The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in North Wales, PA
North Wales is a borough of 27,600 in Montgomery County, about 19 miles north of downtown Philadelphia · Updated November 2026
Is North Wales, PA safe?
Yes. Most US neighborhoods have little crime, and North Wales has less than most of them: its overall CrimeGrade™ is A+, safer than the neighborhoods where 81% of Americans live. Violent crime grades better than property crime here, A+ against A. Its neighborhoods are much alike, from A+ to A; see the map below.
A+
Overall CrimeGrade™
Safety score 937 of 1,000Safer than most US neighborhoodsi What this means
81% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime than North Wales as a whole, and 19% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a safety score of 838, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. North Wales scores 937.
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.
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 North Wales, PA at ISP Reports.
Who this page is for: homeowners and renters in North Wales, 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 North Wales
Simple assault runs low. North Wales has 1.1 simple assaults a year per 1,000 residents, a small fraction of the US rate of 9.7.
The safest and least safe parts of North Wales
Every part of North Wales where people live grades A or B on the national scale. Grades across North Wales run from A+ to A; every part of North Wales has less crime than the typical US neighborhood.
100%
A or B 100%
Share of residents, by the overall CrimeGrade™ of the area they live in.
Within North Wales, the west side has the least crime and the northeast side the most.
Crime rates and types in North Wales
CrimeGrade™ estimates North Wales has about 17 reported crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, 55% less than the US as a whole and 42% less than Pennsylvania.
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 North Wales, about 71% of everything reported, and it also accounts for the largest share of what crime costs here.
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.
How North Wales compares with nearby cities
Of the 7 cities closest to North Wales, 4 have less crime. Blue Bell and Chalfont have the least.
Two things set North Wales apart: it has 2.0% of its homes standing empty, against 7.1% nationally, and 17.3 stores and restaurants for every 1,000 residents, against 10.5 nationally. Places with few empty homes tend to report less burglary, vandalism and arson, and burglary and vandalism run low here.
Empty homesSeasonal and vacation homes are left out. Places with many empty homes tend to report more burglary, vandalism and arson.2.0% of homesUS: 7.1%Lower than for 95% of US city residents
Stores and restaurantsShops and restaurants draw crowds and parked cars. Places with many stores tend to report more theft.17.3 per 1,000 residentsUS: 10.5Higher than for 93% of US city residents
Walk GradeBestNeighborhood's grade for getting through daily life on foot, traced along real walking routes to shops, schools and parks. Walkable places tend to report more theft and assault. 72% of residents here live in car-dependent areas.D (18 of 100)US: 21Higher than for 52% of US city residents
Show all 6
JobsJobs draw daytime crowds. Places with many jobs tend to report more theft and robbery.67 for every 100 residentsUS: 45Higher than for 85% of US city residents
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.100% where people liveUS: 78%Higher than for 75% of US city residents
Parking lotsBig lots at stores, offices and apartment complexes. Places with more lot space tend to report more theft.2.0 spaces per residentUS: 2.0Higher than for 63% of US city residents
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 North Wales
Counting police, courts and prisons as well as victims' losses, crime costs North Wales about $335 a year per household, 72% 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 $10 million a year, or $371 per resident.
How the cost breaks down
Crime
Cost a year
Per resident
Murder
$670,000
$24
Rape
$100,000
$4
Robbery
$120,000
$4
Assault
$590,000
$21
Burglary
$130,000
$5
Theft
$1.7 million
$61
Vehicle theft
$160,000
$6
Arson
$15,000
$1
Vandalism
$400,000
$15
Total
$3.9 million
$140
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 North Wales 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
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.
Schools in North Wales, PA average a SchoolGrade of A+: 66% of students test proficient, against 63% projected for schools like them. Overall, they exceed expectations. See schools in North Wales on SchoolGrade
