Bellevue, WA Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions: Bellevue, WA Crime & Safety (2026)

Is Bellevue, WA safe in 2026?

Bellevue earns an overall city-wide safety rating of A (Very Safe) in 2026, making it one of the safest mid-sized cities in the Pacific Northwest. Of the 15 neighborhoods analyzed, 80% (12 neighborhoods) hold a Grade A, and an additional 13.3% (2 neighborhoods) hold a Grade B — meaning 93% of Bellevue neighborhoods fall into the safe or very safe category. Not a single neighborhood received a D or F grade. Even the city's highest-crime area, Downtown, grades out at a C-, which in most U.S. cities would be considered moderate at worst. For context, Bellevue's low poverty rate of 6.8% and unemployment rate of just 3.5% correlate strongly with its suppressed crime levels citywide.

What is the crime rate in Bellevue, WA?

Bellevue's crime landscape is dominated by low-to-minimal activity across nearly all of its neighborhoods. The overall crime grade for the city is B-, reflecting that while the vast majority of residential areas are very safe, a small cluster of higher-traffic zones — particularly Downtown (Grade C-) and Crossroads (Grade B) — pull the citywide average slightly below an A. Property crimes such as theft and vehicle break-ins tend to be the most common incident types in those busier corridors, consistent with patterns seen in commercial and transit-heavy districts across Washington State. Residential neighborhoods like Cougar Mountain / Lakemont (A+) and Somerset (A+) report negligible crime activity. To put the grade distribution in perspective: zero neighborhoods in Bellevue score below a C, and the single C-grade area (Downtown) is surrounded by B and A neighborhoods on all sides.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Bellevue in 2026?

Bellevue has an impressive roster of safe neighborhoods. Here is how the top performers break down by grade and key data points:

• Cougar Mountain / Lakemont — Grade A+: The safest neighborhood in the city, with a population of 12,471 and a median household income of $179,043. Consistently low incident rates across all crime categories.
• Somerset — Grade A+: A close second, with 9,130 residents and a median income of $173,780. Somerset's elevated income levels and tight-knit community contribute to its top-tier safety profile.
• West Lake Sammamish — Grade A: A smaller community of 4,829 with a median income of $133,150, earning a solid A for low crime density.
• Northeast Bellevue — Grade A: Home to 10,811 residents and a median income of $135,513, this is one of the larger safe neighborhoods in the city.
• Newport — Grade A: 10,405 residents, median income of $126,625, and a consistent A-grade safety record.
• Eastgate — Grade A: With 10,752 residents and a median income of $130,974, Eastgate combines size with safety effectively.
• Northwest Bellevue — Grade A: 9,515 residents, median income of $132,087 — a strong A performer with broad residential appeal.

Additional A-grade neighborhoods include Bel-Red, Woodridge, and Wilburton (A-), the latter having a more modest median income of $95,114 but still maintaining a very safe rating.

Which neighborhoods in Bellevue have higher crime?

While no Bellevue neighborhood grades below a C, a handful of areas show relatively elevated crime compared to the city's predominantly A-rated landscape:

• Downtown — Grade C-: The only neighborhood in Bellevue below a B grade. As the city's commercial and transit hub, Downtown sees a higher concentration of property crime and opportunistic theft. It accounts for the most notable deviation from Bellevue's otherwise stellar safety profile.
• Crossroads — Grade B: A diverse, densely populated district with a more active retail and nightlife environment. Its B grade reflects moderate crime levels — still well within the safe range, but worth noting for residents who prioritize minimal incident exposure.
• Factoria — Grade B+: Edges closer to the A range. Factoria's commercial corridors contribute to slightly higher property crime incidents, but it remains a safe area by any regional benchmark.
• Lake Hills — Grade A- and West Bellevue — Grade A-: Both neighborhoods are very safe, with only minor statistical separation from the full A neighborhoods. Neither presents meaningful safety concerns.

Is Bellevue a good place to live based on crime and safety data?

The data makes a compelling case. Bellevue's median household income of $129,497 — nearly double the U.S. median — pairs with a 3.5% unemployment rate and a 6.8% poverty rate to create socioeconomic conditions that are strongly associated with lower crime. The median home value of $887,945 and median rent of $2,104 reflect a high-demand housing market, in part driven by the city's safety reputation. With 93% of neighborhoods graded B or higher, 80% graded A, and two neighborhoods achieving A+ status (Cougar Mountain / Lakemont and Somerset), Bellevue consistently ranks among the safest cities of its size in Washington State. Families, remote workers, and professionals relocating to the greater Seattle metro area frequently cite Bellevue's safety grades and school quality as primary decision factors. The crime map data for 2026 reinforces that reputation with hard neighborhood-level evidence.

How does Downtown Bellevue's safety compare to the rest of the city?

Downtown Bellevue's Grade C- stands out sharply against the city's overall A-rated safety profile, but context matters. A C- in Bellevue does not carry the same weight as a C- in a city with widespread D and F neighborhoods. Because zero neighborhoods in Bellevue score D or F, the C- simply means Downtown has the highest relative crime concentration in a city where crime is generally low. Incidents in Downtown tend to skew toward property crime — theft, vehicle break-ins, and retail-related offenses — rather than violent crime, which aligns with the patterns typical of dense commercial districts. Residents and visitors to Downtown should exercise standard urban awareness: secure valuables in vehicles, stay alert in parking structures, and be mindful of surroundings at night. The surrounding neighborhoods of Wilburton (A-), West Bellevue (A-), and Bel-Red (A) provide a stark contrast and are just minutes away for those who want quieter, lower-incident residential environments.