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

C-

Overall Crime Grade™

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

Which crimes are included?

$916.7 million

Cost of Crime™ for Columbus, OH

In 2025, crime will cost $1,051 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of the Columbus area 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, OH Safe?

The C- overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US city, where the Columbus area's combined rate is slightly higher than the norm. Columbus sits in the 33rd percentile, ahead of 33% of cities and behind 67%. The grade covers only the Columbus area's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby cities.

The overall crime rate in the Columbus area is 30.23 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 22 in the central neighborhoods to 1 in 48 in the northeast.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the central parts of Columbus, OH report the most crime, about 18,633 cases per year. The northeast part reports the fewest, around 2,338 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in Columbus, OH

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in Columbus for 2025 is $916,724,520, about $412 per resident and $1,051 per household. That equals 0.9% of the median household income. These figures cover tangible costs, which include:

Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 58.7%
Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 29.2%
Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 12.1%

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

Columbus, OH:	$412
East Cleveland, OH:	$1687
Apple Valley, OH:	$154
Ohio:	$441
USA:	$464

The overall cost of crime per resident in Columbus is $412 per year, which is $52 less than the national average and $29 less than Ohio's state average. The comparison below uses cities similar to Columbus:

In East Cleveland, OH, crime costs $1,687 per person, which is $1,275 more than in Columbus.
In Apple Valley, OH, crime costs $154 per person, which is $259 less than in Columbus

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

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

Crime	Cost to Columbus	Cost per Columbus Resident
Murder	$210.3 million	$95
Rape/Sexual Assault	$117.3 million	$53
Robbery	$32.4 million	$15
Assault	$73.2 million	$33
Kidnapping	$17.6 million	$8
Vehicle Theft	$106.3 million	$48
Burglary	$41.0 million	$18
Theft	$123.0 million	$55
Arson	$4.76 million	$2
Vandalism	$85.0 million	$38
Animal Cruelty	$546,841	$0
Drug Crimes	$68.1 million	$31
Identity Theft	$37.3 million	$17
Total Cost of Crime	$916,724,520	$412

The Intangible Cost of Crime in Columbus, OH

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 totals $1,991,469,400 ($895 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $2,908,193,920 ($1,307 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 central part of the city 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, of which the Columbus area has 1, draw large crowds with few residents nearby, so they read as high-crime spots. Parks and recreational areas, of which the Columbus area has 5, do the same, and of the Columbus area's 2,224,661 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, OH at ISP Reports.

Columbus 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 residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Assault	1.145
Robbery	0.4628
Rape	0.8697
Murder	0.0503
Total Violent Crime	2.528 (B-)

Property Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Theft	10.68
Vehicle Theft	3.085
Burglary	2.033
Arson	0.0887
Total Property Crime	15.88 (C-)

Other Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Kidnapping	0.1302
Drug Crimes	4.137
Vandalism	5.346
Identity Theft	2.168
Animal Cruelty	0.0332
Total "Other" Rate	11.82 (D+)

Individual Columbus Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Cities

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

Nearby City	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Grandview Heights, OH	C-	B+	C+
Upper Arlington, OH	C	A-	C+
Bexley, OH	C-	D-	C+
Valleyview, OH	F	D-	F
Minerva Park, OH	D	B+	D
Whitehall, OH	D-	C-	D
Worthington, OH	D	B+	D+
Gahanna, OH	D	A	D
Lincoln Village, OH	F	C-	F
Urbancrest, OH	F	D-	F

Crime Maps and Rates for City with Similar Populations

Columbus is similar 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
San Jose, CA	C+	C-	C-
Nashville, TN	D	D-	D-
Cleveland, OH	D+	D+	D+
Indianapolis, IN	C+	C+	C+
Milwaukee, WI	D+	D	D
Kansas City, MO	D	D+	D+
Cincinnati, OH	C-	C+	C+
Las Vegas, NV	D	D	D
Austin, TX	C-	C	C
Providence, RI	B-	B	B

Considering only the crime rate, the Columbus area is as safe as the Ohio state average and as safe as the national average.

Safety and school performance are separate topics, but both shape moving decisions. Using SchoolGrade data, schools in Columbus, OH average SchoolGrade of B+, with 48% actual proficiency versus 44% projected; overall, schools exceed expectations. See Columbus 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.