Are Wellington Burglary Patterns Changing?

As we move further into 2026, we’ve reviewed the latest burglary data to see how Wellington has tracked over the past year and what that may mean for property security in the months ahead.

In earlier articles, we looked at national and regional crime trends across New Zealand. This time, we’re narrowing the focus to Wellington, looking at recent burglary activity, longer-term patterns, and the areas recording the highest number of incidents.

Our goal is simple: to understand whether burglary patterns are shifting, highlight areas with higher burglary activity, and help property owners think about practical ways to improve security.

Before we begin, we want to emphasise the following point.

We understand that statistics can seem distant when you’ve been directly impacted by crime. No number can truly encapsulate the fear, loss, and upheaval experienced by victims. Our aim in sharing this data is not to diminish these experiences but to shed light on broader trends. Every crime is a personal tragedy, and we remain committed to working towards a safer New Zealand where everyone feels secure in their homes and communities. It is encouraging to see a decline in certain crime categories, but we recognise that there is still much work to be done.

Data Sources: New Zealand Police Data Source - Victimisations (police stations) and Victimisation Time and Place.

Index

📊 Monthly Burglary Trends (2025–2026)
📉 Long-Term Wellington Burglary Trends (2015–2025)
📍 Top 10 Burglary Locations (2025–2026)
🛡️ What This Means for Property Security
🗺️ Full Wellington Area Breakdown

1. Monthly Burglary Trends (Jan 2025 – Jan 2026)

The table below shows burglary occurrences in the Wellington region over the past 13 months.

Observations

The monthly figures suggest that burglary levels in Wellington remained fairly steady across the year, with expected month-to-month variation rather than any major spike.

There appears to be some fluctuation through the year, with lower activity in winter months such as July and August, and somewhat higher totals in March, May, October, and January. Overall, however, the pattern looks relatively stable.

2. Long-Term Wellington Burglary Trends (2015–2025)

Looking at a longer timeframe helps put the recent figures into context.

Key takeaways

• Burglary totals were highest in 2017, with another elevated period across 2023 to 2025.
• Over the full period, burglary in Wellington has remained persistent rather than sharply declining.
• Residential properties make up a very large share of burglary incidents, averaging around 73% across the 2015–2025 period.

This is one of the clearest takeaways from the Wellington data. Residential burglary forms the majority of recorded incidents, which reinforces the importance of practical home security and strengthening common entry points.

While the overall trend has not worsened dramatically, burglary remains a real and ongoing issue across the Wellington region, especially for homes and residential properties.

3. Top 10 Burglary Locations (Jan 2025 – Jan 2026)

 

Observations

Many of the highest-occurrence areas are located within city centres, commercial zones, transport corridors, or higher-density suburban areas. These places often combine heavier foot traffic, more properties, easier access routes, and a greater mix of residential and commercial sites.

At the same time, burglary is spread across many Wellington suburbs and towns, not just a few central hotspots.

• Higher-risk areas exist, but many other suburbs still record regular burglary activity.
• City-centre and mixed-use areas stand out in Wellington more clearly than in some other regions.
• Practical security upgrades can still make sense well beyond the top 10 areas.

For other areas, please see the chart at the end of this article.

4. What This Means for Property Security

The latest figures suggest that burglary levels in Wellington are not surging dramatically, which is encouraging. At the same time, burglary remains present across many suburbs and towns, and residential properties continue to make up a large share of incidents.

In other words, the data does not suggest panic. It does suggest that practical prevention still matters.

At DIY Xpanda, we focus on practical physical security. Our products are designed to act as a visible deterrent, a first line of defence, and a way to strengthen vulnerable entry points without the cost and delay of custom security systems.

For homes, rentals, and small businesses, visible security products such as:

• window bars
• security gates
• removable bollards

can help improve protection and discourage opportunistic intruders. Good security is often about layering — combining physical barriers with alarms, cameras, and better access control to make forced entry harder and less attractive.

DIY Xpanda products are designed to be simple to install, ready to ship, and suitable for common door and window sizes, helping property owners take action faster.

For customers who need a more tailored solution, Xpanda Security can also assist with custom-made products and professional installation.

If you’re in Wellington or elsewhere in New Zealand, we can help you find a practical security option that suits your property, budget, and level of risk.

5. Full Wellington Area Breakdown

The table below shows burglary occurrences by Wellington area for the same period, listed in alphabetical order.

This wider view is useful because it shows that burglary is not limited to a small number of hotspots. Some areas record much higher totals than others, but burglary activity is spread across a wide range of Wellington suburbs, towns, and districts.

Thank you for reading, and stay safe!

 

Areas	Occurrence
Adelaide	35
Adventure	5
Akatarawa	2
Alicetown	30
Arakura	22
Aro Street-Nairn Street	56
Ascot Park	10
Avalon East	58
Avalon West	31
Awarua	3
Belmont	13
Berhampore East	11
Berhampore West	33
Boulcott	46
Brentwood	35
Brooklyn South	8
Brooklyn	23
Cannons Creek East	109
Cannons Creek North	134
Cannons Creek South	36
Carterton	65
Churton Park North	4
Churton Park South	7
Clouston Park	14
Cloustonville	6
Crofton Downs	10
Delaney	39
Discovery	10
Eastbourne	31
Ebdentown	29
Elderslea	44
Elsdon-Takapuwahia	56
Emerald Hill	13
Endeavour	6
Epuni East	63
Epuni West	37
Esplanade	87
Featherston	73
Fernlea	16
Glendale	24
Glenside North	2
Gracefield	33
Greenacres	4
Grenada North	8
Grenada Village	15
Greytown	28
Happy Valley-Owhiro Bay	10
Hataitai North	34
Haywards-Manor Park	3
Heretaunga-Silverstream	40
Heretaunga	5
Holborn	31
Homebush-Te Ore Ore	6
Homedale East	31
Homedale West	29
Horokiwi	1
Hutt Central	149
Inlet-Porirua Harbour	2
Island Bay East	17
Island Bay West	16
Johnsonville Central	48
Johnsonville East	14
Johnsonville North	4
Kahutara	42
Kaitawa	5
Kaiwharawhara	6
Karaka Bay-Worser Bay	13
Karori East	17
Karori North	16
Karori Park	29
Karori South	13
Kelburn	38
Kelson	12
Khandallah Park-Broadmeadows	4
Kilbirnie East	28
Kilbirnie West-Hataitai South	37
Kingston-Mornington	16
Kopuaranga	18
Korokoro	6
Lambton	183
Lansdowne	37
Linden	46
Lyall Bay-Airport-Moa Point	27
Maidstone	3
Makara-Ohariu	10
Mana-Camborne	26
Mangaroa	4
Manuka	8
Maoribank	21
Martinborough	19
Masterton Central	68
Masterton East	62
Masterton Railway	16
Masterton West	24
Maungakotukutuku	12
Maungaraki	9
Maupuia	8
Melling	15
Melrose-Houghton Bay-Southgate	24
Miramar North	11
Miramar South	20
Miramar West	2
Miramar	23
Mitchelltown	7
Moera	56
Moonshine Valley	1
Mt Cook-Wallace Street	80
Mt Holdsworth	13
Mt Victoria West	57
Naenae North	72
Naenae South	78
Newlands East	4
Newlands North	11
Newlands South	17
Newtown East	77
Newtown West	62
Ngaio South	18
Ngaumutawa	4
Ngauranga East	10
Ngauranga West	1
Normandale	5
Northland North	10
Northland	21
Onepoto	16
Opaki-Fernridge	10
Oriental Bay	16
Otaihanga	7
Otaki Forks	30
Otaki	118
Paekakariki Hill	2
Paekakariki	22
Papakowhai North	5
Papakowhai South	8
Paparangi West	3
Paparangi	4
Paraparaumu Beach North	29
Paraparaumu Beach South	59
Paraparaumu Central	157
Paremata-Postgate	25
Parkway	41
Pauatahanui	14
Peka Peka	2
Pencarrow	5
Petone Central	95
Pinehaven	13
Plimmerton	13
Poets Block	20
Porirua Central	89
Porirua East	63
Pukerua Bay	9
Rangoon Heights	22
Ranui Heights	10
Raroa	19
Raumati Beach	33
Raumati South	17
Resolution	3
Riverstone Terraces	4
Roseneath	16
Seatoun Tunnel West	2
Seatoun	15
Solway North	29
Solway South	37
Strathmore Park	33
Taita North	59
Taita South	84
Taitville	3
Takapu	1
Tawa Central	51
Tawa South	14
Tawhai	37
Te Horo	7
Te Kainga	18
Te Marua	6
Te Wharau	17
Thorndon-Tinakori Road	79
Tirohanga	4
Titahi Bay North	50
Titahi Bay South	49
Totara Park	14
Trentham North	33
Trentham South	15
Tuturumuri	4
Upper Hutt Central	58
Vogeltown West	14
Vogeltown	7
Wadestown	27
Waikanae Beach	25
Waikanae East	17
Waikanae Park	12
Waikanae West	30
Waingawa	6
Waitangirua	97
Waiwhetu North	40
Waiwhetu South	44
Wallaceville	28
Waterloo East	63
Waterloo West	26
Wellington City-Marinas	1
Whareama	13
Wilford	95
Willis Street-Cambridge Terrace	228
Wilton	31
Woburn North	16
Woburn South	8