Kirkland, WA Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Kirkland, WA Crime & Safety

Is Kirkland, WA safe to live in?

Kirkland earns a city-wide safety rating of Very Safe (A), placing it among the most secure mid-sized cities in Washington State. All 16 analyzed neighborhoods received a Grade A — meaning 100% of Kirkland neighborhoods fall into the top safety tier. Not a single neighborhood grades below an A-, even in areas like Totem Lake, Moss Bay, and Willows/Rose Hill that rank at the lower end of the local spectrum. For context, Kirkland's poverty rate of just 6.4% and a median household income of $116,595 — well above national medians — correlate strongly with its low crime environment. Families, professionals, and retirees consistently rate Kirkland as one of the region's most livable cities.

What is the crime rate in Kirkland, WA?

Kirkland's overall crime profile earns a Grade B on our composite index, which factors in both violent and property crime relative to population and regional benchmarks. However, at the neighborhood level, the picture is even more encouraging: all 16 neighborhoods score Grade A, with two — Market and Highlands — achieving a perfect A+. The neighborhoods with the most relative crime activity, such as Totem Lake and South Juanita, still grade out at A-, meaning even Kirkland's busiest commercial corridors remain well within the "very safe" band. Kirkland's population density of 1,976 people per square mile is moderate, which helps keep crime pressure lower than denser urban cores.

Which neighborhoods in Kirkland are the safest?

Based on our 2026 analysis of 16 Kirkland neighborhoods, the top-rated areas are:

• Market (A+) — Smallest population at ~1,018 residents, but the highest median income in the city at $193,893. The combination of low density and high economic stability produces Kirkland's best safety grade.
• Highlands (A+) — Home to ~2,405 residents with a median income of $147,379. A tight-knit community with consistently low incident rates.
• Central Houghton (A) — A larger neighborhood of ~4,272 residents and a median income of $145,023, maintaining an A grade despite greater population.
• Norkirk (A) — ~4,218 residents, median income of $145,963, and one of the most stable safety records in the city.
• Finn Hill (A) — Kirkland's second-most-populous neighborhood at ~14,985 residents still holds an A grade, demonstrating that safety scales well even in larger Kirkland communities.

Bridle Trails (A, ~15,223 residents) and Evergreen Hill (A, ~13,710 residents) are also worth highlighting as large neighborhoods that maintain top-tier safety grades — a strong signal of citywide consistency.

Which parts of Kirkland have relatively higher crime?

Even Kirkland's "higher crime" areas are objectively safe by any regional or national standard. The five neighborhoods graded A- are Willows/Rose Hill, Totem Lake, Moss Bay, South Juanita, and Lakeview (Grade A). These areas tend to include more commercial activity, higher traffic, and denser retail corridors — factors that typically elevate property crime exposure slightly. Totem Lake, for instance, is a growing mixed-use hub, and Moss Bay borders the waterfront with active nightlife. If you are comparing neighborhoods within Kirkland, these areas show marginally more incident activity than Market or Highlands, but they remain firmly in the "very safe" category — a distinction that matters when benchmarking against other cities.

Is Kirkland a good place to raise a family?

The data makes a compelling case. Kirkland's median home value of $724,867 reflects strong demand from families who prioritize safety and school quality. With a poverty rate of 6.4% — roughly half the national average — and an unemployment rate of 4.5%, the city's economic foundation is stable. Every one of the 16 neighborhoods analyzed scores Grade A for safety, meaning families can choose a home based on lifestyle preferences rather than having to avoid unsafe zones. Neighborhoods like Finn Hill (median income: $130,513, Grade A) and Bridle Trails (median income: $122,469, Grade A) offer larger residential footprints well-suited to families, while still delivering top safety grades. The median rent of $1,894 also provides options for families not yet in the homeownership market who still want access to Kirkland's safe environment.

How does Kirkland's safety compare to other cities?

Kirkland's achievement of 100% Grade A neighborhoods across all 16 analyzed areas is statistically rare. Most cities of comparable size — around 91,000 residents — show a distribution that includes at least some C or D-grade neighborhoods. Kirkland's overall crime grade of B on our composite index reflects that some crime does occur in absolute terms (as it does in any city), but the neighborhood-level grades confirm that crime is distributed very evenly at low levels rather than concentrated in specific hotspots. For prospective residents comparing Kirkland to other Eastside cities or Seattle suburbs, the A city-wide safety rating combined with a median household income of $116,595 positions Kirkland near the top of the regional safety-and-livability rankings.

What types of crime should Kirkland residents be aware of?

While Kirkland's grades are uniformly strong, no city is entirely free of crime. Property crimes — including vehicle break-ins and package theft — are the most commonly reported incident types in suburban Washington cities at Kirkland's density level. Commercial corridors like Totem Lake and Moss Bay (both graded A-) tend to see slightly more property crime activity than quieter residential neighborhoods like Highlands or Market. Violent crime rates are very low across all 16 neighborhoods, consistent with Kirkland's affluent demographic profile (median income: $116,595) and low poverty rate (6.4%). Residents in any neighborhood benefit from standard precautions: securing vehicles, using porch lighting, and reporting suspicious activity to the Kirkland Police Department.