Lawrence, KS Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Lawrence, KS

Is Lawrence, KS safe to live in?

Lawrence ranks as a Very Safe (A) city overall, which is a strong indicator for residents and prospective movers alike. Of the 35 neighborhoods analyzed in the Lawrence crime map, a remarkable 91.4% — 32 out of 35 neighborhoods — earned a Grade A, and the remaining 3 neighborhoods received a Grade B. Not a single neighborhood in Lawrence scored a C, D, or F. That means 100% of Lawrence neighborhoods fall into the "safe" category (A or B combined). Neighborhoods like Western Hills (Grade A+, median income $180,666), South Siders (Grade A+, median income $98,113), and Scenic Riverway (Grade A+, median income $89,663) represent the city's safest pockets. Even the areas with relatively higher crime activity — Brook Creek (Grade B) and Indian Hills (Grade B+) — still fall well within the safe range by national standards.

What is the overall crime grade for Lawrence, KS in 2026?

Lawrence, KS holds an overall Crime Grade of B at the city level, while the city-wide neighborhood safety rating aggregates to a Very Safe (A) designation. This distinction matters: the city-level B grade reflects broader metropolitan crime metrics, while the neighborhood-level A rating shows that when you drill down into where people actually live, 91.4% of Lawrence's 35 analyzed neighborhoods score an A and 8.6% score a B. No neighborhood grades of C, D, or F exist anywhere in the dataset. For context, Lawrence has a population of approximately 96,694, a population density of 1,100 people per square mile, and a median household income of $55,598 — all factors that contribute to its relatively stable safety profile compared to larger Kansas cities.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Lawrence, KS?

The data from Lawrence's 2026 crime map identifies several standout neighborhoods for safety. The top three all earned Grade A+ ratings:

• Western Hills — Grade A+, population 530, median income $180,666. The highest-income neighborhood in the dataset and one of the safest.
• South Siders — Grade A+, population 277, median income $98,113. A smaller, tight-knit community with excellent safety metrics.
• Scenic Riverway — Grade A+, population 3,432, median income $89,663. The largest of the A+ neighborhoods, offering scale alongside top-tier safety.

Other neighborhoods earning a solid Grade A include West Lawrence (population 4,804, median income $112,329), Deerfield (median income $97,413), Old West Lawrence, and Gateway. Even University Heights and Raintree — both with lower median incomes around $36,630 — managed Grade A ratings, demonstrating that safety in Lawrence is broadly distributed across income levels.

Which neighborhoods in Lawrence have higher crime rates?

Lawrence's higher-crime areas are still relatively safe by most measures, but they do show elevated activity compared to the city's A+ neighborhoods. The three neighborhoods with Grade B or A- ratings are:

• Brook Creek — Grade B, the highest relative crime level in the dataset.
• Indian Hills — Grade B+, slightly below Brook Creek in crime activity.
• Pinckney, Prairie Meadows, and East Lawrence — all Grade A-, meaning they are still firmly in the safe category but rank just below the city's top performers.

It's worth emphasizing that a Grade B in Lawrence's context is not alarming — it simply means these neighborhoods have slightly more reported incidents relative to the city's predominantly A-rated areas. No neighborhood in Lawrence received a C, D, or F grade in 2026.

How does Lawrence's crime compare to other Kansas cities?

Lawrence's 100% combined A+B neighborhood safety rate — with 91.4% of neighborhoods graded A — places it among the safer mid-sized cities in Kansas. With a population of nearly 96,694 and a relatively low density of 1,100 people per square mile, Lawrence avoids the concentrated crime patterns seen in denser urban environments. The city's median home value of $204,890 and median rent of $953 suggest a moderately affordable housing market, which can reduce some socioeconomic stressors linked to crime. The unemployment rate of 4.4% is near national averages, though the poverty rate of 18.8% — partly driven by the large student population at the University of Kansas — is a factor worth noting when interpreting crime statistics.

Is Lawrence, KS safe for students and families?

Yes — Lawrence is well-suited for both students and families based on the 2026 crime map data. For families, neighborhoods like West Lawrence (Grade A, population 4,804, median income $112,329), Deerfield (Grade A, median income $97,413), and Scenic Riverway (Grade A+, population 3,432) offer large residential communities with top safety grades. For students living near the University of Kansas, University Heights earns a Grade A despite a lower median income of $36,630, showing that even student-heavy areas maintain strong safety ratings. The fact that 32 of 35 neighborhoods score an A means that regardless of where you settle in Lawrence, you are statistically likely to be in a very safe area. Families and students alike can use the interactive crime map to compare specific streets and zones before committing to a lease or purchase.