The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in 98203, WA: Crime Maps and Statistics

D-

Overall Crime Grade™

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

Which crimes are included?

$22.0 million

Cost of Crime™ for 98203, WA

In 2025, crime will cost $1,473 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of 98203 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 98203, WA Safe?

The D- overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US zip, where 98203's combined rate is much higher than the norm. 98203 sits in the 9th percentile, ahead of 9% of zip codes and behind 91%. The grade covers only 98203's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby zip codes.

The overall crime rate in 98203 is 56.13 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the northeast part of the zip the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 13 in the north areas to 1 in 26 in the northeast.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the south parts of 98203, WA report the most crime, about 546 cases per year. The northeast part reports the fewest, around 71 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in 98203, WA

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in 98203 for 2025 is $21,977,205, about $578 per resident and $1,473 per household. That equals 1.1% of the median household income. These figures cover tangible costs, which include:

Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 61.3%
Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 28.7%
Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 10.0%

How Much Does Crime Cost in 98203 Compared to Other Zip Codes?

98203, WA:	$578
98499, WA:	$1540
99338, WA:	$239
Washington:	$610
USA:	$464

The overall cost of crime per resident in 98203 is $578 per year, which is $114 more than the national average and $32 less than Washington's state average. The comparison below uses zip codes similar to 98203:

In 98499, WA, crime costs $1,540 per person, which is $962 more than in 98203.
In 99338, WA, crime costs $239 per person, which is $340 less than in 98203

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

The table below shows the total cost of crime to the residents of 98203 for the year 2025 along with the projected cost per resident.

Crime	Cost to 98203	Cost per 98203 Resident
Murder	$423,094	$11
Rape/Sexual Assault	$1.83 million	$48
Robbery	$961,609	$25
Assault	$2.12 million	$56
Kidnapping	$224,406	$6
Vehicle Theft	$6.23 million	$164
Burglary	$1.69 million	$44
Theft	$4.46 million	$117
Arson	$123,329	$3
Vandalism	$2.94 million	$77
Animal Cruelty	$25,003	$1
Drug Crimes	$400,421	$11
Identity Theft	$549,349	$14
Total Cost of Crime	$21,977,205	$578

The Intangible Cost of Crime in 98203, WA

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 98203 totals $12,728,034 ($335 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $34,705,240 ($913 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 south part of the zip 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 draw large crowds with few residents nearby, so they read as high-crime spots. Parks and recreational areas do the same, and of 98203's 38,007 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 98203, WA at ISP Reports.

98203 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 98203 residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Assault	1.945
Robbery	0.8044
Rape	0.7937
Murder	0.0059
Total Violent Crime	3.549 (C)

Property Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Theft	22.67
Vehicle Theft	10.58
Burglary	4.904
Arson	0.1344
Total Property Crime	38.29 (F)

Other Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Kidnapping	0.0974
Drug Crimes	1.424
Vandalism	10.81
Identity Theft	1.867
Animal Cruelty	0.0889
Total "Other" Rate	14.29 (D)

Individual 98203 Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Zip Codes

Compared to surrounding zip codes, the rate of crime in 98203 is similar. The table below shows Crime Grades for zip codes close to 98203.

Nearby Zip	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
98207, WA	F	D+	F
98204, WA	F	C	F
98201, WA	F	D	F
98208, WA	D-	B	D-
98275, WA	D-	B-	D-
98087, WA	D-	B	D-
98205, WA	B-	B+	B-
98206, WA	D-	C	D-
98012, WA	C-	A-	D+
98037, WA	F	C+	F

Crime Maps and Rates for Zip with Similar Populations

98203 is higher versus other zip codes of the same size for crime. The table below compares crime in zip codes with comparable overall population in the zip‘s boundaries.

Similar Zip	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
17404, PA	B+	B	B
55016, MN	B+	A	A
96782, HI	B	A-	A-
95401, CA	C	D+	D+
93711, CA	D	D+	D+
92672, CA	F	D-	D-
91776, CA	C-	D	D
89002, NV	C+	C-	C-
84045, UT	A-	C+	C+
80031, CO	D-	C-	C-

Considering only the crime rate, 98203 is less safe than the Washington 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 98203, WA average SchoolGrade of N/A, with N/A% actual proficiency versus 38% projected; overall, schools N/A. See 98203 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.