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Quick answer
According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI crime data, Charlottesville, VA has a Safety Score of 12/100 — higher crime than 88% of US cities — with a total crime rate of 3,550.1 per 100,000 residents, ranking #2,597 of 2,957 US cities and #32 of 38 in Virginia.
Quiz: which of these is MORE DANGEROUS than Charlottesville, VA?
Safety Score
Violent Crime Rate
Property Crime Rate
Is Charlottesville, Virginia Safe?
Charlottesville, home to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, is a university town nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The city is predominantly white, with a significant student population from the University of Virginia.
Charlottesville has a safety score of 12/100 (High Crime). Based on FBI data, the city reported a total crime rate of 3,550.1 per 100,000 residents, compared to the national average of 2,785.9 per 100,000.
Charlottesville ranks #32 out of 38 cities in Virginia and #2597 out of 2957 nationally (safest first). This places it in the 12th percentile for safety — with higher crime than 88% of US cities.
The most elevated crime category in Charlottesville is larceny-theft, at 2,660.3 per 100K — 1.6x the national average. Conversely, murder is relatively low at just 0.4x the national rate.
Year over year, Charlottesville's total crime rate decreased by 7.8%, with violent crime rising 11.1%.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Charlottesville Crime Statistics Breakdown
| Crime Type | Incidents | Rate per 100K | National Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime | 161 | 359.0 | 478.2 |
| Murder | 1 | 2.2 | 6.3 |
| Rape | 19 | 42.4 | 43.8 |
| Robbery | 27 | 60.2 | 94.0 |
| Aggravated Assault | 114 | 254.2 | 333.5 |
| Property Crime | 1,431 | 3,191.1 | 2,307.7 |
| Burglary | 108 | 240.8 | 292.0 |
| Larceny-Theft | 1,193 | 2,660.3 | 1,657.7 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 130 | 289.9 | 358.0 |
| Arson | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Charlottesville vs Virginia Average
How does Charlottesville's crime rate compare to the Virginia state average?
| Metric | Charlottesville | Virginia Avg | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Rate | 359.0 | 338.9 | +5.9% |
| Property Crime Rate | 3,191.1 | 2,386.6 | +33.7% |
| Murder Rate | 2.2 | 9.8 | -77.3% |
| Total Crime Rate | 3,550.1 | 2,725.5 | +30.3% |
Charlottesville Crime Rate Trends
Year-over-year crime rate changes for Charlottesville, Virginia.
| Year | Coverage | Total Crime Rate | Violent Crime Rate | Property Crime Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 44,844 | 3,550.1 | 359.0 | 3,191.1 |
| 2023 | 44,874 | 3,850.8 | 323.1 | 3,527.7 |
| 2022 | 45,089 | 3,969.9 | 545.6 | 3,424.3 |
| 2021 | 47,257 | 3,127.6 | 507.9 | 2,619.7 |
| 2020 | 47,671 | 2,362.0 | 407.0 | 1,955.1 |
| 2019 | 48,453 | 2,650.0 | 330.2 | 2,319.8 |
Charlottesville Crime Map — Surrounding Area
City-level crime rates from FBI data for Charlottesville and nearby cities — green is safer, red is higher-crime; circle size is population. Not an incident-level map. Full state view: Virginia crime map.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Charlottesville, Virginia safe?
Charlottesville has a safety score of 12/100, meaning it has less crime than about 12% of US cities in our FBI dataset. With a total crime rate of 3,550.1 per 100,000 residents in 2024, Charlottesville is among the highest-crime US cities.
What is the crime rate in Charlottesville, Virginia?
According to FBI data for 2024, Charlottesville has a violent crime rate of 359.0 per 100,000 and a property crime rate of 3,191.1 per 100,000 residents.
How does Charlottesville compare to the national average?
Charlottesville's total crime rate of 3,550.1 per 100,000 can be compared to the national average. The data covers 44,844 residents.
What types of crime are most common in Charlottesville?
Based on FBI 2024 data, the most reported crimes in Charlottesville are larceny-theft (1,193 reported incidents) and motor vehicle theft (130 reported incidents). Property crime outnumbers violent crime 8.9x in the city.
Is Charlottesville safe to visit?
Like any city, Charlottesville has areas that are safer than others. The city's overall safety score is 12/100 based on FBI crime data. Standard travel precautions are recommended.