Is Aurora, Colorado Safe? (2022 Crime Rates And Crime Stats)


If you are thinking about visiting Aurora 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 Aurora really is.

Is Aurora, Colorado Safe To Visit?

Statistically speaking, Aurora is a moderately safe place to visit. In 2021, Aurora had a violent crime rate of 997.88 per 100,000 people. Aurora violent crime rate is 2.5x greater than the national average and is comparable to cities like Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.

is aurora colorado safe

Here’s a scale to give you some perspective on Aurora’s violent crime rate:

aurora safety score

Aurora, Colorado Crime Stats

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

2020

2021

Yearly % Change

Murders

39

44

12.8%

Sex Assaults

324

331

2.2%

Aggravated Assaults

2,264

2,777

22.7%

Robbery

778

771

0.9%

Major Violent Crimes Reported

3,405

3,923

15.2%

Burglary

1,711

1,723

0.7%

Motor Vehicle Theft

3,967

5,569

40.4%

Larceny

7,411

7,756

4.7%

Major Property Crimes Reported

13,089

15,048

15.0%

TOTALS

16,494

18,971

15.0%

*All data is from the Aurora Police Department*

Aurora, Colorado Crime Rates

Aurora’s Violent Crime Rate

In 2021 Aurora reported 3,923 violent crimes and had a violent crime rate of 997.88 per 100,000 people.

  • Aurora’s violent crime rate is 2.4x greater than the state average.
  • Year over year violent crime has increased by 15%.

*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.

Aurora’s Murder Rate

In 2020, Aurora reported 44 murders and had a murder rate of 11.19 per 100,000 people.

  • Aurora’s homicide rate is 1.7x greater than the national average and 2.2x greater than the state average.
  • Aurora has a similar homicide rate to cities like Houston, Jacksonville and Tampa.

Here’s a map showing you the locations of all the murders in Aurora and its surrounding areas in 2021:

aurora murder map

Aurora’s Property Crime Rate

In 2020 Aurora reported 15,048 property crimes and had a property crime rate of 3,827.71 per 100,000 people.

  • Aurora’s property crime rate is roughly twice the national average and 1.4x greater than the state average.
  • Year over year property crime in Aurora has increased by 13%.
  • Aurora property crime rate is similar to Nashville, Milwaukee and Charlotte.

*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.

Aurora vs Other Cities In Colorado

Here’s a graph showing you the violent crime rates of the most populous cities in Colorado. Aurora’s violent crime rate ranked 2nd highest among all cities.

violent crimes in colorado cities

City

Population

Violent Crime Rate

Pueblo

111,876

1,055.63

Aurora

386,261

899.13

Denver

715,522

884.53

Colorado Springs

478,961

604.64

Lakewood

155,984

578.91

Greeley

108,795

432.01

Boulder

108,250

316.86

Thornton

141,867

292.53

Westminster

116,317

280.27

Arvada

124,402

225.08

Fort Collins

169,810

214.95

Centennial

108,418

132.82

Aurora, Colorado 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. Aurora’s violent crime rate had the second highest rate, only trailing Memphis.

aurora vs most dangerous cities in the us

City

Number of violent crimes in 2020

Violent Crime Rate 2020

Memphis

15,310

2,418.24

Atlantic City 899 2,335.25

Detroit

14,370

2,248.44

St. Louis

6,017

1,995.17

Little Rock

3,657

1,805.11

South Bend

1,765

1,706.09

Cleveland

6,294

1,689.10

Camden 1,172 1,632.52

Milwaukee

9,407

1,629.70

Birmingham

3,166

1,577.22

Kansas City

7,919

1,558.58

Lansing

1,699

1,508.29

Springfield

2,545

1,504.35

Baltimore

8,552

1,404.20

San Bernardino

3,033

1,365.59

New Orleans

5,215

1,358.08

Albuquerque

7,552

1,337.68

Oakland

5,653

1,282.89

Stockton

4,023

1,254.04

Is the public transportation in Aurora safe?

The public transportation system in Aurora is handled by RTD and it offers many routes that interweave throughout the entire city and throughout Denver. The RTD is generally safe to use during the commuting hours (7am – 7pm), however we do not recommend that you use RTD late at night.

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

  1. "I’ve lived in Aurora since 2007 and I’ve never had any issues and never felt."
  2. "Avoid Colfax Ave. The further away you are from there, the better."
  3. "Generally speaking, the further south you go in Aurora the better the neighborhoods."
  4. "Your quality of living will is inversely proportional to how close you are to Colfax Ave."
  5. "In Aurora, the further East and South you go, the safer and better."
  6. "I used to live in North Aurora, but I broke my lease because the area was awful."
  7. "Aurora is a big place. But for most of it, yes it is safe."
  8. "Aurora is generally safe. Even the bad parts of Aurora is safe if you compare it to places like in Detroit or Baltimore."

Is Aurora safe at night?

Aurora is generally safe at night as long as you avoid the problem areas, specifically the area surrounding Colfax ave. Also be aware that streets and squares that are perfectly safe to visit in the daytime can be questionable and sketchy at night.

At night we recommend that you take a few extra precautions by staying in well populated places, not straying off the beaten path and not walking by yourself.

Tips to stay safe while visiting Aurora, Colorado

  • Research the area thoroughly before you arrive. Make sure you didn’t book your accommodations in a sketchy neighborhood. Google street view is your friend.
  • Keep your head up, walk with confidence and purpose. People are more likely to mess with someone who is timid, unsure and lost.
  • Avoid walking through dark alleys or hidden locations, especially at night time. Stay in well lit and well populated areas.
  • Avoid drinking in excess. Know your limits and stick to them.
  • When walking, don’t bury your head in your phone. Keep your head up and discreetly look at your phone if you need directions.
  • Don’t wear anything to make yourself stand out. Leave the expensive clothing, jewelry, watches, purses, accessories at home.
  • Don’t leave anything valuable in your car or in plain sight in your car.
  • Don’t give strangers detailed information about where you are staying.
  • Map out your destinations before you leave. You need to know where you are going and how to get back. Don’t just wing it.

Quick Facts About Aurora, Colorado

 

Aurora, Colorado

United States

Population, Census, April 1, 2020

386,261

331,449,281

Population, Census, April 1, 2010

325,078

308,745,538

Persons under 5 years, percent

7.0%

6.0%

Persons under 18 years, percent

25.3%

22.3%

Persons 65 years and over, percent

11.2%

16.5%

Black or African American alone, percent

16.5%

13.4%

American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent

0.9%

1.3%

Asian alone, percent

6.5%

5.9%

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent

0.4%

0.2%

Two or More Races, percent

5.2%

2.8%

Hispanic or Latino, percent

28.6%

18.5%

White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent

44.4%

60.1%

Owner-occupied housing unit rate, 2015-2019

59.9%

64.0%

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

$290,000.00

$217,500.00

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

$1,617.00

$1,595.00

Median gross rent, 2015-2019

$1,328.00

$1,062.00

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

87.7%

88.0%

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

29.7%

32.1%

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

71.3%

63.0%

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

$65,100.00

$62,843.00

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

$30,504.00

$34,103.00

Persons in poverty, percent

10.7%

11.4%

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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