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Massachusetts Crime Rate & Safety

FBI-verified crime statistics | 185 reporting cities | Data covers 6,241,488 residents (89% of state pop.)

Quick answer

According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI crime data, Massachusetts has a total crime rate of 1,446 per 100,000 residents — 48% below the national average — ranking #4 of 50 US states (safest first), in the safest quartile. Its safest reporting city is Clinton.

Violent Crime Rate

322.0
-33%
per 100K residents

Property Crime Rate

1,123.7
-51%
per 100K residents

Total Crime Rate

1,445.7
#4 of 50
Ranked #4 of 50 states
Source: FBI UCR Government-Verified Data

Massachusetts Crime Overview

Massachusetts reported a total crime rate of 1,445.7 per 100,000 residents — 48% below the national average of 2,785.9. This ranks Massachusetts #4 out of 50 states (safest first).

Compared to the previous year, Massachusetts's crime rate decreased by 1.1%, with violent crime down 1.3%.

Within the state, Clinton is the safest city (crime rate: 101), while Holyoke has the highest rate (5,273) — a 52.3x difference that highlights how much safety can vary within a single state.

For residents, travelers, and those considering a move to Massachusetts, these statistics provide a data-driven baseline. Browse the city-level table below to find specific communities, or see how Massachusetts compares to its neighboring states. For the full list of safe and high-crime areas, visit safest cities in Massachusetts or most dangerous cities in Massachusetts.

Crime Breakdown

Crime Type Incidents Rate per 100K National Avg
Violent Crime 20,098 322.0 478.2
Murder 112 1.8 6.3
Rape 1,730 27.7 43.8
Robbery 2,361 37.8 94.0
Aggravated Assault 15,889 254.6 333.5
Property Crime 70,136 1,123.7 2,307.7
Burglary 8,071 129.3 292.0
Larceny-Theft 55,317 886.3 1,657.7
Motor Vehicle Theft 6,748 108.1 358.0
Arson 0 0.0 0.0

Understanding Massachusetts's Crime Profile

Of Massachusetts's total crime rate, 22.3% is violent crime and 77.7% is property crime. Nationally, violent crime makes up 17.2% of all crime, meaning Massachusetts has a higher-than-average share of violent offenses.

Massachusetts's murder rate is 1.8 per 100K, which is 72% below the national rate of 6.3. Murder is the least common but most serious violent crime, and even small differences in rate can reflect meaningful differences in public safety.

These statistics are compiled from 185 cities across the state that report to the FBI's UCR program. Coverage varies by state — so these numbers represent the best available estimate, not a perfect census. For details, see our methodology page.

Property crime accounts for the bulk of Massachusetts's total rate at 1,124 per 100K. This includes burglary, larceny-theft (the most common crime nationwide), motor vehicle theft, and arson. While property crime is less immediately dangerous than violent crime, high rates can affect quality of life, insurance costs, and economic investment in affected areas.

Cities in Massachusetts by Crime Rate

Cities ranked from safest to most dangerous (10,000+ residents).

# City Coverage Total Crime Rate Violent Crime Rate Safety Score
1 Clinton 15,864 100.9 44.1 100/100
2 Scituate 19,735 157.1 40.5 100/100
3 Northboro 15,975 200.3 12.5 100/100
4 Holliston 15,309 215.6 32.7 100/100
5 Groton 11,487 235.1 43.5 99/100
6 Norton 19,484 236.1 159.1 99/100
7 Grafton 20,464 244.3 68.4 99/100
8 Bridgewater 29,465 274.9 74.7 99/100
9 Sharon 18,754 277.3 37.3 99/100
10 Southboro 10,620 282.5 56.5 99/100
11 Dudley 12,053 290.4 141.0 98/100
12 Marshfield 26,238 312.5 144.8 98/100
13 Holden 20,322 314.9 54.1 98/100
14 Hanson 10,772 324.9 120.7 98/100
15 Hopkinton 20,171 327.2 84.3 98/100
16 Sudbury 19,939 336.0 55.2 98/100
17 Duxbury 16,527 344.9 115.0 97/100
18 Medway 13,980 350.5 64.4 97/100
19 Rehoboth 13,844 353.9 86.7 97/100
20 East Bridgewater 14,671 354.4 122.7 97/100
21 Spencer 12,130 362.7 82.4 97/100
22 Brewster 10,600 367.9 122.6 97/100
23 Acushnet 10,817 369.8 129.4 97/100
24 Medfield 13,434 379.6 148.9 96/100
25 Franklin 33,716 382.6 94.9 96/100
26 Lexington 34,350 387.2 52.4 96/100
27 Winchester 23,238 400.2 17.2 96/100
28 Northbridge 16,813 404.5 71.4 96/100
29 Westford 24,946 404.9 68.2 96/100
30 Ipswich 14,215 408.0 133.7 96/100
31 Weston 12,041 415.3 58.1 95/100
32 Acton 24,506 416.2 65.3 95/100
33 Middleton 10,115 425.1 89.0 95/100
34 Norfolk 11,824 431.3 50.7 95/100
35 Newburyport 19,232 442.0 46.8 95/100
36 Pembroke 18,610 446.0 91.4 94/100
37 Charlton 13,672 453.5 117.0 94/100
38 Bedford 14,659 457.1 13.6 94/100
39 Amherst 46,304 466.5 159.8 94/100
40 Westport 16,811 469.9 119.0 94/100
41 North Reading 16,531 471.8 66.5 93/100
42 Sandwich 20,931 473.0 157.7 93/100
43 Uxbridge 14,915 476.0 107.3 93/100
44 Pepperell 11,970 476.2 108.6 93/100
45 Arlington 46,956 489.8 55.4 93/100
46 Littleton 10,485 496.0 57.2 93/100
47 Billerica 42,332 512.6 101.6 92/100
48 Melrose 29,784 530.5 100.7 92/100
49 Norwell 11,498 530.5 52.2 92/100
50 Wellesley 31,973 531.7 46.9 92/100
51 Wayland 13,959 558.8 78.8 91/100
52 Reading 25,871 572.1 38.7 90/100
53 Beverly 43,024 578.8 167.4 90/100
54 Wakefield 28,594 584.0 174.9 90/100
55 Concord 18,335 589.0 49.1 90/100
56 Milton 28,832 613.9 52.0 89/100
57 Harwich 13,910 625.5 107.8 88/100
58 Carver 11,910 646.5 100.8 88/100
59 Newton 89,935 648.3 48.9 88/100
60 Tyngsboro 12,737 667.4 109.9 87/100
61 Easthampton 15,983 669.5 206.5 87/100
62 Amesbury 17,618 669.8 164.6 87/100
63 Shrewsbury 39,837 672.7 30.1 87/100
64 Rockland 17,863 677.4 263.1 87/100
65 Winthrop 18,360 680.8 158.0 86/100
66 Longmeadow 15,881 686.4 94.5 86/100
67 Needham 32,779 698.6 51.9 86/100
68 North Andover 32,474 705.2 138.6 85/100
69 Somerset 18,524 718.0 151.2 85/100
70 Hudson 20,237 721.5 158.1 85/100
71 Marblehead 20,645 721.7 145.3 85/100
72 Hull 10,310 727.5 261.9 85/100
73 Mashpee 15,804 727.7 183.5 85/100
74 Belchertown 15,339 730.2 208.6 84/100
75 Fairhaven 16,167 748.4 154.6 84/100
76 Belmont 27,280 755.1 51.3 83/100
77 Stoneham 23,173 763.8 151.0 83/100
78 Ashland 18,861 774.1 95.4 83/100
79 Ludlow 21,304 788.6 173.7 82/100
80 Dracut 32,821 804.4 149.3 82/100
81 Winchendon 10,671 805.9 234.3 82/100
82 Canton 25,181 830.0 289.9 81/100
83 Gloucester 30,599 830.1 277.8 81/100
84 Lakeville 12,343 850.7 186.3 80/100
85 Swansea 17,772 860.9 129.4 80/100
86 Andover 37,152 872.1 94.2 79/100
87 Norwood 31,704 880.0 167.2 79/100
88 Kingston 14,291 895.7 216.9 79/100
89 Foxboro 18,793 899.3 282.0 79/100
90 Oxford 13,549 900.4 236.2 79/100
91 South Hadley 18,627 907.3 193.3 78/100
92 Mansfield 24,311 913.2 115.2 78/100
93 Easton 25,941 921.3 146.5 78/100
94 Hingham 24,620 930.1 125.9 77/100
95 Walpole 26,268 947.9 133.2 77/100
96 Gardner 21,288 948.9 328.8 77/100
97 Palmer 12,534 949.4 375.0 77/100
98 Waltham 65,488 951.3 252.0 77/100
99 Lynnfield 13,298 955.0 97.8 76/100
100 Yarmouth 25,616 972.1 296.7 76/100
101 Methuen 54,623 972.1 175.8 76/100
102 Leicester 11,275 975.6 310.4 76/100
103 Maynard 10,762 985.0 241.6 75/100
104 Brookline 64,122 995.0 99.8 75/100
105 Dennis 15,263 995.9 235.9 75/100
106 Westfield 41,270 998.3 191.4 75/100
107 Southbridge 18,280 1,001.1 366.5 74/100
108 Plymouth 68,195 1,017.7 322.6 74/100
109 Westborough 22,591 1,027.0 225.8 74/100
110 Whitman 15,670 1,033.8 293.6 73/100
111 Weymouth 60,802 1,042.7 223.7 73/100
112 Ware 10,076 1,052.0 694.7 73/100
113 Middleboro 25,046 1,054.1 427.2 72/100
114 Sturbridge 10,135 1,065.6 217.1 72/100
115 Hanover 15,008 1,086.1 106.6 71/100
116 Peabody 54,964 1,091.6 254.7 71/100
117 Nantucket 14,789 1,115.7 202.9 70/100
118 Falmouth 33,877 1,124.7 283.4 69/100
119 Tewksbury 31,827 1,124.8 254.5 69/100
120 North Attleboro 31,565 1,127.8 95.0 69/100
121 Randolph 34,992 1,134.6 240.1 69/100
122 Lunenburg 12,095 1,141.0 107.5 69/100
123 Woburn 42,716 1,142.4 215.4 69/100
124 Swampscott 15,907 1,156.7 81.7 68/100
125 Wilmington 23,535 1,177.0 165.7 68/100
126 Athol 12,165 1,183.7 452.1 67/100
127 Milford 30,799 1,188.4 285.7 67/100
128 Westwood 16,551 1,190.3 42.3 67/100
129 Barnstable 50,928 1,195.8 410.4 67/100
130 Bourne 21,124 1,245.0 274.6 65/100
131 Chelmsford 36,795 1,250.2 122.3 65/100
132 Bellingham 18,099 1,259.7 215.5 65/100
133 Taunton 61,874 1,281.6 447.7 64/100
134 Raynham 16,119 1,315.2 235.8 63/100
135 Agawam 28,921 1,331.2 287.0 63/100
136 Haverhill 68,602 1,335.2 411.1 62/100
137 Dartmouth 34,792 1,345.1 250.1 62/100
138 Attleboro 47,594 1,346.8 220.6 62/100
139 Natick 37,073 1,348.7 213.1 62/100
140 Wareham 23,609 1,376.6 292.3 61/100
141 Medford 59,601 1,379.2 179.5 61/100
142 Framingham 73,123 1,379.9 325.5 61/100
143 Stoughton 29,410 1,387.3 258.4 61/100
144 Braintree 39,018 1,404.5 284.5 60/100
145 Webster 17,876 1,437.7 637.7 59/100
146 Lawrence 89,600 1,438.6 439.7 59/100
147 Wilbraham 14,798 1,439.4 162.2 59/100
148 Marlboro 41,785 1,457.5 421.2 58/100
149 Malden 66,046 1,471.7 292.2 58/100
150 Millbury 14,328 1,556.4 153.6 55/100
151 Auburn 17,122 1,565.2 408.8 54/100
152 Abington 17,261 1,593.2 231.7 53/100
153 Dedham 25,355 1,597.3 272.1 53/100
154 Danvers 28,375 1,617.6 137.4 52/100
155 Saugus 29,180 1,651.8 250.2 52/100
156 Everett 51,744 1,662.0 347.9 51/100
157 Quincy 103,550 1,667.8 335.1 51/100
158 East Longmeadow 16,714 1,675.2 209.4 51/100
159 Holbrook 11,462 1,692.6 314.1 50/100
160 Salem 45,955 1,706.0 152.3 50/100
161 New Bedford 102,491 1,712.4 353.2 49/100
162 Northampton 30,108 1,717.2 445.1 49/100
163 Lynn 103,200 1,745.2 574.6 48/100
164 Pittsfield 42,835 1,750.9 511.3 48/100
165 Leominster 44,407 1,799.3 484.2 47/100
166 Wrentham 12,906 1,820.9 131.7 46/100
167 Fitchburg 42,332 1,830.8 486.6 46/100
168 Seekonk 16,083 1,859.1 211.4 45/100
169 Burlington 27,124 1,887.6 224.9 44/100
170 Somerville 81,766 1,920.1 221.4 43/100
171 Brockton 106,650 1,944.7 599.2 42/100
172 Revere 57,779 1,980.0 444.8 41/100
173 Watertown 35,885 2,012.0 153.3 40/100
174 Plainville 10,051 2,029.7 268.6 40/100
175 Fall River 95,573 2,136.6 745.0 37/100
176 Lowell 116,062 2,195.4 532.5 35/100
177 Chicopee 55,770 2,327.4 566.6 32/100
178 Chelsea 38,307 2,414.7 978.9 30/100
179 Boston 659,049 2,649.7 628.0 25/100
180 Greenfield 17,419 2,698.2 694.6 24/100
181 Cambridge 120,447 3,081.0 436.7 18/100
182 West Springfield 28,898 3,588.5 415.3 12/100
183 Springfield 155,491 3,728.2 892.7 11/100
184 North Adams 12,395 3,751.5 1,194.0 11/100
185 Holyoke 38,232 5,273.1 1,041.0 3/100

Not ranked above (older FBI reporting): Abington crime rate (2024 data) · Acton crime rate (2024 data) · Acushnet crime rate (2024 data) · Agawam crime rate (2024 data) · Amesbury crime rate (2024 data) · Amherst crime rate (2024 data) · Andover crime rate (2024 data) · Arlington crime rate (2024 data) · Ashland crime rate (2024 data) · Athol crime rate (2024 data) · Attleboro crime rate (2024 data) · Auburn crime rate (2024 data) · Barnstable crime rate (2024 data) · Bedford crime rate (2024 data) · Belchertown crime rate (2024 data) · Bellingham crime rate (2024 data) · Belmont crime rate (2024 data) · Beverly crime rate (2024 data) · Billerica crime rate (2024 data) · Boston crime rate (2024 data) · Bourne crime rate (2024 data) · Braintree crime rate (2024 data) · Brewster crime rate (2024 data) · Bridgewater crime rate (2024 data) · Brockton crime rate (2024 data) · Brookline crime rate (2024 data) · Burlington crime rate (2024 data) · Cambridge crime rate (2024 data) · Canton crime rate (2024 data) · Carver crime rate (2024 data) · Charlton crime rate (2024 data) · Chelmsford crime rate (2024 data) · Chelsea crime rate (2024 data) · Chicopee crime rate (2024 data) · Clinton crime rate (2024 data) · Concord crime rate (2024 data) · Danvers crime rate (2024 data) · Dartmouth crime rate (2024 data) · Dedham crime rate (2024 data) · Dennis crime rate (2024 data) · Dracut crime rate (2024 data) · Dudley crime rate (2024 data) · Duxbury crime rate (2024 data) · East Bridgewater crime rate (2024 data) · East Longmeadow crime rate (2024 data) · Easthampton crime rate (2024 data) · Easton crime rate (2024 data) · Everett crime rate (2024 data) · Fairhaven crime rate (2024 data) · Fall River crime rate (2024 data) · Falmouth crime rate (2024 data) · Fitchburg crime rate (2024 data) · Foxboro crime rate (2024 data) · Framingham crime rate (2024 data) · Franklin crime rate (2024 data) · Gardner crime rate (2024 data) · Gloucester crime rate (2024 data) · Grafton crime rate (2024 data) · Greenfield crime rate (2024 data) · Groton crime rate (2024 data) · Hanover crime rate (2024 data) · Hanson crime rate (2024 data) · Harwich crime rate (2024 data) · Haverhill crime rate (2024 data) · Hingham crime rate (2024 data) · Holbrook crime rate (2024 data) · Holden crime rate (2024 data) · Holliston crime rate (2024 data) · Holyoke crime rate (2024 data) · Hopkinton crime rate (2024 data) · Hudson crime rate (2024 data) · Hull crime rate (2024 data) · Ipswich crime rate (2024 data) · Kingston crime rate (2024 data) · Lakeville crime rate (2024 data) · Lawrence crime rate (2024 data) · Leicester crime rate (2024 data) · Leominster crime rate (2024 data) · Lexington crime rate (2024 data) · Littleton crime rate (2024 data) · Longmeadow crime rate (2024 data) · Lowell crime rate (2024 data) · Ludlow crime rate (2024 data) · Lunenburg crime rate (2024 data) · Lynn crime rate (2024 data) · Lynnfield crime rate (2024 data) · Malden crime rate (2024 data) · Mansfield crime rate (2024 data) · Marblehead crime rate (2024 data) · Marlboro crime rate (2024 data) · Marshfield crime rate (2024 data) · Mashpee crime rate (2024 data) · Maynard crime rate (2024 data) · Medfield crime rate (2024 data) · Medford crime rate (2024 data) · Medway crime rate (2024 data) · Melrose crime rate (2024 data) · Methuen crime rate (2024 data) · Middleboro crime rate (2024 data) · Middleton crime rate (2024 data) · Milford crime rate (2024 data) · Millbury crime rate (2024 data) · Milton crime rate (2024 data) · Nantucket crime rate (2024 data) · Natick crime rate (2024 data) · Needham crime rate (2024 data) · New Bedford crime rate (2024 data) · Newburyport crime rate (2024 data) · Newton crime rate (2024 data) · Norfolk crime rate (2024 data) · North Adams crime rate (2024 data) · North Andover crime rate (2024 data) · North Attleboro crime rate (2024 data) · North Reading crime rate (2024 data) · Northampton crime rate (2024 data) · Northboro crime rate (2024 data) · Northbridge crime rate (2024 data) · Norton crime rate (2024 data) · Norwell crime rate (2024 data) · Norwood crime rate (2024 data) · Oxford crime rate (2024 data) · Palmer crime rate (2024 data) · Peabody crime rate (2024 data) · Pembroke crime rate (2024 data) · Pepperell crime rate (2024 data) · Pittsfield crime rate (2024 data) · Plainville crime rate (2024 data) · Plymouth crime rate (2024 data) · Quincy crime rate (2024 data) · Randolph crime rate (2024 data) · Raynham crime rate (2024 data) · Reading crime rate (2024 data) · Rehoboth crime rate (2024 data) · Revere crime rate (2024 data) · Rockland crime rate (2024 data) · Salem crime rate (2024 data) · Sandwich crime rate (2024 data) · Saugus crime rate (2024 data) · Scituate crime rate (2024 data) · Seekonk crime rate (2024 data) · Sharon crime rate (2024 data) · Shrewsbury crime rate (2024 data) · Somerset crime rate (2024 data) · Somerville crime rate (2024 data) · South Hadley crime rate (2024 data) · Southboro crime rate (2024 data) · Southbridge crime rate (2024 data) · Spencer crime rate (2024 data) · Springfield crime rate (2024 data) · Stoneham crime rate (2024 data) · Stoughton crime rate (2024 data) · Sturbridge crime rate (2024 data) · Sudbury crime rate (2024 data) · Swampscott crime rate (2024 data) · Swansea crime rate (2024 data) · Taunton crime rate (2024 data) · Tewksbury crime rate (2024 data) · Tyngsboro crime rate (2024 data) · Uxbridge crime rate (2024 data) · Wakefield crime rate (2024 data) · Walpole crime rate (2024 data) · Waltham crime rate (2024 data) · Ware crime rate (2024 data) · Wareham crime rate (2024 data) · Watertown crime rate (2024 data) · Wayland crime rate (2024 data) · Webster crime rate (2024 data) · Wellesley crime rate (2024 data) · West Springfield crime rate (2024 data) · Westborough crime rate (2024 data) · Westfield crime rate (2024 data) · Westford crime rate (2024 data) · Weston crime rate (2024 data) · Westport crime rate (2024 data) · Westwood crime rate (2024 data) · Weymouth crime rate (2024 data) · Whitman crime rate (2024 data) · Wilbraham crime rate (2024 data) · Wilmington crime rate (2024 data) · Winchendon crime rate (2024 data) · Winchester crime rate (2024 data) · Winthrop crime rate (2024 data) · Woburn crime rate (2024 data) · Worcester crime rate (2022 data) · Wrentham crime rate (2024 data) · Yarmouth crime rate (2024 data)

Massachusetts Crime Rate Trends

Year Coverage Total Crime Rate Violent Crime Rate Property Crime Rate
2024 6,241,488 1,445.7 322.0 1,123.7
2023 5,975,916 1,461.1 326.4 1,134.7
2022 6,256,959 1,446.5 340.6 1,105.8
2021 6,237,115 1,354.5 315.2 1,039.4
2020 6,153,134 1,431.6 327.1 1,104.5
2019 6,129,020 1,534.8 339.9 1,195.0

Massachusetts Crime Trends: 6-Year Analysis

Over the 6-year period from 2019 to 2024, Massachusetts's total crime rate decreased by 5.8%, moving from 1,535 to 1,446 per 100,000 residents. This long-term trajectory provides important context beyond any single year's snapshot.

In the most recent year-over-year comparison, Massachusetts's crime rate decreased by 1.1%, with violent crime specifically declining 1.3%. Short-term changes don't always indicate a lasting trend, but consecutive years of movement in the same direction are worth noting.

Many factors can influence year-over-year changes, including shifts in policing strategies, economic conditions, population growth, and changes in how agencies report data to the FBI. For the most reliable picture, focus on the multi-year trend rather than any single year's change.

Massachusetts vs Neighboring States

How does Massachusetts's crime rate compare to its neighbors?

State Total Crime Rate Violent Crime Rate Property Crime Rate vs Massachusetts
Massachusetts 1,445.7 322.0 1,123.7 —
Rhode Island 1,234.0 158.2 1,075.7 -14.6%
New Hampshire 1,292.0 133.2 1,158.9 -10.6%
Connecticut 1,754.1 160.0 1,594.2 +21.3%
New York 2,739.6 529.5 2,210.1 +89.5%
Vermont 3,454.9 334.2 3,120.7 +139.0%

Among neighboring states, Rhode Island has the lowest crime rate (1,234 per 100K). Vermont has the highest (3,455 per 100K).

Massachusetts in Regional Context

Massachusetts is safer than 3 of its 5 neighboring states based on total crime rate. Nationally, it ranks #4 out of 50 states (ranked safest first), placing it in the safest quartile of all US states.

Regional comparisons are valuable because neighboring states often share economic conditions, climate, and demographic patterns. If Massachusetts differs significantly from its neighbors, it may point to state-specific factors such as policing policy, drug legislation, or economic programs. Visit individual state pages above for detailed comparisons.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Massachusetts's crime rate?

Massachusetts's total crime rate is 1,445.7 per 100,000 residents, which is 48% below the national average of 2,786. This includes both violent crime (322.0 per 100K) and property crime (1,123.7 per 100K).

How safe is Massachusetts compared to other states?

Massachusetts ranks #4 out of 50 states (safest first), placing it in the safest quartile nationally. Visit our all states page for the complete ranking.

What is the safest city in Massachusetts?

The safest city in Massachusetts is Clinton with a crime rate of 101 per 100,000 residents. View the full list at safest cities in Massachusetts.

More Massachusetts Crime Data

Dive deeper into Massachusetts's crime statistics with our specialized ranking pages, or compare Massachusetts cities against cities in other states using our comparison tool.

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