Washington ranks #43 of 50 US states by overall crime rate (safest first), placing it in the highest-crime quartile nationally. Its total crime rate is 3,868 per 100,000 residents — 39% above the national average. Safety varies widely by city; the safest reporting city is Sammamish.

Washington Crime Rate: #8 Most Dangerous State, 87 Cities Ranked

Quick answer

According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI crime data, Washington has a total crime rate of 3,868 per 100,000 residents — 39% above the national average — ranking #43 of 50 US states (safest first), in the highest-crime quartile. Its safest reporting city is Sammamish.

Washington Crime Overview

Washington reported a total crime rate of 3,868.1 per 100,000 residents — 39% above the national average of 2,785.9. This ranks Washington #43 out of 50 states (safest first).

The most elevated crime category in Washington is burglary at 1.8x the national rate.

Compared to the previous year, Washington's crime rate decreased by 11.6%, with violent crime down 6.2%.

Within the state, Sammamish is the safest city (crime rate: 567), while Tukwila has the highest rate (16,171) — a 28.5x difference that highlights how much safety can vary within a single state.

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

Crime Breakdown

Crime Type	Incidents	Rate per 100K	National Avg
Violent Crime	20,092	439.5	478.2
Murder	216	4.7	6.3
Rape	2,104	46.0	43.8
Robbery	4,683	102.4	94.0
Aggravated Assault	13,064	285.8	333.5
Property Crime	156,744	3,428.6	2,307.7
Burglary	24,278	531.1	292.0
Larceny-Theft	104,841	2,293.3	1,657.7
Motor Vehicle Theft	27,625	604.3	358.0
Arson	0	0.0	0.0

Understanding Washington's Crime Profile

Of Washington's total crime rate, 11.4% is violent crime and 88.6% is property crime. Nationally, violent crime makes up 17.2% of all crime, meaning Washington has a lower-than-average share of violent offenses.

Washington's murder rate is 4.7 per 100K, which is 25% 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 87 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 Washington's total rate at 3,429 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 Washington by Crime Rate

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

#	City	Coverage	Total Crime Rate	Violent Crime Rate	Safety Score
1	Sammamish	64,358	567.1	28.0	91/100
2	West Richland	19,202	687.4	145.8	86/100
3	Sedro Woolley	13,103	694.5	15.3	86/100
4	Lake Stevens	41,000	765.9	117.1	83/100
5	Camas	27,525	781.1	47.2	83/100
6	Pullman	33,105	951.5	129.9	77/100
7	Bainbridge Island	24,063	989.1	37.4	75/100
8	Oak Harbor	23,817	990.9	113.4	75/100
9	Kenmore	23,227	1,072.0	64.6	72/100
10	Battle Ground	22,780	1,115.0	79.0	70/100
11	Snoqualmie	13,265	1,115.7	45.2	70/100
12	Ridgefield	16,769	1,156.9	83.5	68/100
13	Lynden	16,805	1,309.1	178.5	63/100
14	Washougal	16,964	1,314.6	312.4	63/100
15	Enumclaw	12,722	1,477.8	62.9	57/100
16	Bothell	50,917	1,478.9	110.0	57/100
17	Maple Valley	28,551	1,579.6	108.6	54/100
18	Anacortes	18,123	1,589.1	93.8	54/100
19	Liberty Lake	13,559	1,681.5	154.9	51/100
20	Ferndale	16,293	1,706.3	104.3	50/100
21	Snohomish	10,265	1,773.0	165.6	47/100
22	Mukilteo	20,845	1,823.0	105.5	46/100
23	Poulsbo	12,236	1,847.0	155.3	45/100
24	Port Townsend	10,614	1,884.3	471.1	44/100
25	Bonney Lake	22,839	1,887.1	183.9	44/100
26	Mill Creek	20,687	1,957.8	125.7	42/100
27	Mount Vernon	35,244	1,966.3	190.1	42/100
28	Monroe	19,258	2,009.6	238.9	40/100
29	Cheney	12,393	2,041.5	371.2	39/100
30	Kirkland	90,687	2,073.1	60.7	39/100
31	Yelm	10,820	2,153.4	277.3	37/100
32	Kelso	12,620	2,163.2	229.8	36/100
33	Marysville	73,573	2,186.9	233.8	36/100
34	Richland	64,736	2,190.4	250.3	36/100
35	East Wenatchee	14,097	2,234.5	191.5	34/100
36	Edgewood	13,551	2,236.0	214.0	34/100
37	Tumwater	27,617	2,274.0	195.5	34/100
38	Newcastle	12,636	2,318.8	47.5	33/100
39	Grandview	11,210	2,328.3	428.2	32/100
40	Mountlake Terrace	21,595	2,384.8	194.5	31/100
41	Ellensburg	18,472	2,409.1	227.4	30/100
42	Walla Walla	33,062	2,498.3	284.3	28/100
43	Pasco	80,838	2,547.1	351.3	28/100
44	Arlington	21,610	2,559.0	337.8	27/100
45	Yakima	96,646	2,589.9	545.3	27/100
46	Lacey	58,872	2,654.9	186.9	25/100
47	Shoreline	62,234	2,744.5	212.1	24/100
48	Sunnyside	16,220	2,866.8	277.4	22/100
49	Redmond	82,746	2,870.2	130.5	22/100
50	Shelton	10,933	2,872.0	475.6	22/100
51	Centralia	18,919	3,007.6	269.6	20/100
52	Wenatchee	35,523	3,023.4	236.5	19/100
53	Port Angeles	20,133	3,054.7	571.2	19/100
54	Woodinville	13,804	3,071.6	79.7	19/100
55	Des Moines	31,694	3,145.7	296.6	17/100
56	Gig Harbor	12,785	3,167.8	203.4	17/100
57	Bremerton	46,079	3,248.8	434.0	16/100
58	Edmonds	42,659	3,260.7	260.2	16/100
59	Covington	21,216	3,285.3	179.1	15/100
60	Port Orchard	18,806	3,286.2	388.2	15/100
61	Aberdeen	17,010	3,345.1	370.4	15/100
62	Longview	37,944	3,391.8	216.1	14/100
63	Bellevue	151,520	3,479.4	139.9	13/100
64	Everett	111,276	3,485.9	266.9	13/100
65	Renton	103,762	3,652.6	339.2	11/100
66	Sumner	10,922	3,653.2	247.2	11/100
67	Spokane Valley	109,852	3,757.8	242.1	10/100
68	Burien	50,318	3,819.7	425.3	10/100
69	Kennewick	85,553	3,828.0	367.0	10/100
70	Vancouver	198,194	3,991.0	583.8	9/100
71	Olympia	55,775	4,000.0	564.8	9/100
72	Bellingham	95,717	4,107.9	351.0	8/100
73	Puyallup	41,898	4,243.6	374.7	7/100
74	Kent	132,324	4,260.8	489.7	7/100
75	Airway Heights	11,035	4,268.2	371.6	7/100
76	Lakewood	61,873	4,270.0	648.1	7/100
77	Seatac Seatac	31,950	4,356.8	413.2	6/100
78	Auburn	82,838	4,512.4	544.4	6/100
79	Moses Lake	26,624	4,631.2	394.4	5/100
80	Federal Way	96,631	4,917.7	545.4	4/100
81	Spokane	229,529	5,518.3	677.5	3/100
82	Seattle	760,058	5,783.1	775.5	2/100
83	Burlington	10,762	6,142.0	74.3	2/100
84	Lynnwood	45,807	6,330.9	266.3	1/100
85	Tacoma	223,980	6,666.7	1,063.0	1/100
86	Fife	10,612	6,935.5	1,017.7	1/100
87	Tukwila	20,933	16,170.6	926.8	1/100

Washington Crime Rate Trends

Year	Coverage	Total Crime Rate	Violent Crime Rate	Property Crime Rate
2024	4,571,619	3,868.1	439.5	3,428.6
2023	4,577,206	4,377.1	468.8	3,908.3
2022	4,535,440	5,045.4	504.7	4,540.7
2021	4,546,997	4,432.9	442.4	3,990.4
2020	4,476,846	4,046.1	386.2	3,659.8
2019	4,398,120	3,825.3	371.0	3,454.3

Washington Crime Trends: 6-Year Analysis

Over the 6-year period from 2019 to 2024, Washington's total crime rate increased by 1.1%, moving from 3,825 to 3,868 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, Washington's crime rate decreased by 11.6%, with violent crime specifically declining 6.2%. 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.

Washington vs Neighboring States

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

State	Total Crime Rate	Violent Crime Rate	Property Crime Rate	vs Washington
Washington	3,868.1	439.5	3,428.6	—
Idaho	1,248.2	271.4	976.9	-67.7%
Oregon	3,563.0	408.2	3,154.8	-7.9%

Among neighboring states, Idaho has the lowest crime rate (1,248 per 100K). Oregon has the highest (3,563 per 100K).

Washington in Regional Context

Washington is safer than 0 of its 2 neighboring states based on total crime rate. Nationally, it ranks #43 out of 50 states (ranked safest first), placing it in the highest-crime quartile of all US states.

Regional comparisons are valuable because neighboring states often share economic conditions, climate, and demographic patterns. If Washington 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 Washington's crime rate?

Washington's total crime rate is 3,868.1 per 100,000 residents, which is 39% above the national average of 2,786. This includes both violent crime (439.5 per 100K) and property crime (3,428.6 per 100K).

How safe is Washington compared to other states?

Washington ranks #43 out of 50 states (safest first), placing it in the highest-crime quartile nationally. Visit our all states page for the complete ranking.

What is the safest city in Washington?

The safest city in Washington is Sammamish with a crime rate of 567 per 100,000 residents. View the full list at safest cities in Washington.

More Washington Crime Data

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

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Washington Crime Rate & Safety