
Barking and Dagenham at a glance
| Measure | Barking and Dagenham | Comparison | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social housing (share of households) | 31.5% | UK 17.5% | 9th highest of 374 |
| Recorded crime per 1,000 residents | 91 | E, W & NI 82 | 88th highest of 327 |
| Anti-social behaviour per 1,000 residents | 21 | E, W & NI 16 | |
| Homes in areas with 65 dB+ road or rail noise | 13.0% | GB 6.9% | 338th quietest of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a public park | 74% | GB 56% | 38th of 363 |
| Homes within 400 m of a play space | 60% | GB 60% | |
| Median house price per m² | £4,833 | E&W council median £3,342 | 68th highest of 314 |
| Schools rated Good or Outstanding | 95% | E&W 87% | |
| Median broadband speed available | 1,000 Mbit/s | Council median 1,000 Mbit/s |
How much crime is there in Barking and Dagenham?
From May 2025 to April 2026, police recorded 19,873 crimes in Barking and Dagenham — 91 per 1,000 residents, above the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the 88th highest of 327 councils. That is 1% more than in the previous 12 months. The most common offences were violence and sexual offences (40%), vehicle crime (10%) and other theft (8%). Police also logged 4,611 incidents of anti-social behaviour (21 per 1,000 residents).
Rates are per resident, so council areas with busy city centres, shopping or nightlife districts show higher rates than residents alone would suggest. See where crime is recorded on the map →
How much social housing is there in Barking and Dagenham?
Barking and Dagenham ranks 9th of 374 UK local authorities by social-housing share. Of its 73,927 households, 23,281 are social homes (31.5%) — renting from the council or a housing association, according to the 2021–22 Census.
How does Barking and Dagenham compare with the UK average?
At +14.0 percentage points versus the UK average of 17.5%, Barking and Dagenham sits well above the national level. It is among the highest shares in the country.
How noisy is Barking and Dagenham?
In Barking and Dagenham, about 13.0% of homes are in areas where modelled road or rail noise reaches 65 dB Lden or more — the level Defra and the WHO treat as high. The Great Britain average is 6.9%, and Barking and Dagenham is the 338th quietest of 363 councils mapped.
Estimated from the official strategic noise maps: the share of each census area at 65 dB or more, weighted by its households. See noisy roads and railways on the map →
How close are parks in Barking and Dagenham?
74% of homes in Barking and Dagenham are within 400 m — about a five-minute walk — of a public park or garden, and 60% are that close to a children's play space. Across Great Britain the figures are 56% and 60%, which puts Barking and Dagenham 38th of 363 councils for access to a park.
Straight-line distance from the centre of each census area to the edge of the nearest site in OS Open Greenspace, weighted by households. See parks and play spaces on the map →
Schools, prices and more in Barking and Dagenham
What the map's other datasets say about Barking and Dagenham.
Schools
On the Department for Education's register, Barking and Dagenham has 68 schools — 63 state-funded and 5 independent. That includes 44 primary and 8 secondary schools. Of the 21 with a published Ofsted grade, 95% are Good or Outstanding.
Nurseries
There are 135 nurseries and pre-schools on Ofsted's childcare register in Barking and Dagenham, offering about 4,926 registered childcare places. Childminders are not counted — Ofsted withholds their addresses.
Deprivation
The median neighbourhood in Barking and Dagenham sits in decile 3 of 10 on its nation's deprivation index, and 28% of its 115 neighbourhoods fall in the most-deprived national fifth.
House prices
The median neighbourhood price is about £4,833 per m², from Land Registry sold prices matched to EPC floor areas.
Broadband
Median available download speed is about 1,000 Mbit/s — what can be ordered, not what residents have bought (Ofcom Connected Nations).
Explore Barking and Dagenham on the map
Areas with a similar share of social housing
Sources: 2021–22 Census (social housing); data.police.uk, May 2025 to April 2026 (crime); strategic noise maps, Round 4 (noise); OS Open Greenspace (parks) · Page updated 27 September 2026 · Download the data (CSV, all 374 councils).