City Crime Score
Low crime
Population
30,216
Median Income
$52,993
Home Value
$169,272
Median Age
36.0
Crime Statistics
Demographics
29.0% have a bachelor's degree or higher
Housing
Ada, OK Crime Map
Explore crime rates, safest neighborhoods, and detailed crime statistics
Ada, OK Crime Overview: What the Data Actually Shows
Ada, Oklahoma earns an overall crime grade of C — a middle-of-the-road rating that reflects a city navigating the challenges common to small Oklahoma communities with a 17.2% poverty rate and a median household income of $41,070. With roughly 17,399 residents spread across a low-density footprint of 333 people per square mile, Ada's crime landscape is shaped as much by socioeconomic pressures as by geography.
How Ada's Crime Grade Breaks Down
A C grade means Ada sits near the national midpoint — not among the most dangerous small cities in Oklahoma, but not among the safest either. Property crime is the dominant driver of this rating. Theft-related offenses, including larceny and vehicle break-ins, account for the largest share of reported incidents and are the category most likely to affect everyday residents. Violent crime does occur but at lower rates relative to property offenses, and incidents tend to cluster in specific corridors rather than being evenly distributed across the city.
Areas closer to the commercial strips along Arlington Street and the downtown core tend to see higher concentrations of property crime, while residential neighborhoods further from retail corridors — including areas near East Central University and quieter subdivisions to the city's north and east — report fewer incidents. The Meadowbrook area and neighborhoods adjacent to Ada High School have historically been among the more stable residential pockets in the city.
Incident Type Breakdown: Where Ada's Crime Actually Comes From
Understanding Ada's C crime grade requires looking at what types of incidents are actually being reported. Property crimes — spanning theft, burglary, and motor vehicle theft — make up the overwhelming majority of Ada's total crime volume. This is consistent with national patterns for cities of Ada's size and income profile, where a median rent of just $699 and a poverty rate above 17% can correlate with elevated opportunistic property crime.
- Theft and Larceny: The single most prevalent incident category in Ada. Shoplifting and theft from vehicles are recurring report types, particularly near commercial zones.
- Burglary: Residential and commercial burglaries represent a meaningful share of property crime reports, with unoccupied properties and low-foot-traffic areas carrying higher risk.
- Motor Vehicle Theft: Vehicle thefts are reported with enough regularity to warrant attention, especially for residents parking in less-monitored areas overnight.
- Assault: Aggravated and simple assault incidents do appear in Ada's crime data, though they represent a smaller proportion of total incidents compared to property crimes. They are not evenly distributed — certain blocks and late-night corridors account for a disproportionate share.
- Vandalism and Disorderly Conduct: These lower-severity incident types round out the picture, contributing to the overall C grade without dramatically elevating the violent crime component.
Context: Ada's Socioeconomic Factors and Crime
No crime map exists in a vacuum. Ada's 4.1% unemployment rate is relatively low, suggesting the local labor market provides some economic stability. However, the 17.2% poverty rate — significantly above the national average — and a median home value of $108,933 point to underlying financial strain for a substantial portion of the population. Research consistently links elevated poverty rates to higher property crime, which aligns with what Ada's C grade reflects.
The city's low population density (333 per sq mi) means that crime is not uniformly distributed across a dense urban grid — instead, hotspots tend to be localized, and many residential areas experience relatively low incident rates. Residents in lower-density neighborhoods away from commercial corridors often report feeling safe day-to-day, even as the citywide grade remains average.
Using Ada's Crime Map Effectively
The interactive crime map on this page lets you filter by incident type, date range, and neighborhood to build a granular picture of local safety. Rather than relying solely on the citywide C grade, use the map to:
- Identify which specific blocks or corridors have the highest incident concentrations
- Compare property crime density between neighborhoods like Meadowbrook versus the downtown commercial zone
- Track whether incident frequency in a given area is trending up or down over recent months
- Understand the time-of-day and day-of-week patterns that shape when and where crimes occur
For the most current incident-level data, the Ada Police Department publishes reports and can be contacted directly for community safety resources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Ada, OK
What is Ada's overall crime grade?
Ada, Oklahoma receives an overall crime grade of C, placing it near the national midpoint for cities of comparable size. This grade reflects a city where property crime — particularly theft, burglary, and vehicle-related offenses — drives most of the reported incident volume, while violent crime remains a secondary but real concern. A C grade means Ada is neither among Oklahoma's safest small cities nor its most dangerous; it's an average rating that warrants informed awareness rather than alarm.
What types of crime are most common in Ada?
Property crimes dominate Ada's incident reports. Theft and larceny are the most frequently reported offense categories, followed by burglary and motor vehicle theft. Assault incidents do appear in the data but represent a smaller share of total reported crimes. Vandalism and disorderly conduct round out the lower end of the incident spectrum. This breakdown is typical for small Oklahoma cities with poverty rates above 17%, where opportunistic property crime tends to outpace violent crime in raw volume.
Which neighborhoods in Ada are considered safer?
While Ada's crime map shows incidents distributed across the city, certain areas tend to report fewer incidents than others. Residential neighborhoods near Ada High School and the East Central University campus, as well as quieter subdivisions in the city's northern and eastern sections — including the Meadowbrook area — have historically seen lower incident concentrations. Commercial corridors, particularly those along Arlington Street and near the downtown core, tend to have higher property crime density. Using the interactive map on this page to filter by neighborhood gives the most current picture.
Is Ada, OK a safe place to live?
Ada offers a livable small-city environment, but its C crime grade means prospective residents should go in with realistic expectations. The city's low cost of living — with a median home value of $108,933 and median rent of $699 — makes it financially accessible, and the 4.1% unemployment rate reflects a reasonably stable local economy. The 17.2% poverty rate, however, is a meaningful socioeconomic stressor that correlates with Ada's elevated property crime rates. Many residents in lower-density residential neighborhoods report feeling safe day-to-day, particularly in areas away from commercial hotspots. Staying informed via the crime map and engaging with community safety programs helps residents make the most of what Ada offers.
How does Ada's crime rate compare to other Oklahoma cities?
Ada's C grade places it in the middle tier among Oklahoma cities of similar population. It fares better than some larger Oklahoma urban centers where violent crime grades can fall to D or F territory, but it does not reach the A or B grades seen in some of the state's lower-crime suburban communities. For a city of roughly 17,399 people, Ada's crime profile is consistent with what researchers expect given its income and poverty demographics — above-average property crime risk, moderate violent crime risk, and meaningful variation by neighborhood.
How can I report a crime or suspicious activity in Ada?
Residents can report crimes and suspicious activity directly to the Ada Police Department through their official website or by calling their non-emergency line. For emergencies, always call 911. Participating in neighborhood watch programs and reporting even minor incidents helps keep Ada's crime data current and supports community-level safety efforts.
Surrounding Cities
Ada Zip Codes
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