Fostoria, OH Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Fostoria, OH

Is Fostoria, OH safe?

Fostoria earns an overall crime grade of B, which places it in a reasonably safe tier relative to similarly sized Ohio cities. With a population of approximately 13,193 and a population density of 672 people per square mile, Fostoria is a compact community where law enforcement can maintain meaningful coverage. Property crimes — particularly theft and burglary — account for the majority of reported incidents, while violent crime rates remain comparatively lower. Residents near the historic downtown district and areas around Fostoria City Park generally report a stable, neighborhood-watch-supported environment. That said, Fostoria's poverty rate of 27.3% and unemployment rate of 5.7% are economic indicators that correlate with elevated property crime risk in any community, so staying informed through the crime map remains a practical habit.

What is the crime rate in Fostoria, OH?

Fostoria's overall crime performance earns a B grade in 2026, reflecting a city that manages crime reasonably well given its socioeconomic profile. The city's poverty rate of 27.3% — notably higher than the Ohio state average — is one of the strongest statistical predictors of property crime frequency, and local data bears that out: theft and vandalism make up the largest share of reported incidents. Violent crimes represent a smaller proportion of the total incident count, though they are not absent. For context, cities with median household incomes near Fostoria's $42,131 and median home values around $64,678 tend to see property crime as the dominant concern, which aligns with what Fostoria's crime map reveals. The unemployment rate of 5.7% adds modest additional pressure on these trends.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Fostoria?

While Fostoria's overall crime grade is a B, safety levels do vary across the city's neighborhoods. Residential areas on the northern and western outskirts of the city — farther from higher-density commercial corridors — tend to show lower incident concentrations on the crime map. Neighborhoods adjacent to Fostoria City Park benefit from higher foot traffic and community visibility, both of which are associated with lower opportunistic crime. The historic downtown district sees a higher share of vandalism and theft incidents relative to purely residential zones, consistent with patterns seen in small-city downtowns nationally. Prospective residents should filter the crime map by incident type: property crime percentages are most telling for day-to-day safety, while violent crime cluster data helps identify the small number of higher-risk blocks within the city.

Is Fostoria a good place to live?

For buyers and renters prioritizing affordability, Fostoria's numbers are compelling: a median home value of $64,678 and a median rent of $662 make it one of the more accessible housing markets in northwest Ohio. A median household income of $42,131 means that housing costs consume a comparatively modest share of resident budgets. The tradeoff is a poverty rate of 27.3% — well above the national average — which contributes to the property crime pressures reflected in local incident data. On the positive side, the city's B crime grade suggests that despite economic headwinds, community policing and neighborhood engagement are keeping overall safety at an acceptable level. Families, retirees, and first-time homebuyers who stay engaged with the crime map and participate in neighborhood watch programs consistently report a satisfactory quality of life in Fostoria.

How does Fostoria's crime compare to other Ohio cities of similar size?

Fostoria's B overall crime grade is a meaningful benchmark when stacked against Ohio cities in the 10,000–20,000 population range. Cities sharing Fostoria's combination of a high poverty rate (27.3%) and moderate unemployment (5.7%) often score in the C-to-D range, making Fostoria's B grade a relative strength. Property crime — the dominant category in Fostoria's incident breakdown — is the primary driver of grade calculations for small cities, and Fostoria's rate, while present, has not pushed the city below the B threshold. Violent crime incidence remains a smaller share of total reported events, which is a positive differentiator. The city's population density of 672 per square mile is low enough that high-crime clustering is limited to a handful of corridors rather than spread city-wide, a pattern visible on the interactive crime map.

What types of crime are most common in Fostoria?

Property crimes dominate Fostoria's incident reports, consistent with the city's economic profile. Theft — including motor vehicle theft and shoplifting — represents the single largest category of reported offenses, followed by burglary and vandalism. Drug-related offenses appear as a secondary but notable category, a pattern common in small Midwest cities with poverty rates above 25%. Assault incidents are reported but constitute a smaller percentage of the overall crime mix, contributing to the city's B overall grade rather than pulling it lower. Residents in higher-density rental corridors — where median rent of $662 reflects a transient population segment — tend to see slightly elevated property crime rates compared to owner-occupied residential blocks. Using the crime map's category filters to isolate theft versus violent crime by neighborhood gives the most actionable picture for daily safety planning.