If you are thinking about visiting Toledo 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 Toledo really is.
Is Toledo, Ohio Safe To Visit?
Statistically speaking, Toledo is a unsafe place to visit. Violent crimes are 2.5x higher than the national average. Property crimes are 1.5x higher than the national average. Murders are more than triple the national average.
Out of the 100 most populous cities in the United States, Toledo’s violent crime rate ranks 24nd highest. In 2020, Toledo had a violent crime rate of 1,007.49 per 100,000 people and is on par with cities like Houston, Chicago and Baton Rouge.
Toledo, Ohio Crime Stats
Here’s a breakdown of all the crimes in the city for 2020 compared to 2019:
|
2019 |
2020 |
Percent Change |
Homicide |
36 |
53 |
47.2% |
Rape |
219 |
213 |
-2.7% |
Robbery |
652 |
493 |
-24.4% |
Aggravated Assault |
1,717 |
1,970 |
14.7% |
Burglary |
2,372 |
1,777 |
-25.1% |
Larceny/Theft |
6,384 |
5,064 |
-20.7% |
Motor Vehicle Theft |
798 |
1,008 |
26.3% |
Arson |
32 |
11 |
-65.6% |
TOTALS |
12,210 |
10,589 |
-13.3% |
**All data is from the FBI Crime Data Explorer**
Toledo’s Violent Crime Stats
In 2020 Toledo reported 2,624 violent crimes and had a violent crime rate of 1,007.49 per 100,000 people.
- The national average for violent crime is 398.5 per 100,000 residents. Toledo ’s violent crime rate is 2.5 times greater than the national average.
- Year over year violent crime has increased by 4%.
Here’s a map showing you how violent crime has trended in Toledo over a 30 year period.
- Violent crime peaked in 2005 when there were 3,725 violent crimes reported and the city had a violent crime rate of roughly 1,175.19 per 100,000 people.
- Violent crime has decreased over 27% from it’s 30-year high in 1995.
Toledo ’s Property Crime Stats
In 2020 Toledo reported 7,849 property crimes and had a property crime rate of 2,897.69 per 100,000 people.
- The national average for property crime is 1958.2 per 100,000 residents. Toledo ’s property crime rate is 1.48 times greater the national average.
- Year over year property crime in Toledo has decreased by 22%.
- Toledo has a similar property crime rate to Sacramento, Las Vegas and Long Beach.
Here’s a map showing you how property crime has trended in Toledo over a 30 year period.
- Property crime peaked in 1991 when there were 28,453 property crimes reported and the city had a property crime rate of roughly 8,548.76per 100,000 people.
- Property crime has decreased over 72% from it’s 30-year high in 1991.
Toledo ’s Murder Stats
In 2020, Toledo reported 53 murders, a 47% increase over 2019, where 36 homicides were reported.
- 53 homicides is the most amount of homicides reported in Toledo in 39 years. In 1980 Toledo reported 60 homicides.
- In 2020 Toledo had a homicide rate of 19.6 per 100,000 people.
- Toledo ‘s murder rate is 3 times greater than the national average.
- Toledo has a similar homicide rate to cities like Oakland and Houston.
- As of Dec. 23, 2021, Toledo has reported 71 homicides, which shatters the old record with 8 days left in the year.
Toledo vs The Rest Of Ohio
Here’s a graph showing you the violent crime rates of the 11 most populous cities in Ohio. Toledo had the 4th highest violent crime rate.
Toledo, Ohio 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. Toledo violent crime rate is 2.4 times less than Memphis, the most dangerous city in the U.S.
City |
Number of violent crimes in 2020 |
Violent Crime Rate |
15,310 |
2,418.24 |
|
14,370 |
2,248.44 |
|
6,017 |
1,995.17 |
|
Little Rock |
3,657 |
1,805.11 |
South Bend |
1,765 |
1,706.09 |
6,294 |
1,689.10 |
|
9,407 |
1,629.70 |
|
3,166 |
1,577.22 |
|
7,919 |
1,558.58 |
|
Lansing |
1,699 |
1,508.29 |
Springfield |
2,545 |
1,504.35 |
8,552 |
1,404.20 |
|
3,033 |
1,365.59 |
|
5,215 |
1,358.08 |
|
7,552 |
1,337.68 |
|
5,653 |
1,282.89 |
|
4,023 |
1,254.04 |
|
Toledo |
2,729 |
1,007.49 |
The Safest Neighborhoods In Toledo, Ohio
- West Toledo
- Point Place
- Westgate
- Deveaux
- Downtown
- Old Orchard
- Ottawa Hills
- Southwyck
- Sylvania
- Maumee
- Franlin Park
Is Downtown Toledo safe to visit?
Downtown Toledo is generally a safe area to visit and many residents agree that it is clean and safe with many great restaurants and bars and all within walking distance.
There is a population of homeless people in downtown but it is not as high as cities like Los Angeles or San Francisco.
We recommend that you stay within the vicinity of the downtown area, as the areas gets sketchy as you move away from it.
Is Toledo, Ohio Safe For Women?
Toledo is safe for female solo travelers, as long as you learn the layout of the city, avoid problem areas and follow general precautionary measures.
What do residents of Toledo, Ohio say about it’s safety?
- "I have lived in Toledo my entire life and have never had any problems. It’s not as bad as people make it seem. The school system on the other hand, sucks."
- "The east side is not what it used to be."
- " East, South and even North Toledo can be dangerous."
- "West Toledo is the safest part of the city. If you go on Google Maps, West Toledo is basically: Alexis & Talmadge til Jackman then down to Central & Monroe to Bancroft & Secor then Central & Talmadge."
- "The area of East Toledo just outside of downtown and “across the river” is not a great area."
- "As a life long resident of Toledo, I have lived in various neighborhoods. I grew up in North Toledo and would strongly recommend staying away from that area, it is very dangerous. As is most of East Toledo."
- "Avoid north and east toledo and you’ll be fine. Mostly."
- "Central toledo and East toledo are the highest crime areas. East Toledo is like a different city, there must be something in the water over there."
- "Toledo’s crime is concentrated in certain pockets of the city and these are places that aren’t worth visiting."
- "Toledo is not bad provided you bring your ‘street-smarts’ while visit. Undoubtedly, there are some places you should not go at night."
- "I wouldn’t call Toledo a dangerous city, but there are parts of the city in which violence is more likely to happen. Most of the dangerous crimes are usually between people who know each other (usually gang related), rather than just random acts of violence."
- "Avoid any neighborhoods where part of its name is “wood”.
- "Stay south of Bancroft and west of Detroit ave."
- "Stay away from the North end, East side and South end at night and also avoid the Old West End."
- "Safe and East Toledo never belong in the same sentence."
- "Toledo’s East Side, the area east of the Maumee Riverm has a lot of challenges and is generally less desirable."
Tips to stay safe while visiting Toledo
- Do you research before you travel here. Figure out which neighborhoods you should avoid. Go on Google street-view and look at the area you want to visit.
- Always be aware of your surroundings. That means to keep your ears and eyes open. Keep your headphones off and don’t scroll aimlessly through your phone.
- Listen to your gut and trust your instincts. If a situation feels unsafe or if you feel uncomfortable, even if you don’t know why, leave. Don’t stick around to find out.
- Do NOT use public WiFi, as these are the common grounds for hackers and thieves. If you have to use WiFi then use a VPN. They will encrypt all your online data.
- Don’t look and behave like a tourist. If you have to check a map do it discreetly on your phone. The goal is to avoid giving off the appearance of looking vulnerable and confused.
- Map your route before you leave. Don’t just jump in the car, set the GPS and drive. You need to know where you are going and what you are going through.
- Do not to let your car go below 1/4 tank of gas. You don’t want to end up in a gas station in a rough part of town at night.
- Park in a well-lit and high traffic areas, and if possible, park as close to the building as you can.
- Don’t drink to excess.
- There is safety in numbers. Don’t travel alone at night.
- Save the sight seeing for the daytime.
Quick Facts About Toledo, Ohio
Fact |
Toledo , 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% |