If you are thinking about visiting Seattle and have some qualms about the safety of the city, we got you covered.
Lets deep dive into the some statistics, look at crime rates and graphs and see how safe or dangerous Seattle really is.
Seattle’s Crime Statistics
Here’s a breakdown of all the crimes in the city for 2020 and 2021
|
2020 |
2021 |
Percent Change |
Homicide |
53 |
40 |
-25% |
Rape |
286 |
282 |
-1% |
Robbery |
1,488 |
1,749 |
18% |
Aggravated Assault |
2,656 |
3,290 |
24% |
Burglary |
10,437 |
9,783 |
-6% |
Larceny/Theft |
23,283 |
26,933 |
16% |
Motor Vehicle Theft |
4,933 |
5,311 |
8% |
Arson |
169 |
224 |
33% |
TOTALS |
43,305 |
47,612 |
10% |
**All data is from the Seattle Police Department Crime Data**
Seattle’s Crime Rate
Violent Crime Rate
In 2021 Seattle reported 5,361 violent crimes and had a crime rate of 690.85 per 100,000 residents. Violent crime in the city increased 20 percent last year compared with 2020.
Seattle’ violent crime rate is 1.7x times greater than the national average.
Seattle has a similar violent crime rate to cities like Atlanta, Sacramento and Boston.
You have a 1 in 145 chance of becoming a victim of violent crime in Seattle.
Here’s a map showing you how violent crime has trended in Seattle over a 11 year period.
Seattle’s Murder Rate
In 2021, Seattle reported 40 murders and had a murder rate of 5.15 per 100,000 residents. Murders in the city decreased 25 percent last year compared with 2020.
Seattle’ murder rate is roughly 21% less than the national average.
Seattle has a similar homicide rate to cities like Portland, Fort Worth and San Antonio.
Here’s a map showing you how murders have trended over the last 11 years in Seattle
Seattle Property Crime Rate
In 2020 Seattle reported 42,251 property crimes and had a property crime rate of 5,444.72 per 100,000 residents. Property crimes in the city increased 8 percent last year compared with 2020.
Seattle’ property crime rate is 2.8x times greater the national average.
Seattle has a similar property crime rate to Oakland, St. Louis and Baton Rouge.
You have a 1 in 18 chance of becoming a victim of property crime in Seattle.
Here’s a map showing you how property crime has trended in Seattle over a 11 year period.
Seattle’s crime rate vs other cities in Washington (2020)
Here’e how Seattle’ violent crime rate compared to other cities in Minnesota. Seattle had the 2nd highest crime rate of all the cities listed.
City |
Population |
Crime Rate (2020) |
Tacoma |
219,346 |
846.15 |
Seattle |
737,015 |
608.26 |
Spokane |
228,989 |
585.62 |
Vancouver |
190,915 |
463.03 |
Kent |
136,588 |
344.10 |
Everett |
110,629 |
342.59 |
Federal Way |
101,030 |
340.49 |
Spokane Valley |
102,976 |
332.12 |
Renton |
106,785 |
325.89 |
Bellevue |
151,854 |
115.24 |
Seattle Crime Rate Comparison
Here’s a list of the top 20 most dangerous cities in the United States ranked by violent crime rates. Seattle’s crime rate is almost 4x less than Memphis, the most dangerous city on the list.
Facts about Seattle, WA
- The population of Seattle in 2021 is roughly 776,000 and is the 18th most populous city in the United States.
- The city covers a land area of 142 square miles.
- The racial makeup of the city: 6.7% Hispanic or Latino, 63.8% White, 7.3% African American, 0.5% Native American, 15.4% Asian, and 6.9% from two or more races.
- The median income for a household in the city was $92,263. The per capita income for the city was $59,835.
- 11.0% of the population live below the poverty line.
- The median home value in Seattle is $740,000 in 2022.
- In 2022, the average rent for a Seattle 2-bedroom apartment is $3,437
- 94.8% of residents 25 and older is a high school graduate. 64.0% of residents 25 and older has a bachelors degree or higher.
- 12.9% of residents identified as gay, lesbian, or bisexual.