The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in South Tacoma, Tacoma, WA: Crime Maps and Statistics

Overall Crime Grade™

Violent Crime Grade	D-
Property Crime Grade	F
Other Crime Grade	F

Which crimes are included?

$42.5 million

Cost of Crime™ for South Tacoma, Tacoma, WA

In 2025, crime will cost $2,982 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of South Tacoma 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 Tacoma, Tacoma, WA Safe?

The F overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US neighborhood, where South Tacoma's combined rate is much higher than the norm. South Tacoma sits in the 2nd percentile, ahead of 2% of neighborhoods and behind 98%. The grade covers only South Tacoma's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby neighborhoods.

The overall crime rate in South Tacoma is 112.3 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the west part of the neighborhood the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 3 in the northeast areas to 1 in 16 in the west.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the northeast parts of South Tacoma, Tacoma, WA report the most crime, about 858 cases per year. The west part reports the fewest, around 283 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in South Tacoma, Tacoma, WA

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in South Tacoma for 2025 is $42,536,632, about $1,260 per resident and $2,982 per household. That equals 3.3% of the median household income. These figures cover tangible costs, which include:

Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 59.0%
Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 30.8%
Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 10.2%

How Much Does Crime Cost in South Tacoma Compared to Other Neighborhoods?

South Tacoma, Tacoma, WA:	$1260
New Tacoma, Tacoma, WA:	$1762
Moran Prairie, Spokane, WA:	$324
Washington:	$610
USA:	$464

The overall cost of crime per resident in South Tacoma is $1,260 per year, which is $795 more than the national average and $649 more than Tacoma's city average. The comparison below uses neighborhoods similar to South Tacoma:

In New Tacoma, Tacoma, WA, crime costs $1,762 per person, which is $502 more than in South Tacoma.
In Moran Prairie, Spokane, WA, crime costs $324 per person, which is $936 less than in South Tacoma

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

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

Crime	Cost to South Tacoma	Cost per South Tacoma Resident
Murder	$4.06 million	$120
Rape/Sexual Assault	$1.61 million	$48
Robbery	$2.12 million	$63
Assault	$5.94 million	$176
Kidnapping	$496,505	$15
Vehicle Theft	$9.74 million	$288
Burglary	$3.36 million	$99
Theft	$7.15 million	$212
Arson	$167,927	$5
Vandalism	$6.47 million	$192
Animal Cruelty	$27,794	$1
Drug Crimes	$504,919	$15
Identity Theft	$898,066	$27
Total Cost of Crime	$42,536,632	$1,260

The Intangible Cost of Crime in South Tacoma, Tacoma, WA

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 Tacoma totals $37,366,951 ($1,107 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $79,903,583 ($2,366 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 northeast part of the neighborhood 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 South Tacoma has 3, do the same, and of South Tacoma's 33,770 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 Tacoma, Tacoma, WA at ISP Reports.

South Tacoma 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 Tacoma residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Assault	6.127
Robbery	1.992
Rape	0.7862
Murder	0.0639
Total Violent Crime	8.969 (D-)

Property Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Theft	40.91
Vehicle Theft	18.62
Burglary	10.96
Arson	0.2059
Total Property Crime	70.69 (F)

Other Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Kidnapping	0.2425
Drug Crimes	2.021
Vandalism	26.81
Identity Theft	3.436
Animal Cruelty	0.1113
Total "Other" Rate	32.62 (F)

Individual South Tacoma Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Neighborhoods

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

Nearby Neighborhood	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
South End, Tacoma, WA	F	D	F
Central, Tacoma, WA	F	D-	F
Eastside Enact, Tacoma, WA	D-	D+	D-
New Tacoma, Tacoma, WA	F	F	F
North End, Tacoma, WA	D+	C	D
West End, Tacoma, WA	D+	B-	D+
Woodbrook, Lakewood, WA	F	D-	F
Waller, Tacoma, WA	C-	B	C-
Summit, Puyallup, WA	C-	C+	D+
Northeast Tacoma, Tacoma, WA	B-	B+	B-

Crime Maps and Rates for Neighborhood with Similar Populations

South Tacoma is higher versus other neighborhoods of the same size for crime. The table below compares crime in neighborhoods with comparable overall population in the neighborhood‘s boundaries.

Similar Neighborhood	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Ashburn, Chicago, IL	B+	B+	B+
Deanwood, Washington, DC	D-	F	F
North Side, Mount Vernon, NY	B	C-	C-
Kips Bay, Manhattan, NY	B	C	C
Laurelton, Queens, NY	A	B	B
Millard, Omaha, NE	A	A	A
The Colony, Anaheim, CA	B+	C-	C-
Southwest Arlington, Arlington, TX	C	B	B
Somerton, Philadelphia, PA	A	A+	A+
Silver Lake, Eastmont, WA	C+	A	A

Considering only the crime rate, South Tacoma is less safe than the Washington 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 Tacoma, Tacoma, WA average SchoolGrade of N/A, with N/A% actual proficiency versus 28% projected; overall, schools N/A. See South Tacoma 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.