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

B-

Overall Crime Grade™

Violent Crime Grade	B
Property Crime Grade	B
Other Crime Grade	C

Which crimes are included?

$12.2 million

Cost of Crime™ for Smyth County, VA

In 2025, crime will cost $972 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of Smyth County 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 Smyth County, VA Safe?

The B- overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US county, where Smyth County's combined rate is slightly lower than the norm. Smyth County sits in the 58th percentile, ahead of 58% of counties and behind 42%. The grade covers only Smyth County's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby counties.

The overall crime rate in Smyth County is 27.65 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the south part of the county the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 23 in the north areas to 1 in 56 in the south.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the central parts of Smyth County, VA report the most crime, about 200 cases per year. The west part reports the fewest, around 40 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in Smyth County, VA

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in Smyth County for 2025 is $12,150,922, about $414 per resident and $972 per household. That equals 1.4% of the median household income. These figures cover tangible costs, which include:

Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 57.1%
Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 30.4%
Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 12.4%

How Much Does Crime Cost in Smyth County Compared to Other Counties?

Smyth County, VA:	$414
Portsmouth City, VA:	$867
Loudoun County, VA:	$236
Virginia:	$432
USA:	$464

The overall cost of crime per resident in Smyth County is $414 per year, which is $50 less than the national average and $17 less than Virginia's state average. The comparison below uses counties similar to Smyth County:

In Portsmouth City, VA, crime costs $867 per person, which is $453 more than in Smyth County.
In Loudoun County, VA, crime costs $236 per person, which is $178 less than in Smyth County

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

The table below shows the total cost of crime to the residents of Smyth County for the year 2025 along with the projected cost per resident.

Crime	Cost to Smyth County	Cost per Smyth County Resident
Murder	$3.85 million	$131
Rape/Sexual Assault	$1.15 million	$39
Robbery	$410,011	$14
Assault	$1.64 million	$56
Kidnapping	$317,702	$11
Vehicle Theft	$127,771	$4
Burglary	$607,764	$21
Theft	$1.62 million	$55
Arson	$71,959	$2
Vandalism	$1.28 million	$44
Animal Cruelty	$26,228	$1
Drug Crimes	$940,120	$32
Identity Theft	$100,588	$3
Total Cost of Crime	$12,150,922	$414

The Intangible Cost of Crime in Smyth County, 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 Smyth County totals $31,657,705 ($1,079 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $43,808,627 ($1,493 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 central part of the county 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 Smyth County has 10, do the same, and of Smyth County's 29,339 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 Smyth County, VA at ISP Reports.

Smyth County 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 Smyth County residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Assault	1.943
Robbery	0.4443
Rape	0.6481
Murder	0.0699
Total Violent Crime	3.106 (B)

Property Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Theft	10.69
Vehicle Theft	0.2812
Burglary	2.284
Arson	0.1016
Total Property Crime	13.36 (B)

Other Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Kidnapping	0.1786
Drug Crimes	4.332
Vandalism	6.109
Identity Theft	0.4430
Animal Cruelty	0.1209
Total "Other" Rate	11.18 (C)

Individual Smyth County Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Counties

Compared to surrounding counties, the rate of crime in Smyth County is lower. The table below shows Crime Grades for counties close to Smyth County.

Nearby County	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Tazewell County, VA	C+	C	B-
Washington County, VA	B	B+	B
Grayson County, VA	B	B	B+
Wythe County, VA	B	B+	B+
Ashe County, NC	C+	C	B-
Russell County, VA	C	B-	C-
Johnson County, TN	D+	C-	C-
Alleghany County, NC	D	B-	D
Bland County, VA	D-	B+	F
Bristol City, VA	D	C	D-

Crime Maps and Rates for County with Similar Populations

Smyth County is similar versus other counties of the same size for crime. The table below compares crime in counties with comparable overall population in the county‘s boundaries.

Similar County	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Winneshiek County, IA	B+	B	B
Webster Parish, LA	D+	D-	D-
Wells County, IN	A	A	A
West Baton Rouge Parish, LA	C+	C	C
Wexford County, MI	A-	C+	C+
White County, GA	B-	B-	B-
White County, IN	A	B+	B+
Hendry County, FL	A-	C+	C+
Willacy County, TX	D	D	D
Rockbridge County, VA	B+	A-	A-

Considering only the crime rate, Smyth County is as safe as the Virginia state average and safer than the national average.

Safety and school performance are separate topics, but both shape moving decisions. Using SchoolGrade data, schools in Smyth County, VA average SchoolGrade of B+, with 52% actual proficiency versus 54% projected; overall, schools meet expectations. See Smyth County 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.

Crime By Zip Code Download

Our proprietary data is available for download by zip code or by state in a CSV Flat File. Please visit our download page for pricing and terms.

Download CSV

Home Security

A crime occurs on average every 10 hours 47 minutes in Smyth County. Want to protect your home?

Home Security Companies in Smyth County, 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.