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Surprise vs Tucson Crime Comparison

Side-by-side crime rates, safety scores, and trends based on FBI data.

Full report: Surprise crime rate · Tucson crime rate

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Is Surprise or Tucson Safer?

According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI data, Surprise is safer than Tucson (Safety Score 75/100 vs 9/100), with a total crime rate of 985 per 100,000 versus 3,903 for Tucson — 75% lower. Surprise has lower rates in 6 of 7 crime categories.

The biggest difference is in robbery, where Surprise has a 90% lower rate.

Note: Tucson is 3.4x larger by coverage, which can affect crime rate comparisons. Larger cities tend to report higher rates due to density and more comprehensive reporting.

Quiz: which of these is SAFER than Surprise, AZ?

Surprise — 5-Year Trend

Increasing Violent Decreasing Property Decreasing Total

Tucson — 5-Year Trend

Decreasing Violent Flat Property Flat Total

Surprise, AZ

Surprise, AZ
Safety Score 75/100
Coverage 163,202
Total Crime Rate 984.7
Category Wins 6/7

Tucson, AZ

Tucson, AZ
Safety Score 9/100
Coverage 548,789
Total Crime Rate 3,902.8
Category Wins 1/7

Detailed Crime Rate Comparison

Crime Type Surprise Tucson Difference
Total Crime Rate 984.7 3,902.8 -2,918.1
Violent Crime Rate 109.1 589.7 -480.6
Murder Rate 7.4 6.7 +0.6
Rape Rate 16.5 47.7 -31.2
Robbery Rate 11.0 108.1 -97.0
Aggravated Assault Rate 74.1 426.2 -352.1
Property Crime Rate 875.6 3,313.1 -2,437.5
Burglary Rate 94.4 296.8 -202.5
Larceny-Theft Rate 682.0 2,500.6 -1,818.6
Motor Vehicle Theft Rate 99.3 515.7 -416.4

All rates per 100,000 residents. Source: FBI UCR.

Moving from Surprise, AZ to Tucson, AZ?

The Moving Checklist Planner turns your move-in date into a dated checklist, packing inventory and budget — seven tabs for Google Sheets or Excel, $12 once.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Surprise or Tucson safer?

Surprise is safer with a total crime rate of 985 per 100K vs 3,903 for Tucson — a 75% difference.

How do violent crime rates compare?

Surprise has a violent crime rate of 109.1 per 100K while Tucson has 589.7. Surprise has lower violent crime.

About Surprise, AZ

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. With a safety score of 75/100 and a population coverage of 163,202, Surprise has a total crime rate of 984.7 per 100,000 residents.

About Tucson, AZ

Tucson, a Sonoran Desert city in southern Arizona, is known for its vibrant Mexican-American heritage and the University of Arizona. Over half a million people reside here, nestled among five mountain ranges. With a safety score of 9/100 and a population coverage of 548,789, Tucson has a total crime rate of 3,902.8 per 100,000 residents.

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