The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in South Bethany, DE: Crime Maps and Statistics

Overall Crime Grade™

Violent Crime Grade	B
Property Crime Grade	D+
Other Crime Grade	D-

Which crimes are included?

$181,264

Cost of Crime™ for South Bethany, DE

In 2025, crime will cost $726 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of South Bethany 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 South Bethany, DE Safe?

The D overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US city, where South Bethany's combined rate is higher than the norm. South Bethany sits in the 21st percentile, ahead of 21% of cities and behind 79%. The grade covers only South Bethany's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby cities.

The overall crime rate in South Bethany is 37.39 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the north part of the city the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 21 in the central neighborhoods to 1 in 43 in the north.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the west parts of South Bethany, DE report the most crime, about 7 cases per year. The south part reports the fewest, around 0 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in South Bethany, DE

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in South Bethany for 2025 is $181,264, about $432 per resident and $726 per household. That equals 0.4% of the median household income. These figures cover tangible costs, which include:

Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 63.3%
Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 24.8%
Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 11.9%

How Much Does Crime Cost in South Bethany Compared to Other Cities?

South Bethany, DE:	$432
Edgemoor, DE:	$777
Frankford, DE:	$253
Delaware:	$514
USA:	$464

The overall cost of crime per resident in South Bethany is $432 per year, which is $33 less than the national average and $83 less than Delaware's state average. The comparison below uses cities similar to South Bethany:

In Edgemoor, DE, crime costs $777 per person, which is $345 more than in South Bethany.
In Frankford, DE, crime costs $253 per person, which is $179 less than in South Bethany

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

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

Crime	Cost to South Bethany	Cost per South Bethany Resident
Murder	$39,450	$94
Rape/Sexual Assault	$13,022	$31
Robbery	$5,318	$13
Assault	$18,173	$43
Kidnapping	$4,693	$11
Vehicle Theft	$4,301	$10
Burglary	$11,893	$28
Theft	$30,058	$72
Arson	$2,284	$5
Vandalism	$19,564	$47
Animal Cruelty	$4,014	$10
Drug Crimes	$23,372	$56
Identity Theft	$5,123	$12
Total Cost of Crime	$181,264	$432

The Intangible Cost of Crime in South Bethany, DE

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 South Bethany totals $331,045 ($788 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $512,309 ($1,220 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 city holds few 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 South Bethany has 1, do the same, and of South Bethany's 420 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 South Bethany, DE at ISP Reports.

South Bethany 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 South Bethany residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Assault	1.507
Robbery	0.4025
Rape	0.5113
Murder	0.0500
Total Violent Crime	2.470 (B)

Property Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Theft	13.82
Vehicle Theft	0.6613
Burglary	3.122
Arson	0.2252
Total Property Crime	17.83 (D+)

Other Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Kidnapping	0.1843
Drug Crimes	7.523
Vandalism	6.520
Identity Theft	1.576
Animal Cruelty	1.292
Total "Other" Rate	17.10 (D-)

Individual South Bethany Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Cities

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

Nearby City	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Bethany Beach, DE	F	D-	F
Ocean View, DE	C	A	B
Millville, DE	A-	A+	A+
Fenwick Island, DE	F	F	F
Selbyville, DE	C+	B-	B
Frankford, DE	B	A	A
Dagsboro, DE	D+	A	D
Ocean City, MD	F	F	F
Long Neck, DE	C	B	B-
Bishopville, MD	B-	C	B+

Crime Maps and Rates for City with Similar Populations

South Bethany is higher 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
Mining City, KY	D	D	D
Micawber, OK	C-	B+	B+
Middle Lancaster, PA	A-	A	A
Middletown Heights, KY	B+	A+	A+
Milan Center, IN	A-	B	B
Miller, OK	B	C-	C-
Milligan, NE	D	C	C
Millville, NY	D+	F	F
Milo, CA	F	F	F
Micaville, AL	D+	C	C

Considering only the crime rate, South Bethany is safer than the Delaware 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 South Bethany, DE average SchoolGrade of C+, with 40% actual proficiency versus 46% projected; overall, schools underperform expectations. See South Bethany 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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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.