Is Cincinnati Safe? Everything You Need To Know (Crime Rates And Crime Stats)


If you are thinking about visiting Cincinnati and have some qualms about the safety of the city, we got you covered.

We are going to deep dive into the statistics, look at some maps, graphs and talk to the residents of the city to give you a better understanding of how safe Cincinnati really is.

Is Cincinnati Safe To Visit?

Statistically speaking, Cincinnati is a slightly unsafe place to visit. Out of the 100 most populous cities in the United States, Cincinnati’s violent crime rate ranks 29nd highest.

In 2020, Cincinnati had a violent crime rate of 880.97 per 100,000 people and is on par with cities like Newark, Tuscon and Atlanta.

It’s murder rate of 29.7 per 100,000 people ranked 14th highest in the nation.

is Cincinnati safe

Cincinnati Crime Stats

Here’s a breakdown of all the crimes in the city for 2020 compared to 2019:

2019

2020

Percent Change

Homicide

67

92

37.3%

Rape

291

215

-26.1%

Robbery

872

750

-14.0%

Aggravated Assault

1,356

1,668

23.0%

Burglary

2,773

2,322

-16.3%

Larceny/Theft

8,964

7,396

-17.5%

Motor Vehicle Theft

1,352

1,506

11.4%

TOTALS

15,675

13,949

-11.0%

**All data is from the FBI Crime Data Explorer**

Cincinnati’s Violent Crime Stats

In 2020 Cincinnati reported 2,725 violent crimes and had a violent crime rate of 880.97 per 100,000 people.

  • The national average for violent crime is 398.5 per 100,000 residents. Cincinnati’s violent crime rate is 2.2 times greater than the national average.
  • Year over year violent crime has increased by 5%.

Here’s a map showing you how violent crime has trended in Cincinnati over a 30 year period.

  • Violent crime peaked in 1991 when there were 5,794 violent crimes reported and the city had a violent crime rate of roughly 1,589.34 per 100,000 people.
  • Violent crime has decreased over 53% from it’s 30-year high in 1991.

violent crimes in cincinnati graph

Cincinnati’s Property Crime Stats

In 2020 Cincinnati reported 11,224 property crimes and had a property crime rate of 3,628.64 per 100,000 people.

  • The national average for property crime is 1958.2 per 100,000 residents. Cincinnati’s property crime rate is 1.85 times greater the national average.
  • Year over year property crime in Cincinnati has decreased by 17%.
  • Cincinnati has a similar property crime rate to Phoenix, Denver and Stockton.

Here’s a map showing you how property crime has trended in Cincinnati over a 30 year period.

  • Property crime peaked in 1991 when there were 29,899 property crimes reported and the city had a property crime rate of roughly 8,201.55 per 100,000 people.
  • Property crime has decreased over 62% from it’s 30-year high in 1991.

property crimes in cincinnati graph

Cincinnati’s Murder Stats

In 2020, Cincinnati reported 92 murders, a 37% increase over 2019, where 67 homicides were reported.

  • 92 homicides is the most amount of homicides ever reported in the city of Cincinnati.
  • In 2020 Cincinnati had a homicide rate of 29.7 per 100,000 people.
  • Cincinnati’s murder rate is 4.6 times greater than the national average.
  • Cincinnati has a similar homicide rate to cities like Washington D.C., San Bernardino and Philadelphia.
  • Cincinnati has the 14th highest murder rate in the country.

homicides in cincinnati graph

Cincinnati vs The Rest Of Ohio

Here’s a graph showing you the violent crime rates of the 11 most populous cities in Ohio. Cincinnati ranks 6th place.

ohio crime stats

Population

Violent Crime Rate

Cleveland

372,624

1,575.05

Canton

70,872

1,415.23

Dayton

137,644

1,106.48

Toledo

270,871

1,007.49

Akron

190,469

943.46

Cincinnati

309,317

880.97

Columbus

905,748

559.21

Lorain

65,211

495.32

Parma

81,146

166.37

Youngstown

60,068

159.82

Hamilton

63,399

69.40

Cincinnati vs The Most Dangerous Cities in the United States

Here’s a list of the top 17 most dangerous cities in the United States ranked by violent crime rates. Cincinnati violent crime rate is 2.7 times less than Memphis, the most dangerous city in the U.S.

cincinnati vs most dangerous cities us

Cincinnati’s Most Dangerous Neighborhoods

Here’s a map showing you the most dangerous neighborhoods of Cincinnati according to residents:

most dangerous neighborhoods cincinnati

  • Avondale
  • West End
  • Walnut Hills
  • Corryville
  • Price Hill
  • Over The Rhine (North of Liberty)
  • Mt. Airy
  • Roselawn
  • Queensgate
  • Fairmount
  • Sedamsville
  • Winton Place
  • Bond Hill
  • Evanston
  • Westwood

Is Downtown Cincinnati safe to visit?

downtown cincinnati safe

Downtown Cincinnati is generally a safe area to visit. Just north of downtown is the Over The Rhine neighborhood. It was once named one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the nation, however gentrification and investment has totally changed it into a vibrant and thriving area. It’s a night and day difference from over 15 years ago.

While Over The Rhine is generally a safe area, most residents agree that you should stay south of Liberty and east of Central Ave at night.

What do residents of Cincinnati say about it’s safety?

  1. "A good general rule of thumb, if there are bars on windows and buildings boarded up, you are not in a good area."
  2. "Avoid Over The Rhine north of Liberty like the plague after dark."
  3. "Like every city in the country, the safety depends upon the neighborhood."
  4. "You have to pay attention to where in the Cincinnati area you are and be observant."
  5. "Your safety in Cincinnati largely depends on where you are and what time of the day it is."
  6. "Downtown Cincy is pretty safe. I spent some time there and never had trouble stumbling back from the bar down a dark alley. Although I highly recommend that you do not walk down alleys at night."
  7. "Over The Rhine is pretty damn safe in daytime. There are a few areas like East Clifton, Mcmicken St and Vine from Liberty to the hill, which you probably should avoid at night."

Tips to stay safe while visiting Cincinnati

  • If you’re walking around the city, study and plan your route beforehand so you don’t end up in a part of the city you shouldn’t be in.
  • Know where you’re going and at what time. Some areas of Cincinnati you can visit during the day time with no problems, but at night time that changes.
  • Don’t look like a victim ie. looking confused, lost, staring at your phone.
  • Don’t leave valuables in plain sight in your car.
  • Walk with confidence. Know where you are and where you’re going.
  • Don’t engage with the homeless, just keep walking.
  • Don’t engage with people trying to sell you things on the street. Politely decline and keep walking.
  • Stay out of alleys, unlit areas, or places with little or no people.
  • Travel in groups at night, especially if you’ve been drinking.
  • Don’t drink in excess, especially if you are by yourself.
  • Be smart about where you’re parking, especially if you’re going to be leaving late.
  • Park your car in a secure lot or parking garage. Avoid parking your car in a desolate or unlit area.
  • Don’t walk around late at night and avoid using the public transit. Take a taxi or Uber to get to and from your location

Final thoughts on the safety of Cincinnati

Looking at the statistics, Cincinnati is a slightly unsafe place to visit. It’s violent crime rate is elevated, but isn’t concerning. It’s murder rate is a different story, as it is one of the highest in the nation. However most of the violent crime is concentrated in a few problem neighborhoods and if you learn the layout of the city and avoid going to these problem areas, you should be able to mitigate your chances of becoming a victim.

Quick Facts About Cincinnati

Fact

Cincinnati, Ohio

United States

Population, Census, April 1, 2020

309,317

331,449,281

Population, Census, April 1, 2010

296,943

308,745,538

Black or African American alone, percent

42.3%

13.4%

American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent

0.1%

1.3%

Asian alone, percent

2.2%

5.9%

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent

0.1%

0.2%

Two or More Races, percent

3.7%

2.8%

Hispanic or Latino, percent

3.8%

18.5%

White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent

48.2%

60.1%

Foreign born persons, percent, 2015-2019

6.0%

13.6%

Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2015-2019

$138,000.00

$217,500.00

Median selected monthly owner costs -with a mortgage, 2015-2019

$1,336.00

$1,595.00

Median gross rent, 2015-2019

$738.00

$1,062.00

High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2015-2019

88.1%

88.0%

Bachelor’s degree or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2015-2019

37.1%

32.1%

In civilian labor force, total, percent of population age 16 years+, 2015-2019

66.0%

63.0%

Median household income (in 2019 dollars), 2015-2019

$40,640.00

$62,843.00

Per capita income in past 12 months (in 2019 dollars), 2015-2019

$30,531.00

$34,103.00

Persons in poverty, percent

26.3%

11.4%

Other Cities You Might Be Interested In:

Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Barstow, Chicago, Dallas, Cincinnati, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, Las Vegas, Long Beach, Memphis, Milwaukee, Nashville, Oakland, Philadelphia, Reno, San Antonio, San Bernardino, San Jose, Slab City, St. Louis, Stockton

Mariska Lee

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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