The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Norfolk, VA: Crime Maps and Statistics

Crime per Capita in Norfolk

This overview combines violent, property, and other offenses into a single grade for Norfolk. The dedicated violent crime and property crime pages go deeper on each. The map below shows the overall crime rate per 1,000 residents.

 

Norfolk, VA Map of Crime Rates
Click the map to explore
A+ B C D F
Safest Highest crime
Colorblind friendly off

D

Overall Crime Grade™

C-
D-
Other Crime Grade
D+

$153.3 million

Cost of Crime™ for Norfolk, VA

In 2025, crime will cost $1,537 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of Norfolk 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 Norfolk, VA Safe?

The D overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US city, where Norfolk's combined rate is higher than the norm. Norfolk sits in the 16th percentile, ahead of 16% of cities and behind 84%. The grade covers only Norfolk's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby cities.

The overall crime rate in Norfolk is 41.33 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the northwest part of the city the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 13 in the southwest neighborhoods to 1 in 40 in the northwest.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the southwest parts of Norfolk, VA report the most crime, about 1,602 cases per year. The central part reports the fewest, around 706 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in Norfolk, VA

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in Norfolk for 2025 is $153,291,914, about $641 per resident and $1,537 per household. That equals 1.7% of the median household income. These figures cover tangible costs, which include:
  1. Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 52.8%
  2. Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 36.0%
  3. Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 11.2%

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

Norfolk, VA: $641
Emporia, VA: $1033
Round Hill, VA: $132
Virginia: $432
USA: $464

The overall cost of crime per resident in Norfolk is $641 per year, which is $176 more than the national average and $209 more than Virginia's state average. The comparison below uses cities similar to Norfolk:
  • In Emporia, VA, crime costs $1,033 per person, which is $392 more than in Norfolk.
  • In Round Hill, VA, crime costs $132 per person, which is $509 less than in Norfolk

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

The table below shows the total cost of crime to the residents of Norfolk for the year 2025 along with the projected cost per resident.
Crime
Cost to Norfolk
Cost per Norfolk Resident
Murder
$55.6 million
$232
Rape/Sexual Assault
$9.41 million
$39
Robbery
$3.81 million
$16
Assault
$16.5 million
$69
Kidnapping
$3.58 million
$15
Vehicle Theft
$15.4 million
$64
Burglary
$3.61 million
$15
Theft
$24.4 million
$102
Arson
$451,733
$2
Vandalism
$11.9 million
$50
Animal Cruelty
$411,615
$2
Drug Crimes
$7.06 million
$30
Identity Theft
$1.10 million
$5
Total Cost of Crime
$153,291,914
$641

The Intangible Cost of Crime in Norfolk, VA

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 Norfolk totals $418,781,599 ($1,750 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $572,073,513 ($2,391 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 southwest 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 draw large crowds with few residents nearby, so they read as high-crime spots. Parks and recreational areas, of which Norfolk has 40, do the same, and of Norfolk's 239,275 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 Norfolk, VA at ISP Reports.

Norfolk 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 Norfolk residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type
Crime Rate
Assault
2.408
Robbery
0.5068
Rape
0.6483
Murder
0.1236
Total Violent Crime
3.687 (C-)
 
 

 


Property Crime Rates

Crime Type
Crime Rate
Theft
19.71
Vehicle Theft
4.150
Burglary
1.665
Arson
0.0782
Total Property Crime
25.60 (D-)
 
 

 


Other Crime Rates

Crime Type
Crime Rate
Kidnapping
0.2467
Drug Crimes
3.989
Vandalism
6.986
Identity Theft
0.5925
Animal Cruelty
0.2326
Total "Other" Rate
12.05 (D+)

 


Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Cities

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

Nearby City
Overall Crime Grade
Violent Crime Grade
Property Crime Grade
D-
D
F
C
C+
C-
D+
C+
D+
B
A-
B-
C-
C
C-
C
C+
D+
B-
C+
B-
C-
C+
D
C
C+
C-
B+
B
B+

Crime Maps and Rates for City with Similar Populations

Norfolk 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
F
C-
C-
C+
D-
D-
C+
B-
B-
D-
C
C
D+
F
F
D+
D
D
C
C+
C+
B-
C+
C+
D-
D
D
F
D+
D+

Considering only the crime rate, Norfolk is less safe than the Virginia 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 Norfolk, VA average SchoolGrade of B-, with 41% actual proficiency versus 33% projected; overall, schools greatly exceed expectations. See Norfolk 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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Home Security

A crime occurs on average every 53 minutes in Norfolk. Want to protect your home?

Home Security Companies in Norfolk, VA

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.