Madison, WI Murder Rates and Murder Maps

Crime Grade's murder map shows the safest places in the Madison area in green. The most dangerous areas in the Madison area are in red, with moderately safe areas in yellow. Crime rates on the map are weighted by the type and severity of the crime.

Is Madison, WI Safe?

The D grade means the rate of murder is higher than the average US city. Madison is in the 22nd percentile for safety, meaning 78% of cities are safer and 22% of cities are more dangerous. This analysis applies to the Madison area's proper boundaries only. See the table on nearby places below for nearby cities.

The rate of murder in the Madison area is 0.0957 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. People who live in the Madison area generally consider the northeast part of the city to be the safest.

Your chance of being a victim of murder in the Madison area may be as high as 1 in 6,124 in the central neighborhoods, or as low as 1 in 25,952 in the northeast part of the city. See the section on interpreting the murder map, however, because comparing rates for murder or any other crime is not as intuitive as it may seem.

By a simple count ignoring population, more crimes occur in the central parts of Madison, WI: about 38 per year. The northwest part of the Madison area has fewer cases of murder with only 2 in a typical year.

Interpreting the Murder Maps

When looking at the murder map for the Madison area, remember that the rate of murder per resident may appear inflated when people visit the area during the day, but do not live there. For example, there are more retail establishments in the central part of the city. Many crimes are committed in retail areas in blocks where few people live. Red areas on the murder rate map do not always indicate danger for the Madison area residents who live there.

More issues arise with places like airports, parks, and schools. Major airports, of which the Madison area has 0, always look like high-crime locations due to the large number of people and the low population nearby. Parks and designated recreational areas, of which the Madison area has 59, have the same problem. Of the Madison area’s 711,786 residents, few live near recreational areas. Because many people visit, crime rates may appear higher even for safe parks. Ultimately crime happens where people are, whether they live there or not. Before writing off an area as unsafe, look at both the crime rate and total crime maps, then consider nearby destinations that people may be visiting.

To better understand and navigate these intricate crime maps, a high-speed internet connection can be crucial. Fast and seamless online connectivity ensures that map details load efficiently, providing users with clearer, uninterrupted insights. If you're considering enhancing your online experience, check out high speed internet in Madison, WI at ISP Reports.

Madison Crime Breakdown

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

Individual Madison Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Cities

Compared to surrounding cities, the rate of murder in the Madison area is similar. The table below shows Crime Grades for cities close to the Madison area.

Nearby City	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade	Murder Crime Grade
Shorewood Hills, WI	D	D+	C-	F
Maple Bluff, WI	C+	A-	B-	F
Monona, WI	D+	B-	D+	D-
Fitchburg, WI	C-	B-	C	D+
Middleton, WI	C+	A-	C	C-
Ashton Corners, WI	B	B+	B-	C
McFarland, WI	B-	B+	B-	C-
Waunakee, WI	B+	A	A-	B
Verona, WI	B	A-	B	B-
Windsor, WI	B+	A	A-	B

Crime Maps and Rates for City with Similar Populations

Madison is higher versus other cities of the same size for murder. The table below compares crime in cities with comparable overall population in the city‘s boundaries.

Similar City	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade	Murder Crime Grade
Winston-Salem, NC	D	D+	D+	C-
Des Moines, IA	C+	C+	C+	A
Provo, UT	B-	C+	C+	B
Daytona Beach, FL	A-	B+	B+	A
Ogden, UT	D+	B-	B-	A
Poughkeepsie, NY	B-	C-	C-	A-
Syracuse, NY	C+	D	D	B+
Akron, OH	D+	C	C	C+
Wichita, KS	D-	D-	D-	B+
Lakeland, FL	A	B	B	A

Considering only the murder rate, the Madison area is less safe than the Wisconsin state average and less safe than the national average.

Safety and school performance are separate topics, but both shape moving decisions. Using SchoolGrade data, schools in Madison, WI average SchoolGrade of C+, with 39% actual proficiency versus 42% projected; overall, schools don't meet expectations. See Madison 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.

Crime By Zip Code Download

Our proprietary data is available for download by zip code or by state in a CSV Flat File. Please visit our download page for pricing and terms.

Download CSV

 

Home Security

A crime occurs on average every 25 minutes in the Madison area. Want to protect your home?

Home Security Companies in Madison, WI

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.