The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Rocky River, OH
Rocky River is a city of 21,500 in Cuyahoga County, about 9 miles west of downtown Cleveland · Updated November 2026
Is Rocky River, OH safe?
Yes. Crime is low across most of the US, and lower still in Rocky River: an overall CrimeGrade™ of A+, safer than the neighborhoods where 89% of Americans live. Violent and property crime both grade A+ here. Every neighborhood in Rocky River grades A+.
A+
Overall CrimeGrade™
Safety score 958 of 1,000Safer than most US neighborhoodsi What this means
89% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime than Rocky River as a whole, and 11% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a safety score of 838, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. Rocky River scores 958.
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 Rocky River, OH at ISP Reports.
Who this page is for: homeowners and renters in Rocky River, 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 Rocky River
Theft runs low. Rocky River has 4.0 thefts a year per 1,000 residents, less than half the US rate of 13.1.
The safest and least safe parts of Rocky River
Every part of Rocky River where people live grades A or B on the national scale.
100%
A or B 100%
Share of residents, by the overall CrimeGrade™ of the area they live in.
Within Rocky River, the northwest side has the least crime and the east side the most.
Is crime going up in Rocky River?
Reported property crime in Rocky River has risen 69% since 2019. Too few violent crimes are reported here each year for a reliable violent crime trend. Burglaries, thefts and vehicle thefts went from about 2.5 to 4.1 a year per 1,000 residents (US: 18). In 2024 alone, property crime fell 17%.
Property crime, change since 2019
Rocky RiverUnited States
Source: crime reports to the FBI from the police department that serves Rocky River. The charts follow crimes per resident.
Data table
Year
Property, Rocky River
Property, US
2016
+63%
+15%
2017
+50%
+12%
2018
+32%
+4%
2019
+0%
+0%
2020
+3%
-8%
2021
+63%
-10%
2022
+194%
-6%
2023
+105%
-7%
2024
+69%
-15%
Crime rates and types in Rocky River
CrimeGrade™ estimates Rocky River has about 8.7 reported crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, 77% less than the US as a whole and 75% less than 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.
Theft makes up about 46% of crime reported in Rocky River. Assault is less common but costs more, because each one does more harm.
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 Rocky River compares with nearby cities
Rocky River has less crime than 8 of its 9 nearest cities; only Bay Village has less.
Night lighting, transit and walkability in Rocky River
One thing sets Rocky River apart: it has 7 buses and trains an hour at the evening rush, where most Americans have none nearby. Places like that tend to report more theft and robbery, yet theft runs lower here than that would suggest.
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 92% of US city residents
Transit serviceBuses and trains an hour at the evening rush. Places with busy transit tend to report more theft and robbery. BestNeighborhood's Transit Grade for Rocky River: C- (27 of 100).7 trips an hourUS: noneHigher than for 78% 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. 62% of residents here live in car-dependent areas.C- (28 of 100)US: 21Higher than for 78% of US city residents
Show all 6
Parking lotsBig lots at stores, offices and apartment complexes. Places with more lot space tend to report more theft.1.4 spaces per residentUS: 2.0Lower than for 62% of US city residents
Stores and restaurantsShops and restaurants draw crowds and parked cars. Places with many stores tend to report more theft.11.2 per 1,000 residentsUS: 10.5Higher than for 62% of US city residents
JobsJobs draw daytime crowds. Places with many jobs tend to report more theft and robbery.35 for every 100 residentsUS: 45Lower than for 61% 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 Rocky River
Counting police, courts and prisons as well as victims' losses, crime costs Rocky River about $172 a year per household, 86% 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 $4.2 million a year, or $194 per resident.
How the cost breaks down
Crime
Cost a year
Per resident
Murder
$200,000
$9
Rape
$120,000
$6
Robbery
$21,000
$1
Assault
$550,000
$25
Burglary
$160,000
$7
Theft
$440,000
$21
Vehicle theft
$54,000
$2
Arson
$21,000
$1
Vandalism
$120,000
$6
Total
$1.7 million
$78
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 Rocky River 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 Rocky River, OH average a SchoolGrade of A+: 82% of students test proficient, against 61% projected for schools like them. Overall, they exceed expectations. See schools in Rocky River on SchoolGrade
