If you’re planning on moving, you need to make sure you know how safe the new neighborhood is. However, this can be easier said than done. After all, most people know they need to think about safety in a new neighborhood, but how can you do that effectively? Looking at America’s changing crime rates is one of the best ways to make sure you know how safe you are.
General Crime Across the United States
First, you want to look at general crime rates. This, according to the FBI, is the overall crime rate per 100,000 in the United States since 2010:
• 2010: 3,350.4
• 2011: 3,292.5
• 2012: 3,255.8
• 2013: 3,112.4
• 2014: 2,971.8
• 2015: 2,859.6
• 2016: 2,837
• 2017: 2,745.1
• 2018: 2,568.4
As you can see, overall crime has been going down, which is definitely a great sign. What about violent crime? The FBI has been tracking violent crime specifically as well and has found that it too is going down:
• 2010: 404.5
• 2011: 387.1
• 2012: 387.8
• 2013: 379.1
• 2014: 375.7
• 2015: 372.6
• 2016: 386.3
• 2017: 382.9
• 2018: 368.9
No matter how you measure it, crime is going down. That means you’re safer now than you were in 2010 overall, which is certainly good news.
Safest and Most Dangerous Cities
If you’re moving, another important thing to consider is the safest and most dangerous cities. Cities can have hugely varying crime rates, after all – these are the most dangerous cities in the United States by violent crime per 100,000:
• Detroit, Michigan: 2,007.8
• Memphis, Tennessee: 1,943.2
• Birmingham, Alabama: 1,911.5
• Baltimore, Maryland: 1,833.4
• St Louis, Missouri: 1,800.4
On the other hand, some cities have so little violent crime that it’s nearly nonexistent. These might be the safest cities in the United States, with crime rates at nearly one-tenth the national average:
• Hopkinton, Massachusetts: Nearly 0
• Bridgefield, Connecticut: Nearly 0
• Madison, Connecticut: Nearly 0
• Harrison Town, New York: 3.5
• Bernards Township, New Jersey: 3.7
Checking the crime rate of the city you’re going to be moving into is one of the best ways to make sure you’re safe there.
Neighborhood Crime
Next, you’ll want to go even smaller to crime in specific neighborhoods. Neighborhood crime is extremely important to pay attention to, because even in very dangerous or very safe cities, there will always be certain neighborhoods that defy the average.
When you’re moving, you’ll probably want to use a public record search engine to check for information about crime in the specific neighborhood you’re considering moving to. That way, you’ll be able to understand the crime in the place you’re going to live, not the crime rate of the overall city.
Conclusion
Safety is one of the most important things to consider as a homeowner, and it’s something you definitely shouldn’t just gloss over. However, safety is also something that can be hard to measure accurately. Instead of just hoping that your new neighborhood is safe, consider using a public record search engine to do research. More information will always be a good thing.
