Living in Barrow-in-Furness

Police recorded 94 crimes per 1,000 residents in Barrow-in-Furness in the year to April 2026, above the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. 11.0% of households rent from the council or a housing association, below the UK average of 17.5%. About 2.1% of homes are in areas where road or rail noise reaches 65 dB, against 6.9% across Great Britain. 47% of homes are within a five-minute walk of a public park (Great Britain: 56%).

Barrow-in-Furness at a glance

How much crime is there in Barrow-in-Furness?

From May 2025 to April 2026, police recorded 6,346 crimes in Barrow-in-Furness — 94 per 1,000 residents, above the average of 82 across England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the 76th highest of 327 councils. That is 1% more than in the previous 12 months. The most common offences were violence and sexual offences (51%), public order (11%) and criminal damage and arson (11%). Police also logged 474 incidents of anti-social behaviour (7 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 Barrow-in-Furness?

Barrow-in-Furness ranks 314th of 374 UK local authorities by social-housing share. Of its 31,274 households, 3,449 are social homes (11.0%) — renting from the council or a housing association, according to the 2021–22 Census.

How does Barrow-in-Furness compare with the UK average?

At -6.5 percentage points versus the UK average of 17.5%, Barrow-in-Furness sits below the national level.

How noisy is Barrow-in-Furness?

In Barrow-in-Furness, about 2.1% of homes are in areas where modelled road or rail noise reaches 65 dB L_den or more — the level Defra and the WHO treat as high. The Great Britain average is 6.9%, and Barrow-in-Furness is the 10th 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 Barrow-in-Furness?

47% of homes in Barrow-in-Furness are within 400 m — about a five-minute walk — of a public park or garden, and 58% are that close to a children's play space. Across Great Britain the figures are 56% and 60%, which puts Barrow-in-Furness 218th 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 →