Violent
Property
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Quick answer
According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI crime data, Palos Heights, IL has a Safety Score of 78/100 — safer than 78% of US cities — with a total crime rate of 924.9 per 100,000 residents, ranking #655 of 2,957 US cities and #66 of 183 in Illinois.
Quiz: which of these is SAFER than Palos Heights, IL?
Safety Score
Violent Crime Rate
Property Crime Rate
Is Palos Heights, Illinois Safe?
Palos Heights, a southwestern Chicago suburb, is home to Lake Katherine Nature Center and Botanic Gardens. This Cook County community, incorporated in 1959, features a mix of residential areas and local businesses.
Palos Heights has a safety score of 78/100 (Safer Than Average). Based on FBI data, the city reported a total crime rate of 924.9 per 100,000 residents, compared to the national average of 2,785.9 per 100,000.
Palos Heights ranks #66 out of 183 cities in Illinois and #655 out of 2957 nationally (safest first). This places it in the 78th percentile for safety — safer than 78% of US cities.
Year over year, Palos Heights's total crime rate increased by 21.6%, with violent crime rising 17.6%.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Palos Heights Crime Statistics Breakdown
| Crime Type | Incidents | Rate per 100K | National Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime | 7 | 61.7 | 478.2 |
| Murder | 0 | 0.0 | 6.3 |
| Rape | 4 | 35.2 | 43.8 |
| Robbery | 2 | 17.6 | 94.0 |
| Aggravated Assault | 1 | 8.8 | 333.5 |
| Property Crime | 98 | 863.2 | 2,307.7 |
| Burglary | 10 | 88.1 | 292.0 |
| Larceny-Theft | 87 | 766.3 | 1,657.7 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 1 | 8.8 | 358.0 |
| Arson | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Palos Heights vs Illinois Average
How does Palos Heights's crime rate compare to the Illinois state average?
| Metric | Palos Heights | Illinois Avg | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Rate | 61.7 | 356.9 | -82.7% |
| Property Crime Rate | 863.2 | 2,129.2 | -59.5% |
| Murder Rate | 0.0 | 7.9 | -100.0% |
| Total Crime Rate | 924.9 | 2,486.1 | -62.8% |
Palos Heights Crime Rate Trends
Year-over-year crime rate changes for Palos Heights, Illinois.
| Year | Coverage | Total Crime Rate | Violent Crime Rate | Property Crime Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 11,353 | 924.9 | 61.7 | 863.2 |
| 2023 | 11,442 | 760.4 | 52.4 | 707.9 |
| 2022 | 11,602 | 930.9 | 69.0 | 861.9 |
| 2021 | 12,361 | 639.1 | 121.4 | 517.8 |
| 2020 | 12,520 | 798.7 | 63.9 | 734.8 |
| 2019 | 12,639 | 846.6 | 39.6 | 807.0 |
Palos Heights Crime Map — Surrounding Area
City-level crime rates from FBI data for Palos Heights and nearby cities — green is safer, red is higher-crime; circle size is population. Not an incident-level map. Full state view: Illinois crime map.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Palos Heights, Illinois safe?
Palos Heights has a safety score of 78/100, meaning it has less crime than about 78% of US cities in our FBI dataset. With a total crime rate of 924.9 per 100,000 residents in 2024, Palos Heights is relatively safe.
What is the crime rate in Palos Heights, Illinois?
According to FBI data for 2024, Palos Heights has a violent crime rate of 61.7 per 100,000 and a property crime rate of 863.2 per 100,000 residents.
How does Palos Heights compare to the national average?
Palos Heights's total crime rate of 924.9 per 100,000 can be compared to the national average. The data covers 11,353 residents.
What types of crime are most common in Palos Heights?
Based on FBI 2024 data, the most reported crimes in Palos Heights are larceny-theft (87 reported incidents) and burglary (10 reported incidents). Property crime outnumbers violent crime 14.0x in the city.
Is Palos Heights safe to visit?
Like any city, Palos Heights has areas that are safer than others. The city's overall safety score is 78/100 based on FBI crime data. Standard travel precautions are recommended.