West Sussex in six numbers: crime, prices, broadband and air, council by council (2026)
The same official figures for every West Sussex council area, side by side
Horsham has West Sussex's lowest recorded crime (44.4 offences per 1,000) and highest average price (£441,654); Crawley has the highest crime (109.2), most deprivation and highest PM2.5 (7.1 µg/m³). Worthing is cheapest (£297,200), fell most (-3.9%) and has the best gigabit coverage (97.6%); Chichester has the cleanest air (6.0) but the lowest gigabit coverage (67.3%).
In this post
West Sussex's seven council areas can look very different on paper. This post sets the same six official measures side by side for each of them, so you can see how they compare before you narrow a search.
Every figure comes from Jackson's league tables, which are built from official open data. Each one describes a whole council area, not a street.
Recorded crime
Offences per 1,000 residents a year (ONS / Home Office police recorded crime, year ending March 2026). All seven West Sussex areas are ranked.
| Area | Per 1,000 | Rank in England & Wales |
|---|---|---|
| Horsham | 44.4 | 17th |
| Mid Sussex | 45.0 | 20th |
| Adur | 55.2 | 61st |
| Chichester | 60.5 | 89th |
| Arun | 70.6 | 130th |
| Worthing | 80.3 | 169th |
| Crawley | 109.2 | 253rd |
Two West Sussex areas sit in the lowest-crime 60 of England and Wales. Rates are per resident, so town centres with lots of visitors and workers can read higher than the risk to someone living there. Our guide on checking crime rates explains how to read the numbers for a single street.
Average house price
HM Land Registry UK House Price Index, July 2026. Cheapest to dearest:
- Worthing £297,200 · Arun £321,460 · Crawley £332,384
- Adur £380,120 · Mid Sussex £430,777 · Chichester £432,078
- Horsham £441,654
The gap between the cheapest and dearest area is about £144,000: an average Horsham home costs about 49% more than an average Worthing one. A low average can reflect the mix of homes and demand, so it is a starting point for a search, not a verdict on a place.
Price change over 12 months
Same source. Four of seven West Sussex areas rose; three fell.
- Rising: Crawley +2.3%, Adur +1.3%, Arun +0.9%, Horsham +0.7%
- Falling: Mid Sussex -0.2%, Chichester -1.4%, Worthing -3.9%
Gigabit broadband
Share of premises that can get a gigabit-capable connection (Ofcom Connected Nations, January 2026). Worthing leads at 97.6%, with Adur (95.4%) and Crawley (91.1%) next. Chichester is lowest at 67.3%. Coverage can differ street by street, so check the postcode itself.
Air quality (fine particles, PM2.5)
Population-weighted background PM2.5 in µg/m³ (Defra modelled background PM2.5, 2024). Lower is cleaner. Cleanest: Chichester 6.0, Arun 6.1, Worthing 6.4. Highest: Mid Sussex 6.8, Crawley 7.1. Every West Sussex area is above the World Health Organization's guideline of 5 µg/m³, as most of England is.
Deprivation
English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG), ranked out of 296 English council areas, where 1 is the most deprived. Least deprived in West Sussex: Mid Sussex (286), Horsham (279), Adur (200). Most deprived: Crawley (126), Arun (141), Worthing (186).
What the six numbers say together
Crawley has West Sussex's highest recorded crime rate, fastest-rising prices, most fine particles in the air and most deprivation. Worthing has West Sussex's lowest average price, biggest price fall and best gigabit coverage. Horsham has West Sussex's lowest recorded crime and highest average price. Chichester has West Sussex's lowest gigabit coverage and cleanest air. No single measure makes a place right or wrong for you; they tell you what to look at next.
Check a street, not just a district
District figures hide a lot of variation. The free Jackson check reads one postcode for flood risk, recorded crime, noise and the nearest station, and the full league tables for crime, prices, price change, broadband, air and deprivation show where each West Sussex area sits across England and Wales. More counties, same six numbers, on the blog. How Jackson scores an area explains the sources.
Data, not advice. Figures are official open data under the Open Government Licence (Ofcom data under Ofcom terms), for England & Wales, with the period shown for each.
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Frequently asked questions
Which West Sussex council area has the lowest recorded crime?
Horsham, at 44.4 offences per 1,000 residents a year (ONS / Home Office police recorded crime, year ending March 2026), 17th lowest in England and Wales.
Where are average house prices lowest in West Sussex?
Worthing, at an average of £297,200 (HM Land Registry UK House Price Index, July 2026), followed by Arun (£321,460) and Crawley (£332,384).
Where did West Sussex house prices change most in the last year?
Crawley rose most, +2.3%; Worthing fell most, -3.9% (HM Land Registry UK House Price Index, 12 months to July 2026).
Are these figures for my street?
No. They describe a whole council area. A free Jackson check reads one postcode for flood, crime, noise and the nearest station.