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Quick answer
According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI crime data, Columbus, OH has a Safety Score of 18/100 — higher crime than 82% of US cities — with a total crime rate of 3,088.3 per 100,000 residents, ranking #2,421 of 2,957 US cities and #149 of 171 in Ohio.
Quiz: which of these is MORE DANGEROUS than Columbus, OH?
Safety Score
Violent Crime Rate
Property Crime Rate
Is Columbus, Ohio Safe?
Columbus, Ohio, the state capital, sits at the confluence of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers. Home to The Ohio State University, it's a diverse city with a growing population of over 900,000 residents. Ohio State University-Main Campus, located in Columbus, is one of the area's top universities.
Columbus has a safety score of 18/100 (High Crime). Based on FBI data, the city reported a total crime rate of 3,088.3 per 100,000 residents, compared to the national average of 2,785.9 per 100,000.
Columbus ranks #149 out of 171 cities in Ohio and #2421 out of 2957 nationally (safest first). This places it in the 18th percentile for safety — with higher crime than 82% of US cities.
The most elevated crime category in Columbus is rape, at 124.2 per 100K — 2.8x the national average. Conversely, aggravated assault is relatively low at just 0.6x the national rate.
Year over year, Columbus's total crime rate decreased by 0%, with violent crime rising 12.9%.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Columbus Crime Statistics Breakdown
| Crime Type | Incidents | Rate per 100K | National Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime | 3,982 | 435.0 | 478.2 |
| Murder | 112 | 12.2 | 6.3 |
| Rape | 1,137 | 124.2 | 43.8 |
| Robbery | 803 | 87.7 | 94.0 |
| Aggravated Assault | 1,929 | 210.7 | 333.5 |
| Property Crime | 24,290 | 2,653.4 | 2,307.7 |
| Burglary | 3,703 | 404.5 | 292.0 |
| Larceny-Theft | 15,618 | 1,706.1 | 1,657.7 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 4,969 | 542.8 | 358.0 |
| Arson | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Columbus vs Ohio Average
How does Columbus's crime rate compare to the Ohio state average?
| Metric | Columbus | Ohio Avg | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Rate | 435.0 | 438.2 | -0.7% |
| Property Crime Rate | 2,653.4 | 2,137.3 | +24.1% |
| Murder Rate | 12.2 | 7.9 | +55.8% |
| Total Crime Rate | 3,088.3 | 2,575.5 | +19.9% |
Columbus Crime Rate Trends
Year-over-year crime rate changes for Columbus, Ohio.
Between 2019 and 2024, Columbus's total crime rate is down 19% (3,811 → 3,088 per 100,000). Violent crime is down 14% and property crime down 20% over the same period; the worst year in this window was 2022 at 3,973 per 100,000.
| Year | Coverage | Total Crime Rate | Violent Crime Rate | Property Crime Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 915,447 | 3,088.3 | 435.0 | 2,653.4 |
| 2023 | 908,834 | 3,089.2 | 385.2 | 2,704.0 |
| 2022 | 907,196 | 3,973.5 | 459.8 | 3,513.7 |
| 2021 | 916,001 | 3,871.1 | 609.2 | 3,261.9 |
| 2020 | 911,383 | 3,742.4 | 575.1 | 3,167.4 |
| 2019 | 906,120 | 3,811.3 | 503.4 | 3,308.0 |
Columbus Crime Map — Surrounding Area
City-level crime rates from FBI data for Columbus and nearby cities — green is safer, red is higher-crime; circle size is population. Not an incident-level map. Full state view: Ohio crime map.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Columbus, Ohio safe?
Columbus has a safety score of 18/100, meaning it has less crime than about 18% of US cities in our FBI dataset. With a total crime rate of 3,088.3 per 100,000 residents in 2024, Columbus is among the highest-crime US cities.
What is the crime rate in Columbus, Ohio?
According to FBI data for 2024, Columbus has a violent crime rate of 435.0 per 100,000 and a property crime rate of 2,653.4 per 100,000 residents.
How does Columbus compare to the national average?
Columbus's total crime rate of 3,088.3 per 100,000 can be compared to the national average. The data covers 915,447 residents.
What types of crime are most common in Columbus?
Based on FBI 2024 data, the most reported crimes in Columbus are larceny-theft (15,618 reported incidents) and motor vehicle theft (4,969 reported incidents). Property crime outnumbers violent crime 6.1x in the city.
How many murders were reported in Columbus in 2024?
112 murders were reported to the FBI for Columbus in 2024 — a homicide rate of 12.2 per 100,000 residents.
Is crime in Columbus going up or down?
Columbus's total crime rate is falling: 19% lower in 2024 than in 2019 (3,088 vs 3,811 per 100,000, FBI data).
Is Columbus safe to visit?
Like any city, Columbus has areas that are safer than others. The city's overall safety score is 18/100 based on FBI crime data. Standard travel precautions are recommended.