The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Washington: Crime Maps and Statistics

D-

Overall Crime Grade™

Violent Crime Grade	C
Property Crime Grade	F
Other Crime Grade	D

Which crimes are included?

$4.9 billion

Cost of Crime™ for Washington

In 2025, crime will cost $1,594 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of Washington with the least crime overall and red marks the most. Each area is weighted by the type and severity of every offense, so a place with rare but serious violent crime can grade differently from one with frequent petty theft. The Interpreting the Crime Maps section below explains how to read the colors.

Is Washington Safe?

The D- overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US state, where Washington's combined rate is much higher than the norm. Washington sits in the 8th percentile, ahead of 8% of states and behind 92%. The grade covers only Washington's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby states.

The overall crime rate in Washington is 49.59 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the south part of the state the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 16 in the west cities to 1 in 29 in the south.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the central parts of Washington report the most crime, about 114,670 cases per year. The south part reports the fewest, around 9,843 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in Washington

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in Washington for 2025 is $4,910,128,658, about $610 per resident and $1,594 per household. That equals 1.2% of the median household income. These figures cover tangible costs, which include:

Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 57.9%
Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 31.1%
Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 10.9%

How Much Does Crime Cost in Washington Compared to Other States?

Washington:	$610
New Mexico:	$835
New Jersey:	$240
USA:	$464

The overall cost of crime per resident in Washington is $610 per year, which is $146 more than the national average. The comparison below uses states similar to Washington:

In New Mexico, crime costs $835 per person, which is $225 more than in Washington.
In New Jersey, crime costs $240 per person, which is $371 less than in Washington

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

The table below shows the total cost of crime to the residents of Washington for the year 2025 along with the projected cost per resident.

Crime	Cost to Washington	Cost per Washington Resident
Murder	$857.4 million	$107
Rape/Sexual Assault	$361.5 million	$45
Robbery	$214.1 million	$27
Assault	$554.5 million	$69
Kidnapping	$94.7 million	$12
Vehicle Theft	$797.4 million	$99
Burglary	$393.4 million	$49
Theft	$856.9 million	$107
Arson	$37.5 million	$5
Vandalism	$622.7 million	$77
Animal Cruelty	$2.69 million	$0
Drug Crimes	$57.9 million	$7
Identity Theft	$59.5 million	$7
Total Cost of Crime	$4,910,128,658	$610

The Intangible Cost of Crime in Washington

The totals above count tangible costs only. Violent crime also carries a human cost, the pain and trauma borne by victims and their families, which research-based methods estimate so it can be compared across places. That intangible cost in Washington totals $7,675,093,648 ($954 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $12,585,222,306 ($1,564 per resident). All Cost of Crime figures come from scholarly research on the cost of crime. Read more about our methodology here.

Interpreting the Crime Maps

Crime rates on the map are measured per resident, so areas with heavy visitor traffic can read high because crime follows crowds, even where few people live. The central part of the state holds more retail establishments, which lifts recorded crime around those blocks. A red area does not always mean the neighborhood is unsafe for residents.

Airports, parks, and transit hubs create the same effect. Major airports, of which Washington has 1, draw large crowds with few residents nearby, so they read as high-crime spots. Parks and recreational areas, of which Washington has 1,307, do the same, and of Washington's 8,045,372 residents few live beside them. Before assuming an area is unsafe, weigh both the per-capita rate and the total number of incidents, and note what sits nearby.

The interactive maps load faster on a strong connection. Compare high speed internet in Washington at ISP Reports.

Washington Crime Breakdown

The tables below show which crimes are used to calculate the Crime Grades above. All crime rates are shown as the number of crimes per 1,000 Washington residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Assault	2.400
Robbery	0.8460
Rape	0.7411
Murder	0.0567
Total Violent Crime	4.044 (C)

Property Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Theft	20.56
Vehicle Theft	6.400
Burglary	5.391
Arson	0.1929
Total Property Crime	32.55 (F)

Other Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Kidnapping	0.1940
Drug Crimes	0.9734
Vandalism	10.83
Identity Theft	0.9559
Animal Cruelty	0.0453
Total "Other" Rate	13.00 (D)

Individual Washington Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby States

Compared to surrounding states, the rate of crime in Washington is higher. The table below shows Crime Grades for states close to Washington.

Nearby State	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Oregon	D-	C+	D-
Idaho	A-	B	A+
Montana	C-	D+	C-
Nevada	D	D	D-
Utah	C-	B	C
Wyoming	B+	A	A
California	C	D	D+
Colorado	F	D-	F
North Dakota	C-	B-	C-
Arizona	B-	C	C+

Crime Maps and Rates for State with Similar Populations

Washington is higher versus other states of the same size for crime. The table below compares crime in states with comparable overall population in the state‘s boundaries.

Similar State	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Pennsylvania	A	A-	A-
Montana	C-	D+	D+
Nebraska	C+	B+	B+
Nevada	D	D	D
New Hampshire	A	A+	A+
New Jersey	A+	A	A
New Mexico	F	F	F
New York	A-	C	C
North Carolina	C-	C-	C-
North Dakota	C-	B-	B-

Considering only the crime rate, Washington is as safe as the national average.

Safety and school performance are separate topics, but both shape moving decisions. Using SchoolGrade data, schools in Washington average SchoolGrade of D, with 27% actual proficiency versus 38% projected; overall, schools underperform expectations. See Washington schools on SchoolGrade

About the Data

CrimeGrade.org provides highly detailed and accurate crime data, used by insurance companies, home security firms, and other industries. Our data is available for licensing—learn more about our USA crime data and licensing.

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All maps and statistics above are projections, not certainties, and provided without guarantee free of charge. Verify all info before making any decisions based on the data.