The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Columbus City, IA: Crime Maps and Statistics

C+

Overall Crime Grade™

Violent Crime Grade	C-
Property Crime Grade	B-
Other Crime Grade	C-

Which crimes are included?

$249,355

Cost of Crime™ for Columbus City, IA

In 2025, crime will cost $782 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of Columbus City 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 Columbus City, IA Safe?

The C+ overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US city, where Columbus City's combined rate is about the same as the norm. Columbus City sits in the 48th percentile, ahead of 48% of cities and behind 52%. The grade covers only Columbus City's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby cities.

The overall crime rate in Columbus City is 24.51 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the northeast part of the city the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 31 in the northwest neighborhoods to 1 in 73 in the northeast.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the northeast parts of Columbus City, IA report the most crime, about 4 cases per year. The south part reports the fewest, around 0 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in Columbus City, IA

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in Columbus City for 2025 is $249,355, about $316 per resident and $782 per household. That equals 0.8% of the median household income. These figures cover tangible costs, which include:

Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 61.4%
Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 26.0%
Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 12.5%

How Much Does Crime Cost in Columbus City Compared to Other Cities?

Columbus City, IA:	$316
Shenandoah, IA:	$542
Norwalk, IA:	$145
Iowa:	$326
USA:	$464

The overall cost of crime per resident in Columbus City is $316 per year, which is $148 less than the national average and $10 less than Iowa's state average. The comparison below uses cities similar to Columbus City:

In Shenandoah, IA, crime costs $542 per person, which is $226 more than in Columbus City.
In Norwalk, IA, crime costs $145 per person, which is $171 less than in Columbus City

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

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

Crime	Cost to Columbus City	Cost per Columbus City Resident
Murder	$23,572	$30
Rape/Sexual Assault	$35,107	$44
Robbery	$6,222	$8
Assault	$59,082	$75
Kidnapping	$5,597	$7
Vehicle Theft	$16,024	$20
Burglary	$13,829	$18
Theft	$30,967	$39
Arson	$2,663	$3
Vandalism	$32,274	$41
Animal Cruelty	$382	$0
Drug Crimes	$21,876	$28
Identity Theft	$1,761	$2
Total Cost of Crime	$249,355	$316

The Intangible Cost of Crime in Columbus City, IA

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 Columbus City totals $343,319 ($435 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $592,673 ($751 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 city holds few 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 Columbus City's 789 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 Columbus City, IA at ISP Reports.

Columbus City 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 Columbus City residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Assault	2.607
Robbery	0.2507
Rape	0.7338
Murder	0.0159
Total Violent Crime	3.608 (C-)

Property Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Theft	7.578
Vehicle Theft	1.312
Burglary	1.932
Arson	0.1398
Total Property Crime	10.96 (B-)

Other Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Kidnapping	0.1170
Drug Crimes	3.748
Vandalism	5.726
Identity Theft	0.2883
Animal Cruelty	0.0654
Total "Other" Rate	9.945 (C-)

Individual Columbus City Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Cities

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

Nearby City	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Columbus Junction, IA	C-	C-	C-
Fredonia, IA	B-	B+	C+
Cotter, IA	B	B	B
Wyman, IA	A+	A	A+
Letts, IA	A+	A-	A+
Crawfordsville, IA	B	A	C+
Winfield, IA	D+	F	C-
Conesville, IA	A-	A	A-
Haskins, IA	C+	A+	C-
Grandview, IA	B+	C+	A

Crime Maps and Rates for City with Similar Populations

Columbus City is higher versus other cities of the same size for crime. 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
Quasqueton, IA	A	C-	C-
Neola, PA	B+	B+	B+
Neola, UT	C	C-	C-
New Martinsburg, OH	A-	A-	A-
Norwood, IL	B+	A	A
Palermo, ME	A+	A+	A+
Pembroke, NH	A-	A+	A+
Pippa Passes, KY	D+	B	B
Potrero, CA	D-	F	F
Powell, MO	C-	C-	C-

Considering only the crime rate, Columbus City is as safe as the Iowa state average and safer than the national average.

Safety and school performance are separate topics, but both shape moving decisions. Using SchoolGrade data, schools in Columbus City, IA average SchoolGrade of B+, with 51% actual proficiency versus 49% projected; overall, schools exceed expectations. See Columbus City 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 18 days 20 hours in Columbus City. Want to protect your home?

Home Security Companies in Columbus City, IA

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.