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

Overall Crime Grade™

Violent Crime Grade	D-
Property Crime Grade	F
Other Crime Grade	F

Which crimes are included?

$24.7 million

Cost of Crime™ for Central, Tacoma, WA

In 2025, crime will cost $2,579 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of Central 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 Central, Tacoma, WA Safe?

The F overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US neighborhood, where Central's combined rate is much higher than the norm. Central sits in the 4th percentile, ahead of 4% of neighborhoods and behind 96%. The grade covers only Central's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby neighborhoods.

The overall crime rate in Central is 91.64 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the northwest part of the neighborhood the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 6 in the southwest areas to 1 in 15 in the northwest.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the southeast parts of Central, Tacoma, WA report the most crime, about 419 cases per year. The east part reports the fewest, around 146 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in Central, Tacoma, WA

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in Central for 2025 is $24,726,507, about $1,084 per resident and $2,579 per household. That equals 2.5% of the median household income. These figures cover tangible costs, which include:

Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 59.1%
Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 30.0%
Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 10.8%

How Much Does Crime Cost in Central Compared to Other Neighborhoods?

Central, Tacoma, WA:	$1084
New Tacoma, Tacoma, WA:	$1762
Moran Prairie, Spokane, WA:	$324
Washington:	$610
USA:	$464

The overall cost of crime per resident in Central is $1,084 per year, which is $620 more than the national average and $474 more than Tacoma's city average. The comparison below uses neighborhoods similar to Central:

In New Tacoma, Tacoma, WA, crime costs $1,762 per person, which is $678 more than in Central.
In Moran Prairie, Spokane, WA, crime costs $324 per person, which is $760 less than in Central

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

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

Crime	Cost to Central	Cost per Central Resident
Murder	$2.68 million	$117
Rape/Sexual Assault	$1.08 million	$47
Robbery	$1.24 million	$54
Assault	$4.82 million	$211
Kidnapping	$333,220	$15
Vehicle Theft	$4.11 million	$180
Burglary	$1.71 million	$75
Theft	$3.69 million	$162
Arson	$117,732	$5
Vandalism	$4.19 million	$184
Animal Cruelty	$16,046	$1
Drug Crimes	$329,596	$14
Identity Theft	$420,705	$18
Total Cost of Crime	$24,726,507	$1,084

The Intangible Cost of Crime in Central, Tacoma, 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 Central totals $24,860,663 ($1,090 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $49,587,170 ($2,174 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 northwest part of the neighborhood 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, of which Central has 2, do the same, and of Central's 22,810 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 Central, Tacoma, WA at ISP Reports.

Central 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 Central residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Assault	7.362
Robbery	1.722
Rape	0.7796
Murder	0.0624
Total Violent Crime	9.926 (D-)

Property Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Theft	31.21
Vehicle Theft	11.64
Burglary	8.246
Arson	0.2137
Total Property Crime	51.31 (F)

Other Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Kidnapping	0.2409
Drug Crimes	1.953
Vandalism	25.73
Identity Theft	2.383
Animal Cruelty	0.0951
Total "Other" Rate	30.40 (F)

Individual Central Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Neighborhoods

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

Nearby Neighborhood	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
New Tacoma, Tacoma, WA	F	F	F
North End, Tacoma, WA	D+	C	D
South Tacoma, Tacoma, WA	F	D-	F
West End, Tacoma, WA	D+	B-	D+
Eastside Enact, Tacoma, WA	D-	D+	D-
South End, Tacoma, WA	F	D	F
Northeast Tacoma, Tacoma, WA	B-	B+	B-
Twin Lakes, Federal Way, WA	B	B+	B
Waller, Tacoma, WA	C-	B	C-
Summit, Puyallup, WA	C-	C+	D+

Crime Maps and Rates for Neighborhood with Similar Populations

Central is higher versus other neighborhoods of the same size for crime. The table below compares crime in neighborhoods with comparable overall population in the neighborhood‘s boundaries.

Similar Neighborhood	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Southeast Boulder, Boulder, CO	D+	B	B
Fort Bend Houston, Missouri City, TX	C	C-	C-
Golden Glades-The Woods, Jacksonville, FL	A+	A+	A+
The Plaza, Long Beach, CA	B+	B-	B-
Tierrasanta, San Diego, CA	A-	B+	B+
Western Branch North, Chesapeake, VA	C+	A-	A-
Arverne, Queens, NY	A-	C	C
North Central Omaha, Omaha, NE	B	A-	A-
Mountain View, El Monte, CA	B	B-	B-
North Gateway, Phoenix, AZ	A+	A	A

Considering only the crime rate, Central 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 Central, Tacoma, WA average SchoolGrade of N/A, with N/A% actual proficiency versus 33% projected; overall, schools N/A. See Central 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 4 hours 11 minutes in Central. Want to protect your home?

Home Security Companies in Central, Tacoma, WA

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.