Crime in Washington County, CO

Washington County is home to 4,830 residents and includes Akron and Otis · Updated November 2026

Is Washington County, CO safe?

Yes. Crime is low across most of the US, and lower still in Washington County: an overall CrimeGrade™ of A+, safer than the neighborhoods where 99% of Americans live. Violent and property crime both grade A+ here. Every neighborhood in Washington County grades A+.

A+
Overall CrimeGrade™Safety score 993 of 1,000
Safer than nearly all US neighborhoods What this means

99% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime than Washington County as a whole, and 1% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a safety score of 838, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. Washington County scores 993.

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 991 of 1,000Less violent crime than nearly all US neighborhoods
A+
Property crimeSafety score 996 of 1,000Less property crime than nearly all US neighborhoods

How it works


Crime map of Washington County

Map of Washington 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 Washington County, CO at ISP Reports.

Who this page is for: homeowners and renters in Washington 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 Washington County

Thefts are uncommon. Washington County has thefts at about half the US rate: 6.2 a year per 1,000 residents, against 13.1 nationally.


Crime rates and types in Washington County

CrimeGrade™ estimates Washington County has about 23 reported crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, 37% less than the US as a whole and 51% less than Colorado.

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 Washington County, about 32% of everything reported.

CrimeCrimeGrade™Reported a yearPer 1,000 residentsUS per 1,000
Violent crime
MurderA+under 10.170.05
RapeA+71.40.38
RobberyA+under 10.130.62
AssaultA+367.512.3
Property crime
BurglaryA+122.42.4
TheftA+306.213.1
Vehicle theftA+40.892.7
ArsonA+20.330.12
VandalismA+214.45.5

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.


Where and when crime happens in Washington County

These figures come from the reports of the police departments across Washington County, 2022 to 2024.

CrimeMost often atBusiest time
VandalismOther places (47%)Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)

Shares of the crimes reported to police, 2022 to 2024. Reports with no time recorded are left out of the times.


How Washington County compares with nearby counties

Washington County has less crime than 8 of its 10 nearest counties; only Deuel County, NE and Cheyenne County, KS have less.

Nearby counties

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Washington CountyA+993A+A+4,830
Morgan County 35 milesA+949A+A+29,500
Yuma County 36 milesA+991A+A+9,980
Logan County 38 milesA+962A+A+20,900
Phillips County 53 milesA+978A+A+4,500
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Kit Carson County 66 milesA+986A+A+7,020
Lincoln County 68 milesA+987A+A+5,550
Sedgwick County 74 milesA+978A+A+2,300
Cheyenne County, NE 74 milesA+979A+A+9,530
Cheyenne County, KS 78 milesA+994A+A+2,630
Deuel County, NE 81 milesA+995A+A+1,850

Nearest first, with each place's distance from Washington 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, Washington County is safer than 88% of them.

Counties of similar size and density

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Washington CountyA+993A+A+4,830
Thayer County, NEA+998A+A+4,900
Adams County, IDA+992A+A+4,740
Rooks County, KSA+985A+A+4,810
Oneida County, IDA+982A+A+4,770
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Craig County, VAA+980A+A+4,860
Carlisle County, KYA+980A+A+4,760
Wheeler County, TXA+974A+A+4,860
Phillips County, KSA+973A+A+4,810
Gallatin County, ILA+969A+A+4,820
Alexander County, ILA918AA4,880

Density, jobs and walkability in Washington County

Two things set Washington County apart: it has 23 jobs for every 100 residents, against 45 for the US as a whole, and 35% of the land where people live lit at night, against 78% nationally. Places like that tend to report less theft and robbery, and theft runs low here.

Residents in dense blocksBlocks of 10,000 or more people per square mile. Dense neighborhoods tend to report more robbery.NoneUS: 24%Lower than for 99% of Americans
JobsJobs draw daytime crowds. Places with many jobs tend to report more theft and robbery.23 for every 100 residentsUS: 45Lower 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. 90% of residents here live in car-dependent areas.D- (8 of 100)US: 21Lower than for 86% of Americans
Show all 6
Stores and restaurantsShops and restaurants draw crowds and parked cars. Places with many stores tend to report more theft.7.7 per 1,000 residentsUS: 10.5Lower than for 94% of Americans
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.35% where people liveUS: 78%Lower than for 91% 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 Washington County: F (0 of 100).NoneUS: noneLower than for 86% of Americans

BestNeighborhood, a sister site of CrimeGrade™, ranks the neighborhoods of Washington 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 Washington County

Counting police, courts and prisons as well as victims' losses, crime costs Washington County about $1,508 a year per household, 25% more 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 $15 million a year, or $3,148 per resident.

How the cost breaks down
CrimeCost a yearPer resident
Murder$1.5 million$313
Rape$410,000$84
Robbery$19,000$4
Assault$460,000$95
Burglary$100,000$21
Theft$150,000$32
Vehicle theft$66,000$14
Arson$38,000$8
Vandalism$150,000$31
Total$2.9 million$603

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 Washington 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. Washington County is a good example: many people work in, shop in or visit it, so its crime per resident looks worse than its CrimeGrade™ suggests.

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 Washington County

Schools in Washington County, CO average a SchoolGrade of C: 37% of students test proficient, against 32% projected for schools like them. Overall, they meet expectations. See schools in Washington County on SchoolGrade