The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Suffolk County, MA: Crime Maps and Statistics

C+

Overall Crime Grade™

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

Which crimes are included?

$354.5 million

Cost of Crime™ for Suffolk County, MA

In 2025, crime will cost $1,059 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of Suffolk 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 Suffolk County, MA Safe?

The C+ overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US county, where Suffolk County's combined rate is about the same as the norm. Suffolk County sits in the 49th percentile, ahead of 49% of counties and behind 51%. The grade covers only Suffolk County's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby counties.

The overall crime rate in Suffolk County is 30.72 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the southwest part of the county the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 25 in the north areas to 1 in 45 in the southwest.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the northeast parts of Suffolk County, MA report the most crime, about 5,162 cases per year. The southeast part reports the fewest, around 365 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in Suffolk County, MA

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in Suffolk County for 2025 is $354,465,374, about $442 per resident and $1,059 per household. That equals 0.8% of the median household income. These figures cover tangible costs, which include:

Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 56.8%
Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 31.3%
Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 11.9%

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

Suffolk County, MA:	$442
Berkshire County, MA:	$335
Plymouth County, MA:	$221
Massachusetts:	$274
USA:	$464

The overall cost of crime per resident in Suffolk County is $442 per year, which is $22 less than the national average and $168 more than Massachusetts's state average. The comparison below uses counties similar to Suffolk County:

In Berkshire County, MA, crime costs $335 per person, which is $107 less than in Suffolk County.
In Plymouth County, MA, crime costs $221 per person, which is $222 less than in Suffolk County

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

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

Crime	Cost to Suffolk County	Cost per Suffolk County Resident
Murder	$68.6 million	$86
Rape/Sexual Assault	$24.2 million	$30
Robbery	$15.2 million	$19
Assault	$104.0 million	$130
Kidnapping	$4.00 million	$5
Vehicle Theft	$15.8 million	$20
Burglary	$12.9 million	$16
Theft	$44.9 million	$56
Arson	$1.06 million	$1
Vandalism	$51.7 million	$65
Animal Cruelty	$156,765	$0
Drug Crimes	$8.61 million	$11
Identity Theft	$3.46 million	$4
Total Cost of Crime	$354,465,374	$442

The Intangible Cost of Crime in Suffolk County, MA

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 Suffolk County totals $605,512,911 ($756 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $959,978,285 ($1,198 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, of which Suffolk County has 1, draw large crowds with few residents nearby, so they read as high-crime spots. Parks and recreational areas, of which Suffolk County has 192, do the same, and of Suffolk County's 801,397 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 Suffolk County, MA at ISP Reports.

Suffolk 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 Suffolk County residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Assault	4.519
Robbery	0.6012
Rape	0.4984
Murder	0.0456
Total Violent Crime	5.664 (D)

Property Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Theft	10.81
Vehicle Theft	1.269
Burglary	1.768
Arson	0.0548
Total Property Crime	13.90 (B-)

Other Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Kidnapping	0.0823
Drug Crimes	1.452
Vandalism	9.036
Identity Theft	0.5578
Animal Cruelty	0.0264
Total "Other" Rate	11.15 (C)

Individual Suffolk County Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Counties

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

Nearby County	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Norfolk County, MA	A	A-	A
Middlesex County, MA	A	B+	A-
Essex County, MA	A	B	A
Plymouth County, MA	A+	B+	A
Worcester County, MA	A	B	A
Providence County, RI	B+	A-	B
Hillsborough County, NH	A-	A+	A
Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT	A	A+	B+
Cheshire County, NH	B+	A+	A-
Hampshire County, MA	A	B	A

Crime Maps and Rates for County with Similar Populations

Suffolk County is lower 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
Sacramento County, CA	C-	D	D
Philadelphia County, PA	C+	C	C
Wayne County, MI	D	F	F
Jefferson County, MO	B	B-	B-
Jefferson County, AL	D+	D+	D+
Jefferson County, CO	D-	D+	D+
Hays County, TX	B+	B+	B+
Davidson County, TN	F	F	F
Hawaii County, HI	D+	B-	B-
Dauphin County, PA	A-	A-	A-

Considering only the crime rate, Suffolk County is less safe than the Massachusetts state average and as safe as the national average.

Safety and school performance are separate topics, but both shape moving decisions. Using SchoolGrade data, schools in Suffolk County, MA average SchoolGrade of D+, with 30% actual proficiency versus 32% projected; overall, schools don't meet expectations. See Suffolk 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.

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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.