Las Vegas is a resort city known the world over for its casinos, entertainment and nightlife.
The Las Vegas Strip is world renowned for its spectacle and excitement and home to spectacular casinos like Bellagio and Caesars Palace as well as jaw dropping shows like "O" by Cirque Du Soleil.
If you plan on visiting Vegas there are some things you need to be aware of before you go exploring this decadent city.
Is Las Vegas Safe?
Although the crime rates is higher than many cities throughout the US, Las Vegas can be a safe place to visit or live.
It really depends heavily on which area of the city you are in. As long as you avoid those areas and use common street sense while out and about, you should be relatively safe.
Las Vegas Crime Stats
In 2020 Las Vegas had a violent crime rate of 545.47, which is a 5% decrease over 2019, where the violent crime rate was 575.17.
The property crime rate in Las Vegas for 2020 was 2,291.79, which is a 18% decrease over 2019, where the property crime rate was 2,793.41.
2019
2020
Percentage Change
Homicide
87
101
+16%
Rape
1,439
1,179
-19%
Robbery
2,118
1,720
-20%
Aggravated Assault
5,868
6,168
+ 3%
Burglary
10,646
7,310
– 32%
Larceny/Theft
28,240
24,033
-16%
Motor Vehicle Theft
7,311
7,168
-4%
Las Vegas has a crime rate that is 33% higher than the national average and is only safer than 12% of other United States cities.
Your odds of being a victim of crime when you are in Las Vegas are 1 in 31, according to FBI statistics released in 2019.
Property crime is 31% higher than the national average, and violent crime is 40% higher.
There were over 46,000 incidents of property crime in Las Vegas in 2019, making that overwhelmingly the most likely crime that you could be a victim of in the city.
Theft is the second most common crime, which happened 28,240 times, followed by 10,646 reports of burglary.
In 2020, Las Vegas law enforcement investigated the killings of 101 people, which was a 16% increase over 2019, where there was 87 homicides.
As of August of 2021, there have been 80 murders, compared to 50 over the same period of time in 2020, which is a 60% increase
Is the Las Vegas Strip Safe?
While there is a sizable amount of crime in Las Vegas, The Strip is one of the safer places that you can be, generally speaking.
There is a solid police and security presence on The Strip because both the city, as well as the casino and other business owners, want the guests to feel safe while visiting.
It is worth mentioning that the further north you go on The Strip, the more likely you might be to run into a problem.
Is Downtown Las Vegas Safe?
Downtown Las Vegas is often called Old Vegas and is safe and well patrolled by police officers.
The center of downtown is Fremont Street and you will want to stay close to that area to stay safe.
The areas just outside downtown have a much higher chance of being problematic.
All cities have their good and bad neighborhoods, and Las Vegas is no different. These are some areas that you are better off just avoiding in the first place
Crime Rates In Las Vegas Neighborhoods For 2021
The rankings are calculated based on the number of violent crimes per 100,000 people for each neighborhood, compared to the Las Vegas violent crime average.
Rank
Name
Violent Crime (Per 100,000)
The difference from Nat. Avg.
1
Rancho Charleston
2,165
308%
2
Buffalo
1,902
258%
3
Sunrise
1,522
187%
4
East Las Vegas
1,493
181%
5
Charleston Heights
1,448
173%
6
Michael Way
1,377
159%
7
Twin Lakes
1,185
123%
8
Desert Shores
1,123
111%
9
Downtown East
850
60%
10
Cultural Corridor
844
59%
What Part of Las Vegas is Safe?
Las Vegas is a tourist destination and as such, the city works hard to keep its visitors and residents safe. These are the safer areas, and the ones you will likely most want to spend your time in:
Strip (Stay south of The Wynn)
Summerlin
Henderson and vicinity
Green Valley
South Las Vegas
Silverado Ranch
Southern Highlands
Anthem
Seven Hills
What Do Residents Say About the Safety of Las Vegas?
A 30 year resident of the city says has have never felt unsafe where he lives or in places he normally goes, "however, there are parts of town where I would not want to be on foot by myself at night.”
“If you’re really all that concerned about being in danger – stay in Summerlin/ Henderson. Avoid Boulder Hwy completely – crackheads favorite highway..honestly I wouldn’t call anywhere dangerous unless you’re a "people pisser-offer". Just be cool and others will be too.”
“Your safety on the strip has and always will be a 4-5 simply because every casino has security and surveillance protecting the tourists. Just off of the strip has always been fairly unsafe at 2-4 as that is close to the action, but not controlled as well as the strip"
"Just stay out of the ghetto." advised another resident, "When streets become numbers, go the other way. The middle class and suburbs are safe, and I’d say the strip shouldn’t be too much of an issue, Just the ghetto is where things can suck.”
“It’s mostly the areas surrounding the Strip that you want to avoid at all costs. Like, right north of Circus Circus, my god I swear that is where you go if you want various metal objects shoved in your ***.”
“North through east, not in the least – South through west, definitely the best.”
Stay out of these areas Naked City (Stratosphere Casino area), East Las Vegas/Whitney, West Las Vegas, North East Vegas, Streets that are numbers or letters (I.e. 28th st., J st.), Tropicana & Boulder HWY
As long as you stay in the well populated areas that are more tourist friendly, Las Vegas is definitely safe to walk at night.
In these areas, there is plenty of lighting, a large police presence and most things are being recorded by more than one security camera.
However, if you wander off the beaten path, you are more likely to get into trouble or find a dangerous situation.
Is Las Vegas Safe to Visit Alone?
Las Vegas does have a high crime rate, and some criminals may see a solo tourists as an easy target, but as long as you remain vigilant, it is reasonably safe to visit Las Vegas alone. If you want or need to come to Las Vegas alone, there is no reason not to do so.
Las Vegas Safety Tips
It is best to not wear a lot of jewelry or carry a super expensive handbag. If you don’t have these items with you, you can’t have them stolen or lose them. In this case prevention is far easier and cheaper than replacement.
Be very discreet with your money while gambling. It is never a good idea to be too open about how much money you have with you, and you never know who might be watching.
Keep your most important valuables locked up or leave them home. Again, prevention is the easiest method here. If your property is locked away safely, then that is one less thing for you to worry about while you enjoy your trip.
If you travel alone, don’t advertise it. There is nothing wrong with traveling alone and you shouldn’t be worried about it, however, it is safer for you the less other people know about the specifics of your stay.
Stay closer to the more tourist friendly areas. These areas are designed to cater to tourists and part of that is enhanced safety. You will see more officers on patrol and have far less likelihood of running into any trouble.
Don’t drink too much and drink with people you know and trust. Because you are traveling and there are more risks around it is best to be extra cautious with alcohol.
Make sure to keep your car locked and park well lit or supervised areas. There were over 7,000 reports of auto theft in Las Vegas in 2019, so this is an extra important issue here.
Final Thoughts
Las Vegas does have a crime rate that can be concerning, but it is one of the most exciting destinations out there. You shouldn’t let crime stop you from having your dream trip.
One of the nicest things about Las Vegas is that often the not-as-nice spots and areas with more crime are areas where a tourist wouldn’t really want to go anyway because there is less to see and do in these places.
Just plan ahead and keep your eyes open and your Las Vegas travels should be just fine.
Mariska is a recovering attorney who gave up her professional job to discover new perspectives of life while traveling in a 2009 Ford Transit.
She has been living the van life for 3 years and has not looked back since.
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