Lexington, KY Crime Map

Lexington, KY Safety Overview: What the Data Shows

With a population of 316,743 and an overall crime grade of B-, Lexington, Kentucky presents a notably safe profile when examined at the neighborhood level. Across 218 analyzed neighborhoods, the city earns a city-wide safety rating of A — a designation supported by the fact that 83.5% of those neighborhoods hold an A grade and 96% fall into the combined A or B range. Only 3.7% of neighborhoods score at the C level, and just one neighborhood — less than 1% of the total — reaches D territory. No neighborhood in Lexington received an F grade.

Where Lexington Excels: The Safest Neighborhoods

The strongest safety grades cluster in areas that also carry higher median incomes. Chilesburg leads with a median household income of $179,458 and an A+ grade, followed closely by Andover Hill ($161,879, A+) and Charleston Woods ($165,977, A+). Dogwood Trace and Cumberland Hill round out the top tier, each earning A+ grades with median incomes of $124,423 and $127,107 respectively. Copperfield, home to 1,214 residents, also holds an A+ grade with a median income of $137,530 — making it one of the larger safe neighborhoods in the city. The pattern across these communities is consistent: strong safety grades align with household incomes well above the city median of $58,954.

Higher-Crime Areas and What the Grades Reflect

At the other end of the spectrum, William Wells Brown is the only neighborhood in Lexington graded D+, placing it in the small fraction of areas that account for elevated concern. Georgetown Street and Northside each carry a C- grade, while Winburn and Martin Luther King neighborhoods sit at C+. These five neighborhoods represent the bulk of Lexington's crime concentration, and their presence within a city where 96% of neighborhoods are graded safe or better underscores how geographically contained higher-crime activity tends to be. Residents and visitors who are aware of these specific areas can make more deliberate choices about routes, timing, and activity.

Property Crime vs. Violent Crime in Lexington

Lexington's crime landscape, like most mid-sized American cities, is shaped more heavily by property crime than by violent incidents. Theft, vehicle break-ins, and burglary account for the majority of reported offenses and tend to be distributed more broadly across neighborhood grades — including some B-rated areas. Violent crime, by contrast, is more tightly concentrated in the lower-graded neighborhoods such as William Wells Brown and the Georgetown Street corridor. This distinction matters for practical decision-making: a neighborhood's overall grade reflects both types of risk, but residents focused specifically on personal safety versus property protection may weigh those factors differently depending on their circumstances.

Using the Crime Map to Make Smarter Decisions in Lexington

Lexington's interactive crime map serves different needs depending on who is using it. Home buyers evaluating properties near the city's median home value of $201,289 can cross-reference neighborhood grades before committing to a purchase — the difference between a B-rated block and an A+ neighborhood like Copper Run or Clemens Heights can be significant over time. Renters weighing options near the city's median rent of $920 can identify whether a listing falls within a high-performing safety zone or closer to areas like Northside or Winburn that carry lower grades. Commuters who travel through or park in multiple parts of the city can use the map to understand where property crime risk is elevated along their regular routes. The data behind the map covers 218 neighborhoods, giving Lexington residents one of the more granular local safety tools available for a city of this size.