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Quick answer
According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI crime data, Surprise, AZ has a Safety Score of 75/100 — safer than 75% of US cities — with a total crime rate of 984.7 per 100,000 residents, ranking #730 of 2,957 US cities and #6 of 41 in Arizona.
Quiz: which of these is MORE DANGEROUS than Surprise, AZ?
Safety Score
Violent Crime Rate
Property Crime Rate
Is Surprise, Arizona Safe?
Surprise, Arizona, once a small farming community founded in 1938, is now a rapidly growing city in the Sonoran Desert. Located northwest of Phoenix, it's home to a significant population of retirees and families.
Surprise has a safety score of 75/100 (Safer Than Average). Based on FBI data, the city reported a total crime rate of 984.7 per 100,000 residents, compared to the national average of 2,785.9 per 100,000.
Surprise ranks #6 out of 41 cities in Arizona and #730 out of 2957 nationally (safest first). This places it in the 75th percentile for safety — safer than 75% of US cities.
Year over year, Surprise's total crime rate decreased by 27.2%, with violent crime rising 6%.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Surprise Crime Statistics Breakdown
| Crime Type | Incidents | Rate per 100K | National Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime | 178 | 109.1 | 478.2 |
| Murder | 12 | 7.4 | 6.3 |
| Rape | 27 | 16.5 | 43.8 |
| Robbery | 18 | 11.0 | 94.0 |
| Aggravated Assault | 121 | 74.1 | 333.5 |
| Property Crime | 1,429 | 875.6 | 2,307.7 |
| Burglary | 154 | 94.4 | 292.0 |
| Larceny-Theft | 1,113 | 682.0 | 1,657.7 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 162 | 99.3 | 358.0 |
| Arson | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Surprise vs Arizona Average
How does Surprise's crime rate compare to the Arizona state average?
| Metric | Surprise | Arizona Avg | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Rate | 109.1 | 468.3 | -76.7% |
| Property Crime Rate | 875.6 | 1,952.3 | -55.1% |
| Murder Rate | 7.4 | 4.9 | +51.5% |
| Total Crime Rate | 984.7 | 2,420.6 | -59.3% |
Surprise Crime Rate Trends
Year-over-year crime rate changes for Surprise, Arizona.
| Year | Coverage | Total Crime Rate | Violent Crime Rate | Property Crime Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 163,202 | 984.7 | 109.1 | 875.6 |
| 2023 | 159,346 | 1,352.4 | 102.9 | 1,249.5 |
| 2022 | 154,128 | 1,522.8 | 119.4 | 1,403.4 |
| 2021 | 145,832 | 1,610.8 | 132.3 | 1,478.4 |
| 2020 | 144,620 | 1,533.7 | 145.2 | 1,388.5 |
| 2019 | 140,962 | 1,575.6 | 97.9 | 1,477.7 |
Surprise Crime Map — Surrounding Area
City-level crime rates from FBI data for Surprise and nearby cities — green is safer, red is higher-crime; circle size is population. Not an incident-level map. Full state view: Arizona crime map.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Surprise, Arizona safe?
Surprise has a safety score of 75/100, meaning it has less crime than about 75% of US cities in our FBI dataset. With a total crime rate of 984.7 per 100,000 residents in 2024, Surprise is relatively safe.
What is the crime rate in Surprise, Arizona?
According to FBI data for 2024, Surprise has a violent crime rate of 109.1 per 100,000 and a property crime rate of 875.6 per 100,000 residents.
How does Surprise compare to the national average?
Surprise's total crime rate of 984.7 per 100,000 can be compared to the national average. The data covers 163,202 residents.
What types of crime are most common in Surprise?
Based on FBI 2024 data, the most reported crimes in Surprise are larceny-theft (1,113 reported incidents) and motor vehicle theft (162 reported incidents). Property crime outnumbers violent crime 8.0x in the city.
Is Surprise safe to visit?
Like any city, Surprise has areas that are safer than others. The city's overall safety score is 75/100 based on FBI crime data. Standard travel precautions are recommended.