Essex County, MA Violent Crime Rates and Maps

Crime Grade's violent crime map highlights the safest areas in Essex County in green, the most dangerous in red, and moderately safe areas in yellow. Crime rates on the map are weighted based on both the type and severity of the crime. For more information on how to interpret our crime maps, see the Interpreting the Crime Maps section below.

The B grade indicates that the rate of violent crime is slightly lower than that of the average US county. Essex County ranks in the 64th percentile for safety, meaning it is safer than 64% of counties but less safe than 36%. This analysis applies only to Essex County's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby counties.

The violent crime rate in Essex County is 3.052 per 1,000 residents in the typical year. Essex County residents generally consider the southwest part of the county to be the safest.Your chance of being a victim of violent crime in Essex County varies by area - ranging from 1 in 267 in the northwest areas to 1 in 543 in the southwest.

When looking at total crime counts (rather than per capita rates), the northwest parts of Essex County, MA see the most incidents - about 712 per year. In contrast, the southwest part of the county has the fewest, with approximately 22 crimes annually.

The Cost of Crime™ in Essex County, MA

The total projected cost of crime in Essex County for 2025 is $119,392,389. This translates to approximately $141 per resident and $370 per household. On average, crime-related costs account for 0.3% of the median household income in Essex County. These figures reflect only tangible costs, which include the following:

1. Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 46.9%
2. Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 38.5%
3. Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 14.4%

The Cost of Crime per resident in Essex County is $141 per year, which is $117 less than the national average and $14 less than Massachusetts's state average. Below we compare counties similar to Essex County:

• In Suffolk County, MA, crime costs $265 per person, which is $123 more than in Essex County.
• In Barnstable County, MA, crime costs $124 per person, which is $17 less than in Essex County

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

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

Crime	Cost to Essex County	Cost per Essex County Resident
Murder	$30.8 million	$37
Rape/Sexual Assault	$26.9 million	$32
Robbery	$9.98 million	$12
Assault	$51.7 million	$61
Total Cost of Violent Crime	$119,392,389	$141

The Intangible Cost of Violent Crime in Essex County, MA

CrimeGrade primarily focuses on tangible costs, but the true impact of crime extends beyond economic. Pain and suffering for victims and their families are difficult to quantify, but research-based methodologies help estimate these effects. Using these methodologies, we calculate that the intangible cost of crime in Essex County totals $352,214,714 ($417 per resident). When added to the tangible costs, this brings the total estimated cost of crime to $471,607,103 ($559 per resident). All Cost of Crime facts are based on scholarly research done on the cost of crime. Read more about our methodology here.

Interpreting the Violent Crime Maps

When interpreting the Essex County violent crime map, keep in mind that violent crime rates are measured per resident. Areas with high visitor traffic, such as shopping districts, may appear to have higher crime rates simply because more crimes occur where people gather - even if few residents live there. For example, the south part of the county has more retail establishments, which can artificially inflate violent crime rates in that area. Red areas on the map do not necessarily mean a neighborhood is unsafe for residents.

More issues arise with places like airports, parks, and schools. Major airports always look like high-crime locations due to the large number of people and the low population nearby. Parks and designated recreational areas, of which Essex County has 201, have the same problem. Of Essex County’s 844,381 residents, few live near recreational areas. Because many people visit, crime rates may appear higher even for safe parks. Crime occurs where people gather, whether they live there or not. Before assuming an area is unsafe, consider both per-capita crime rates and total crime counts, as well as the types of destinations nearby.

To better understand and navigate these intricate crime maps, a high-speed internet connection can be crucial. Fast and seamless online connectivity ensures that map details load efficiently, providing users with clearer, uninterrupted insights. If you're considering enhancing your online experience, check out high speed internet in Essex County, MA at ISP Reports.

Essex County Crime Breakdown

The tables below show which crimes are used to calculate the Crime Grades above. All violent crime rates are shown as the number of crimes per 1,000 Essex County residents in a standard year.

Essex County Violent Crime Breakdown

The table below shows which violent crimes are used to calculate the Violent Crime Grade above. All violent crime rates are shown as the number of crimes per 1,000 Essex County residents in a standard year.

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Assault	2.132
Robbery	0.3758
Rape	0.5253
Murder	0.0194
Total Violent Crime	3.052 (B)

Individual Essex County Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Counties

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

Nearby County	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Middlesex County, MA	A	B+	A-
Suffolk County, MA	C+	D	B-
Rockingham County, NH	A-	A+	A
Norfolk County, MA	A	A-	A
Hillsborough County, NH	A-	A+	A
Worcester County, MA	A	B	A
Cheshire County, NH	B+	A+	A-
Franklin County, MA	A	B-	A-
Hampshire County, MA	A	B	A
Windham County, VT	B-	B-	C+

Crime Maps and Rates for County with Similar Populations

Essex County is similar versus other counties of the same size for violent 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
Philadelphia County, PA	C+	C	C
Calcasieu Parish, LA	C-	C-	C-
Middlesex County, MA	A	B+	B+
Franklin County, OH	C-	B+	B+
Horry County, SC	D+	C	C
Brazoria County, TX	B-	B-	B-
Brazos County, TX	B+	C	C
Brevard County, FL	A+	A+	A+
Bristol County, MA	A	B-	B-
Brown County, WI	B-	B+	B+

Considering only the violent crime rate, Essex County is as safe as the Massachusetts state average and safer than the national average.

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.

Crime By Zip Code Download

Our proprietary data is available for download by zip code or by state in a CSV Flat File. Please visit our download page for pricing and terms.

Download CSV

 

Home Security

A crime occurs on average every 34 minutes in Essex County. Want to protect your home?

Home Security Companies in Essex County, MA

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.