The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Allen County, OH

Allen County is home to 101,300 residents and includes Lima and Delphos · Updated November 2026

Is Allen County, OH safe?

Yes, crime in Allen County is low, with an overall CrimeGrade™ of A-. Because most US neighborhoods are safe as well, Allen County sits near the middle: safer than the neighborhoods where 44% of Americans live. Violent and property crime both grade A- here. What matters most is the neighborhood: grades within Allen County run from A+ to F, so check the map or the safest and least safe places below.

A-
Overall CrimeGrade™Safety score 804 of 1,000
About as safe as the typical US neighborhood What this means

44% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime than Allen County as a whole, and 56% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a safety score of 838, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. Allen County scores 804.

Crime is concentrated in a small share of places, so most neighborhoods score high on the 0 to 1,000 scale. That is why a score in the 800s can still mean more crime than most US neighborhoods.

A-
Violent crimeSafety score 788 of 1,000More violent crime than most US neighborhoods
A-
Property crimeSafety score 830 of 1,000About as much property crime as the typical US neighborhood

How it works


Crime map of Allen County

Map of Allen County shaded by overall CrimeGrade™, from green for the least crime to red for the most
Click the map to explore
F D C B A+
Highest crime Safest
Colorblind friendly off

How to read the map: each area's color compares its crime with the people, homes and cars there, on one national scale, from green for the least crime to red for the most. Each area gets its own color, so a busy shopping center can show red while the homes beside it stay green. The interactive maps load faster on a strong connection. Compare high speed internet in Allen County, OH at ISP Reports.

Who this page is for: homeowners and renters in Allen County, and anyone thinking about buying or renting a home there.

Business and enterprise customers: this free map shows neighborhood areas. CrimeGrade™ business reports map crime at about 66-meter detail and estimate it for one address and type of business. See business reports


What stands out in Allen County

Car thefts are less common than the crime level suggests. Crime overall in Allen County runs 32% above the US rate, but car thefts run at about half that rate: 1.3 a year per 1,000 residents, against 2.7 nationally.

Burglaries run high for an A-graded county. Allen County has 3.5 burglaries a year per 1,000 residents; for the typical resident of an A-graded US county, the figure is 1.4.

Robberies happen at homes far more often than nationally. In Allen County, 41% of reported robberies happen at homes, against 17% nationally.


The safest and most dangerous places in Allen County

Most of Allen County grades well: 73% of residents live in areas graded A or B, and 13% in areas graded D or F. Grades across Allen County run from A+ to F; 58% of residents live in areas with less crime than the typical US neighborhood.

A or B 73%C 14%D or F 13%

Share of residents, by the overall CrimeGrade™ of the area they live in.

Least crime

  1. 1Bluffton5,570A+954
  2. 2Lafayette1,860A+946
  3. 3Spencerville4,140A+932
  4. 4Harrod2,390A+926

Most crime

  1. 1Lima70,300B+717
  2. 2Elida2,610A917
  3. 3Delphos9,300A919
  4. 4Fort Shawnee3,880A920

Cities and towns in Allen County with at least 1,000 residents. Ranked by overall CrimeGrade™; beside each grade is its safety score, from 0 to 1,000 (higher is safer), and the other numbers are residents.

Across the county, the Bluffton area has the least crime and the Lima area the most.


Crime rates and types in Allen County

CrimeGrade™ estimates Allen County has about 49 reported crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, 32% more than the US as a whole and 40% more than Ohio.

Overall crime

Violent crime

Property crime

Reported crimes a year, per 1,000 residents. These figures include simple assaults and vandalism, which the FBI's violent and property crime rates leave out.

The largest share of crime reported in Allen County is assault, about 40% of the total. It also makes up the largest share of what crime costs here.

CrimeCrimeGrade™Reported a yearPer 1,000 residentsUS per 1,000
Violent crime
MurderA60.060.05
RapeB+650.640.38
RobberyA320.310.62
AssaultB1,98019.512.3
Property crime
BurglaryA-3543.52.4
TheftA-1,63316.113.1
Vehicle theftA+1331.32.7
ArsonA130.120.12
VandalismB+7587.55.5

Each CrimeGrade™ compares a crime with what it affects: people for assaults and robbery, homes for burglary, parked cars for vehicle theft. Rates count crimes per 1,000 residents.

Select a crime's name to see its map above. CrimeGrade™ business reports map each crime at about 66-meter detail.


Where and when crime happens in Allen County

These figures come from the reports of the police departments across Allen County, 2022 to 2024.

In Allen County, 78% of burglaries hit homes, against 57% nationally. Thefts from cars happen most often at homes: 46% of them, against 34% nationally.

CrimeMost often atBusiest time
BurglaryHomes (78%)Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
Car theftHomes (49%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
Theft from carsHomes (46%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
VandalismHomes (59%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
RobberyHomes (41%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
Aggravated assaultHomes (64%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)

Shares of the crimes reported to police, 2022 to 2024. Reports with no time recorded are left out of the times.


How Allen County compares with nearby counties

Allen County has the most crime of its 10 nearest counties.

Nearby counties

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Allen CountyA-804A-A-101,300
Auglaize County 17 milesA+964A+A+46,100
Putnam County 17 milesA+971A+A+34,300
Hardin County 24 milesA+948A+A+30,500
Clark County 59 milesB+742B+B+135,200
Show all 11
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Van Wert County 24 milesA+925A+A28,800
Mercer County 30 milesA+973A+A+42,500
Shelby County 30 milesA+927A+A47,900
Logan County 32 milesA+959A+A+46,100
Hancock County 32 milesA+925AA+74,900
Paulding County 36 milesA+970A+A+18,800
Defiance County 41 milesA+955A+A+38,300

Nearest first, with each place's distance from Allen County. Beside each overall CrimeGrade™ is its safety score, from 0 to 1,000 (higher is safer).

Compared with counties of similar size and density, Allen County has more crime than 90% of them.

Counties of similar size and density

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Allen CountyA-804A-A-101,300
Sherburne County, MNA+949A+A+100,600
Columbiana County, OHA+933A+A+100,700
Burleigh County, NDA907AA100,600
Laramie County, WYA902AA101,100
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Nevada County, CAA902AA102,500
Grant County, WAA898AA101,800
Craven County, NCA849A-A102,600
Cleveland County, NCA848A-A101,000
Garland County, ARA-831A-A-100,000
Macon County, ILA-821A-A-101,800

Transit, density and walkability in Allen County

One thing sets Allen County apart: it has 4% of its residents in dense blocks, against 24% nationally. Places like that tend to report less robbery; here robbery sits near the national middle.

Transit serviceBuses and trains an hour at the evening rush. Places with busy transit tend to report more theft and robbery. BestNeighborhood's Transit Grade for Allen County: F (3 of 100).NoneUS: noneLower than for 86% of Americans
Residents in dense blocksBlocks of 10,000 or more people per square mile. Dense neighborhoods tend to report more robbery.4% of residentsUS: 24%Lower than for 80% of Americans
Walk GradeBestNeighborhood's grade for getting through daily life on foot, traced along real walking routes to shops, schools and parks. Walkable places tend to report more theft. 85% of residents here live in car-dependent areas.D (13 of 100)US: 21Lower than for 68% of Americans
Show all 6
Stores and restaurantsShops and restaurants draw crowds and parked cars. Places with many stores tend to report more theft.11.2 per 1,000 residentsUS: 10.5Higher than for 71% of Americans
Lit at nightSatellite images show which neighborhoods are lit at night, a sign of busy streets and businesses. Brightly lit places tend to report more theft and vandalism.71% where people liveUS: 78%Lower than for 70% of Americans
Empty homesSeasonal and vacation homes are left out. Places with many empty homes tend to report more burglary and arson.7.4% of homesUS: 7.1%Higher than for 68% of Americans

BestNeighborhood, a sister site of CrimeGrade™, ranks the neighborhoods of Allen County on shops, parks, home prices, getting around and more.

These traits tend to go with more or less crime; none of them causes it on its own. Sources: Census job counts and housing figures, OpenStreetMap and Overture business listings, CrimeGrade™ parking estimates, NASA night-light imagery, US Forest Service tree cover, EPA transit data and BestNeighborhood's Walk Grade.


What crime costs Allen County

Crime costs Allen County about $1,356 a year per household, counting police, courts and prisons as well as victims' losses, 12% more than the US figure of $1,205. The total is about $56 million a year.

Cost of crime per resident, per year

Counting the pain and suffering of victims, which comes almost entirely from violent crime, the full cost rises to about $178 million a year, or $1,755 per resident.

How the cost breaks down
CrimeCost a yearPer resident
Murder$11 million$109
Rape$3.9 million$38
Robbery$990,000$10
Assault$20 million$201
Burglary$3.2 million$31
Theft$8.4 million$83
Vehicle theft$2.0 million$20
Arson$300,000$3
Vandalism$5.4 million$53
Total$56 million$548

How CrimeGrade™ works

A CrimeGrade™ shows how much crime an area has compared with the rest of the country, from A+ for the least crime to F for the most. Every neighborhood in the US is graded on the same scale, so a B in Allen County means the same as a B anywhere else.

CrimeGrade™ starts from the crimes people report to police and measures each kind of crime against what it affects: people for assaults, homes for burglaries, parked cars for car thefts.

The rates on this page count crimes for every 1,000 people who live here, the way police departments report them.

Comparisons with US neighborhoods use the Census Bureau's block groups, small areas of about 1,400 residents, and count the people who live in each. The figures count crimes reported to police; many crimes, shoplifting above all, never are. Behind the grades, CrimeGrade™ tested 21,607 factors from 125 data families. For business owners, paid CrimeGrade™ location reports estimate crime at a single address for each type of business.

Where the numbers come from

  • Crime reports that police departments file with the FBI
  • State crime records and city crime data, where they are published
  • Population and housing figures from the US Census Bureau
  • Published research on what crime costs victims and communities

These are estimates of reported crime for whole areas, not a record of what happened on any one street. CrimeGrade™ updates them once a year and provides them free and without guarantee. Check local sources before you rely on them for a decision.

More about CrimeGrade™ data


Schools in Allen County

Schools in Allen County, OH average a SchoolGrade of B: 64% of students test proficient, against 47% projected for schools like them. Overall, they exceed expectations. See schools in Allen County on SchoolGrade