If you are thinking about visiting Atlantic City 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 Atlantic City really is.
Is Atlantic City, New Jersey Safe To Visit?
Statistically speaking, Atlantic City is a very unsafe place to visit. In 2020, Atlantic City had a violent crime rate of 2,335.25 per 100,000 people. Atlantic City has one of the highest violent crime rates in the nation and is comparable to cities like St. Louis, Detroit and Memphis.
However as a tourist, you shouldn’t have any problems if you stay within the boardwalk/casino area. Most of the crime in Atlantic City is concentrated in neighborhoods outside of the casino area and are places a tourist wouldn’t want to visit anyways.
Here’s a scale to give you some perspective on Atlantic City’s violent crime rate:
Atlantic City, NJ Crime Stats
Here’s a breakdown of all the crimes in the city for 2020 compared to 2019:
|
2019 |
2020 |
Percent Change |
Homicide |
11 |
9 |
-18% |
Rape |
29 |
28 |
-3% |
Robbery |
182 |
116 |
-36% |
Aggravated Assault |
926 |
746 |
-19% |
Burglary |
130 |
141 |
8% |
Larceny/Theft |
1,520 |
785 |
-48% |
Motor Vehicle Theft |
89 |
89 |
0% |
Arson |
2 |
2 |
0% |
TOTALS |
2,889 |
1,916 |
-34% |
**All data is from the Atlantic City Police Department**
Atlantic City, New Jersey Crime Rates
Atlantic City’s Violent Crime Rate
In 2020 Atlantic City reported 899 violent crimes and had a violent crime rate of 2,335.25 per 100,000 people.
- Atlantic City’s violent crime rate is almost 6x greater than the national average and almost 12x more than the state average.
- Year over year violent crime has decreased by 22%.
*Violent crimes include; homicides, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults and the violent crime rate is calculated by dividing the number of reported crimes by the total population; the result is multiplied by 100,000.
Atlantic City’s Murder Rate
In 2020, Atlantic City reported 9 homicides and had a homicide rate of 23.38 per 100,000 people.
- Atlantic City’s homicide rate is more than 3.6x greater than the national average and more than 6x greater than the state average.
- Atlantic City has a similar homicide rate to cities like Chicago, Cincinnati and Philadelphia.
Atlantic City’s Property Crime Rate
In 2020 Atlantic City reported 1,013 property crimes and had a property crime rate of 2,631.37 per 100,000 people.
- Atlantic City’s property crime rate is 34% greater than the national average and 2.3x greater than the state average.
- Year over year property crime in Atlantic City has decreased by 72%.
- Atlantic City property crime rate is similar to Anaheim, Long Beach and Sacarmento.
*Property crimes include; burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson and property crime rate is calculated by dividing the number of reported crimes by the total population; the result is multiplied by 100,000.
Atlantic City vs Other Cities In New Jersey
Here’s a graph showing you the violent crime rates of the most populous cities in New Jersey. Atlantic City’s violent crime rate had the highest rate of all the cities.
City |
Population (2019) |
Violent Crimes 2019 |
Violent Crime Rate 2019 |
Atlantic City | 37,999 | 1,148 |
3,021.13 |
Camden | 74,002 | 1,159 | 1566.17 |
83,412 |
937 |
1,123.34 |
|
281,054 |
2,520 |
896.62 |
|
Paterson |
145,710 |
1,219 |
836.59 |
Elizabeth |
128,333 |
926 |
721.56 |
261,940 |
1,393 |
531.80 |
|
Hoboken | 53,193 | 79 | 148.51 |
Hamilton Township |
87,065 |
122 |
140.13 |
Clifton |
85,204 |
95 |
111.50 |
Woodbridge |
100,145 |
111 |
110.84 |
Edison |
100,477 |
84 |
83.60 |
Toms River |
91,785 |
72 |
78.44 |
Atlantic City, New Jersey vs The Most Dangerous Cities in the United States
Here’s a list of the top 19 most dangerous cities in the United States ranked by violent crime rates. Atlantic City’s violent crime rate had the second highest rate, only trailing Memphis.
City |
Number of violent crimes in 2020 |
Violent Crime Rate 2020 |
15,310 |
2,418.24 |
|
14,370 |
2,248.44 |
|
6,017 |
1,995.17 |
|
3,657 |
1,805.11 |
|
South Bend |
1,765 |
1,706.09 |
6,294 |
1,689.10 |
|
Camden | 1,172 | 1,632.52 |
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 |
Is the Atlantic City Boardwalk safe?
The Boardwalk is probably the safest place to be in Atlantic City and is generally safe to visit during the day and night. There is good amount of police that patrols the area and keeps it secure.
There are some transients dotted along the boardwalk but they mostly just panhandle and don’t harass anybody.
At night you should take extra precautions as there is less people around and the area can feel empty, especially on the weekdays.
Avoid the area under the boardwalk. It is an area that is inhabited by sketchy people.
Is the public transportation in Atlantic City safe?
The public transportation system in Atlantic City is handled by Jitney and it offers many routes that interweave throughout the entire city. The Jitney is generally safe to use during the commuting hours (7am – 5pm), however we do not recommend that you use Jitney at night.
What do residents of Atlantic City say about it’s safety?
- "Stay in the casinos or on the boardwalk and you will have very little to worry about. Going outside those areas and you will have a lot to worry about."
- "There is a huge problem with juveniles and crime that they’ve implemented a curfew at 10PM where a siren goes off."
- "If your not inside and on the casino floor, there is a good chance of being mugged."
- "Atlantic City is not a war-zone where roving gangs of murderers kidnap you the second you leave the casino floor. 99% of the violent crime occurs in the housing projects. Stay away from the housing projects and you’ve eliminated most of the potential hazards."
- "If you just stay in the casino and boardwalk areas you should be fine."
- The stretch of road of Pacific Ave between Tropicana and Caesars is not safe to walk at night."
- "Venturing even a block away from a casino is a very scary experience here at night."
Is Atlantic City safe at night?
Atlantic City is safe at night as long as you stay on the boardwalk or in the casino. Wandering outside of those areas puts you at risk of being a victim of crime.
Is Atlantic City safe from hurricanes?
Atlantic City is not safe from hurricanes and is susceptible to them. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy descended upon Atlantic City and destroyed the Boardwalk and damaged many of the city’s homes and businesses.
Hurricane season in Atlantic City is from June 1st through November 30th and the peak of hurricane season is mid-August to mid-October. Although hurricanes can and have occurred outside this time frame.
Is it safe to visit Atlantic City during hurricane season?
It is safe to visit Atlantic City during hurricane season, as long as you don’t visit when a hurricane is about to hit! Fortunately there is usually adequate warning when a hurricane is brewing in the area.
Check out https://www.nhc.noaa.gov before you visit. This is your best resource for tracking and monitoring storms. Another great website to check out is https://spaghettimodels.com.
Tips to stay safe while visiting Atlantic City, New Jersey
- Don’t venture outside the Boardwalk/casinos at night. There is nothing outside of that area worth seeing and you are putting yourself in danger by doing so.
- Unless the casino is next door or accessible by the walkway, don’t walk far distances to get to another casino. Get a taxi or an Uber.
- Avoid the area in front of the casino. It’s not a great area and there are questionable people often loitering in the front.
- Don’t tell strangers where you’re staying and what room you are staying in.
- Always be aware of your surroundings and of your belongings.
- Avoid the boardwalk area late at night (12am-6am).
Quick Facts About Atlantic City, New Jersey
|
Atlantic City, New Jersey |
United States |
Population, Census, April 1, 2020 |
38,497 |
331,449,281 |
Population, Census, April 1, 2010 |
39,558 |
308,745,538 |
Persons under 5 years, percent |
7.4% |
6.0% |
Persons under 18 years, percent |
24.5% |
22.3% |
Persons 65 years and over, percent |
15.0% |
16.5% |
Black or African American alone, percent |
35.0% |
13.4% |
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent |
0.4% |
1.3% |
Asian alone, percent |
16.5% |
5.9% |
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent |
0.0% |
0.2% |
Two or More Races, percent |
3.7% |
2.8% |
Hispanic or Latino, percent |
31.1% |
18.5% |
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent |
15.6% |
60.1% |
Foreign born persons, percent, 2015-2019 |
31.6% |
13.6% |
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2015-2019 |
$156,700.00 |
$217,500.00 |
Median selected monthly owner costs -with a mortgage, 2015-2019 |
$1,955.00 |
$1,595.00 |
Median gross rent, 2015-2019 |
$904.00 |
$1,062.00 |
Households with a broadband Internet subscription, percent, 2015-2019 |
66.8% |
82.7% |
High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2015-2019 |
73.7% |
88.0% |
Bachelor’s degree or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2015-2019 |
16.2% |
32.1% |
Persons without health insurance, under age 65 years, percent |
16.6% |
10.2% |
In civilian labor force, total, percent of population age 16 years+, 2015-2019 |
59.3% |
63.0% |
Median household income (in 2019 dollars), 2015-2019 |
$29,232.00 |
$62,843.00 |
Per capita income in past 12 months (in 2019 dollars), 2015-2019 |
$20,380.00 |
$34,103.00 |
Persons in poverty, percent |
37.1% |
11.4% |