The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Dayton, OH

The Dayton metro area, the 75th-largest in the US, is home to 816,100 residents · Updated November 2026

Is Dayton, OH safe?

Crime in the Dayton area is moderate, with an overall CrimeGrade™ of B+. Most US neighborhoods have little crime: 63% of Americans live in neighborhoods with less crime than the Dayton area. Property crime grades better than violent crime here, A- against B+. The city of Dayton itself grades C-. What matters most is the neighborhood: grades within the Dayton area run from A+ to F, so check the map or the safest and least safe places below.

B+
Overall CrimeGrade™Safety score 755 of 1,000
Less safe than most US neighborhoods What this means

37% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime than the Dayton area as a whole, and 63% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a safety score of 838, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. The Dayton area scores 755.

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.

B+
Violent crimeSafety score 740 of 1,000More violent crime than most US neighborhoods
A-
Property crimeSafety score 780 of 1,000About as much property crime as the typical US neighborhood

How it works

Crime map of the Dayton area

Map of the Dayton area 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 Dayton, OH at ISP Reports.

Who this page is for: homeowners and renters in the Dayton area, 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 the Dayton area

One part of Dayton stands out for vehicle theft. Car thefts in Eastern Hills, Linden Heights & Burkhardt, in east Dayton, run at about triple the rate in the rest of the city.

The safest and most dangerous places in the Dayton area

Low crime is the norm across the Dayton area: 82% of residents live in areas graded A or B, and 13% in areas graded D or F. Grades across the Dayton area run from A+ to F; 63% of residents live in areas with less crime than the typical US neighborhood.

A or B 82%C 5%D or F 13%

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

Neighborhoods of Dayton

  1. 1University Park, southCar thefts run at a small fraction of the rate in the rest of Dayton.A866
  2. 2Belmont, Oakwood & Shroyer Park, southeastRobberies run at a small fraction of the rate in the rest of Dayton.A-818
  3. 3Old North Dayton, Forest Ridge-Quail Hollow & Pheasant Hill, northeastCar thefts run about 40% lower here than in the rest of Dayton.B-550
  4. 4Germantown Meadow, Fairlane & Highview Hills, southwestCar thefts run about 40% lower here than in the rest of Dayton.C405
  5. 5Downtown Dayton, South Park & Oregon, centralRobberies run at about half the rate in the rest of Dayton.C-308
  6. 6North Riverdale, Five Oaks & Northridge Estates, northBurglaries run about 70% higher here than in the rest of Dayton.D230
  7. 7Eastern Hills, Linden Heights & Burkhardt, eastThefts run at about triple the rate in the rest of Dayton.F33
  8. 8Hillcrest, Northern Hills & Greenwich Village, northwestRobberies run at more than double the rate in the rest of Dayton.F0
  9. 9West Wood, Residence Park & Southern Dayton View, westMurders run at more than triple the rate in the rest of Dayton.F0

Neighborhood areas of the city of Dayton, ranked by overall CrimeGrade™; beside each grade is its safety score, from 0 to 1,000 (higher is safer). Each one combines several of the smaller areas on the map.

Cities and towns in the metro area

Least crime

  1. 1Conover1,030A+969
  2. 2Gratis1,280A+968
  3. 3Cedarville5,490A+968
  4. 4Casstown1,300A+965
  5. 5Laura1,350A+964

Most crime

  1. 1Trotwood23,700C-377
  2. 2Moraine6,320B+715
  3. 3Piqua24,400B+758
  4. 4West Carrollton13,400A-774
  5. 5Riverside25,000A-798

Cities and towns in the Dayton metro area 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 area, the Xenia and Bellbrook areas have the least crime and the Trotwood and New Lebanon areas the most.

Is crime going up in the Dayton area?

Since 2019, reported violent crime in the Dayton area is up 12%, while property crime has held about steady. Murders, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults went from about 3.3 to 3.7 a year per 1,000 residents (US: 3.7); burglaries, thefts and vehicle thefts from about 21 to 20 (US: 18). Neither changed much from 2023 to 2024.

Violent crime, change since 2019

Property crime, change since 2019

Dayton areaUnited States

Source: crime reports to the FBI from the police departments across the Dayton area. The charts follow crimes per resident.

Data table
YearViolent, Dayton areaViolent, USProperty, Dayton areaProperty, US
2016-7%+4%+29%+15%
2017-12%+4%+15%+12%
2018-5%+0%+12%+4%
2019+0%+0%+0%+0%
2020+8%+4%-7%-8%
2021-2%+6%-15%-10%
2022+4%+5%-6%-6%
2023+2%+2%+1%-7%
2024+12%-4%-8%-15%

Crime rates and types in the Dayton area

CrimeGrade™ estimates the Dayton area has about 39 reported crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, about the same as the US as a whole and close to 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.

Assault is the most common crime in the Dayton area, about 34% of everything reported, and it also accounts for the largest share of what crime costs here.

CrimeCrimeGrade™Reported a yearPer 1,000 residentsUS per 1,000
Violent crime
MurderA-540.070.05
RapeB+4010.490.38
RobberyA-4820.590.62
AssaultB+10,78013.212.3
Property crime
BurglaryA-2,2582.82.4
TheftB+10,34912.713.1
Vehicle theftA-3,1893.92.7
ArsonA930.110.12
VandalismA-4,2495.25.5

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 the Dayton area

These figures come from the reports of the police departments across the Dayton area, 2022 to 2024.

In the Dayton area, 68% of burglaries hit homes, against 57% nationally. Thefts from cars happen most often at homes: 29% of them, against 34% nationally.

CrimeMost often atBusiest time
BurglaryHomes (68%)Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
Car theftStreets and sidewalks (33%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
Theft from carsHomes (29%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
VandalismHomes (42%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
RobberyStreets and sidewalks (32%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
Aggravated assaultHomes (56%)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 the Dayton area compares with nearby metro areas

The Dayton area has less crime than 6 of its 10 nearest metro areas.

Nearby metro areas

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Dayton areaB+755B+A-816,100
Cincinnati 44 milesA-831A-A-2.27 million
Columbus 66 milesA-774A-A-2.18 million
Indianapolis 104 milesB+737B+A-2.13 million
Louisville 134 milesB+728B+B+1.37 million
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Toledo 137 milesB+739BA-602,300
Akron 168 milesA-792A-A-699,800
Cleveland 178 milesB+736B+A-2.17 million
Detroit 192 milesB+703BA-4.38 million
Pittsburgh 228 milesA866AA2.44 million
Chicago 235 milesB688BB+9.37 million

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

Compared with metro areas of similar size and density, the Dayton area has more crime than 73% of them.

Metro areas of similar size and density

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Dayton areaB+755B+A-816,100
Des MoinesA879AA731,100
Fort MyersA865A-A817,700
KnoxvilleA861A-A932,200
SarasotaA-838A-A889,300
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
LakelandA-832A-A790,700
Daytona BeachA-830A-A706,200
ColumbiaA-796A-A-849,200
GreensboroB+751B+A-786,400
Baton RougeB+736B+B+875,300
Little RockB688BB+758,600

Density, empty homes and night lighting in the Dayton area

One thing sets the Dayton area apart: it has 9% of its residents in dense blocks, against 24% nationally. Places like that tend to report less robbery and car theft, yet robbery and car theft run higher here than that would suggest.

Residents in dense blocksBlocks of 10,000 or more people per square mile. Dense neighborhoods tend to report more robbery and car theft.9% of residentsUS: 24%Lower than for 83% of Americans in metro areas
Empty homesSeasonal and vacation homes are left out. Places with many empty homes tend to report more burglary.7.1% of homesUS: 7.1%Higher than for 72% of Americans in metro areas
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.90% where people liveUS: 78%Higher than for 59% of Americans in metro areas
Show all 4
Transit serviceBuses and trains an hour at the evening rush. Places with busy transit tend to report more robbery. BestNeighborhood's Transit Grade for the Dayton area: D- (12 of 100).4 trips an hourUS: noneLower than for 52% of Americans in metro areas

BestNeighborhood, a sister site of CrimeGrade™, ranks the neighborhoods of the Dayton area on shops, parks, home prices, getting around and more. Its Walk Grade for the Dayton area is D (15 of 100).

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 the Dayton area

Counting police, courts and prisons as well as victims' losses, crime costs the Dayton area about $1,226 a year per household, about the same as the US figure of $1,205. The total is about $416 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 $1.42 billion a year, or $1,737 per resident.

How the cost breaks down
CrimeCost a yearPer resident
Murder$100 million$123
Rape$24 million$30
Robbery$15 million$18
Assault$122 million$150
Burglary$20 million$25
Theft$53 million$65
Vehicle theft$49 million$60
Arson$2.2 million$3
Vandalism$30 million$37
Total$416 million$510

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 the Dayton area 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. These figures cover the whole Dayton metro area. 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
  • The Dayton Police Department publishes its own crime data

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 the Dayton area

Schools in the Dayton area average a SchoolGrade of C+: 58% of students test proficient, against 46% projected for schools like them. Overall, they meet expectations. See schools in the Dayton area on SchoolGrade