Crime in Union County, IN

Union County is home to 6,980 residents and includes Liberty and West College Corner · Updated November 2026

Is Union County, IN safe?

Yes. Crime is low across most of the US, and lower still in Union County: an overall CrimeGrade™ of A+, safer than the neighborhoods where 94% of Americans live. Violent and property crime both grade A+ here. Its neighborhoods are much alike, from A+ to A; see the map below.

A+
Overall CrimeGrade™Safety score 972 of 1,000
Safer than nearly all US neighborhoods What this means

94% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime than Union County as a whole, and 6% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a safety score of 838, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. Union County scores 972.

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.

A+
Violent crimeSafety score 974 of 1,000Less violent crime than nearly all US neighborhoods
A+
Property crimeSafety score 967 of 1,000Less property crime than nearly all US neighborhoods

How it works


Crime map of Union County

Map of Union County shaded by overall CrimeGrade™, from green for the least crime to red for the most
Click the map to explore
F D C B A+
Highest crime Safest
Colorblind friendly off

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 Union County, IN at ISP Reports.

Who this page is for: homeowners and renters in Union County, 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 Union County

Thefts are uncommon. Union County has thefts at less than half the US rate: 4.5 a year per 1,000 residents, against 13.1 nationally.


Crime rates and types in Union County

CrimeGrade™ estimates Union County has about 18 reported crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, 51% less than the US as a whole and 42% less than Indiana.

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.

Assault is the most common crime in Union County, about 40% of everything reported, and it also accounts for the largest share of what crime costs here.

CrimeCrimeGrade™Reported a yearPer 1,000 residentsUS per 1,000
Violent crime
MurderA+under 10.010.05
RapeA+20.330.38
RobberyA+under 10.040.62
AssaultA+517.312.3
Property crime
BurglaryA+50.692.4
TheftA+314.513.1
Vehicle theftA+40.642.7
ArsonA+under 10.040.12
VandalismA+324.65.5

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 Union County compares with nearby counties

Union County has less crime than 9 of its 10 nearest counties; only Franklin County has less.

Nearby counties

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Union CountyA+972A+A+6,980
Fayette County 12 milesA905AA23,300
Wayne County 16 milesA907AA+66,400
Franklin County 17 milesA+978A+A+23,000
Preble County, OH 18 milesA+959A+A+40,800
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Butler County, OH 27 milesA871AA392,900
Rush County 30 milesA+969A+A+16,700
Dearborn County 33 milesA+959A+A+51,100
Henry County 34 milesA+960A+A+49,000
Ripley County 35 milesA+967A+A+29,100
Decatur County 37 milesA+961A+A+26,400

Nearest first, with each place's distance from Union County. Beside each overall CrimeGrade™ is its safety score, from 0 to 1,000 (higher is safer).

Compared with counties of similar size and density, Union County has more crime than 60% of them.

Counties of similar size and density

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Union CountyA+972A+A+6,980
Blaine County, MTA+994A+A+6,950
Pocahontas County, IAA+993A+A+7,050
Nemaha County, NEA+989A+A+7,050
Kit Carson County, COA+986A+A+7,020
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Powell County, MTA+982A+A+7,050
Bailey County, TXA+978A+A+6,910
Wabaunsee County, KSA+977A+A+7,010
Brooks County, TXA+975A+A+6,940
Huerfano County, COA+968A+A+6,970
Swisher County, TXA+946A+A+6,940

Jobs, density and walkability in Union County

Two things set Union County apart: it has 16 jobs for every 100 residents, against 45 for the US as a whole, and 1% of its residents in dense blocks, against 24% nationally. Places like that tend to report less theft and robbery, and theft runs low here.

JobsJobs draw daytime crowds. Places with many jobs tend to report more theft and robbery.16 for every 100 residentsUS: 45Lower than for 99% of Americans
Residents in dense blocksBlocks of 10,000 or more people per square mile. Dense neighborhoods tend to report more robbery.1% of residentsUS: 24%Lower than for 96% of Americans
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. 85% of residents here live in car-dependent areas.D- (11 of 100)US: 21Lower than for 76% of Americans
Show all 6
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.31% where people liveUS: 78%Lower than for 93% of Americans
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 Union County: F (0 of 100).NoneUS: noneLower than for 86% of Americans
Empty homesSeasonal and vacation homes are left out. Places with many empty homes tend to report more burglary and arson.9.2% of homesUS: 7.1%Higher than for 82% of Americans

BestNeighborhood, a sister site of CrimeGrade™, ranks the neighborhoods of Union County on shops, parks, home prices, getting around and more.

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 Union County

Crime costs Union County about $439 a year per household, counting police, courts and prisons as well as victims' losses, 64% 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 $3.6 million a year, or $511 per resident.

How the cost breaks down
CrimeCost a yearPer resident
Murder$140,000$21
Rape$140,000$20
Robbery$8,700$1
Assault$490,000$70
Burglary$44,000$6
Theft$160,000$23
Vehicle theft$68,000$10
Arson$7,100$1
Vandalism$230,000$32
Total$1.3 million$184

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 Union County 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
  • Population and housing figures from the US Census Bureau
  • 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.

More about CrimeGrade™ data


Schools in Union County

Schools in Union County, IN average a SchoolGrade of B-: 44% of students test proficient, against 39% projected for schools like them. Overall, they exceed expectations. See schools in Union County on SchoolGrade