Crime in Highland Beach, MD

Highland Beach is a town of 118 in Anne Arundel County, about 25 miles south of downtown Baltimore · Updated November 2026

Is Highland Beach, MD safe?

Yes. Crime is low across most of the US, and lower still in Highland Beach: an overall CrimeGrade™ of A, safer than the neighborhoods where 62% of Americans live. Violent and property crime both grade A here.

A
Overall CrimeGrade™Safety score 886 of 1,000
Safer than most US neighborhoods What this means

62% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime than Highland Beach as a whole, and 38% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a safety score of 838, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. Highland Beach scores 886.

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 892 of 1,000About as much violent crime as the typical US neighborhood
A
Property crimeSafety score 876 of 1,000Less property crime than most US neighborhoods

How it works


Crime map of Highland Beach

Map of Highland Beach 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 Highland Beach, MD at ISP Reports.

Who this page is for: homeowners and renters in Highland Beach, 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 Highland Beach

Car thefts happen at homes far more often than nationally. In Highland Beach, 67% of reported car thefts happen at homes, against 33% nationally.


Crime rates and types in Highland Beach

CrimeGrade™ estimates Highland Beach has about 21 reported crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, 42% less than the US as a whole and 48% less than Maryland.

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.

Theft is the most common crime in Highland Beach, about 45% of everything reported.

CrimeCrimeGrade™Reported a yearPer 1,000 residentsUS per 1,000
Violent crime
MurderAunder 10.040.05
RapeAunder 10.150.38
RobberyA+under 10.070.62
AssaultAunder 15.312.3
Property crime
BurglaryA+under 11.12.4
TheftA-19.713.1
Vehicle theftAunder 11.92.7
ArsonA+under 10.030.12
VandalismAunder 13.25.5

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 Highland Beach

The Anne Arundel County Police Department polices Highland Beach, and these figures cover every place it serves, 2022 to 2024.

In Highland Beach, 60% of burglaries hit homes, against 57% nationally. Thefts from cars happen most often at homes: 67% of them, against 34% nationally.

CrimeMost often atBusiest time
BurglaryHomes (60%)Night (midnight to 6 am)
Car theftHomes (67%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
Theft from carsHomes (67%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
VandalismHomes (57%)Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
RobberyStores and businesses (57%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
Aggravated assaultHomes (67%)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 Highland Beach compares with nearby cities

Highland Beach has less crime than 5 of its 10 nearest cities.

Nearby cities

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Highland BeachA886AA118
Annapolis Neck 1 mileA-838AA-12,500
Mayo 3 milesA883AA8,690
Annapolis 4 milesB+699BB+57,800
Edgewater 5 milesA-832AA-11,900
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Parole 6 milesA870AA-16,700
Riva 6 milesA890A+A-4,840
Shady Side 7 milesA895AA3,130
Galesville 7 milesA+947A+A+770
Romancoke on the Bay 7 milesA+968A+A+441
Stevensville 8 milesA+945A+A+13,500

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

Compared with cities of similar size and density, Highland Beach has more crime than 98% of them.

Cities of similar size and density

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Highland BeachA886AA118
Jelm, WYA+995A+A+118
Melcher, IAA+991A+A+118
Breezy Hill, LAA+990A+A+118
DeBlois, MEA+990A+A+118
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Merritt, ILA+989A+A+118
Wawbeek, NHA+988A+A+118
Canoncito, NMA+984A+A+118
Stoverville, ARA+982A+A+118
Spanglin, KYA+976A+A+118
West Andover, OHA+949A+A+118

What crime costs Highland Beach

Crime costs Highland Beach about $397 a year per household, counting police, courts and prisons as well as victims' losses, 67% less than the US figure of $1,205.

Cost of crime per resident, per year

Counting the pain and suffering of victims, which comes almost entirely from violent crime, the full cost comes to about $95,000 a year, or $810 per resident.

How the cost breaks down
CrimeCost a yearPer resident
Murder$8,000$68
Rape$1,100$9
Robbery$270$2
Assault$6,600$56
Burglary$1,200$10
Theft$5,800$50
Vehicle theft$3,300$28
Arson$97$1
Vandalism$2,700$23
Total$29,000$247

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 Highland Beach 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 Highland Beach

Schools in Highland Beach, MD average a SchoolGrade of A-: 46% of students test proficient, against 43% projected for schools like them. Overall, they exceed expectations. See schools in Highland Beach on SchoolGrade