Lincoln, NE Crime Map

Lincoln, NE Safety Overview: A Data-Driven Look at 280,780 Residents

With a population of 280,780 and an overall crime grade of B, Lincoln, Nebraska ranks as a genuinely safe city by national standards — and the neighborhood-level data reinforces that conclusion. Across 49 analyzed neighborhoods, the city earned a city-wide safety rating of A (Very Safe). A full 81.6% of those neighborhoods received an A grade, while another 12.2% landed at B. That means 94% of Lincoln's neighborhoods fall into the safe or very safe category, with not a single neighborhood receiving a D or F. For a mid-sized Midwestern city, that distribution is notably strong.

Where Lincoln Shines: The Safest Neighborhoods

The neighborhoods leading Lincoln's safety profile are concentrated among higher-income communities. Yankee Hill and Hitching Post Hills both carry A+ grades and report median household incomes of $156,531 and $156,544, respectively — well above the city median of $60,063. Village Gardens (A+, $126,731) and Crown Point (A+, $118,458) round out the top tier for smaller communities, while Family Acres stands out as a larger, high-performing neighborhood with 8,926 residents, an A+ grade, and a median income of $116,762. Colonial Hills (A+, $106,577) and Country Club (A+, $108,195) similarly demonstrate that Lincoln's safest pockets tend to be economically stable, owner-occupied areas with consistent community investment.

Higher-Crime Areas Worth Knowing

Lincoln's three C-grade neighborhoods — Hawley (C-), Capitol View (C+), and Malone (C+) — account for just 6.1% of all analyzed areas, but they represent the city's most concentrated crime risk. Clinton (B-) and Everett (B-) sit one tier above, still within the broadly safe range but showing elevated activity relative to the city's A-grade majority. None of these neighborhoods approach the severity that earns a D or F, which speaks to Lincoln's overall stability, but residents and prospective movers in these areas should weigh that context carefully.

Property Crime vs. Violent Crime in Lincoln

Like most cities of Lincoln's size and density — at 1,131 residents per square mile — property crime is the dominant concern, occurring at rates significantly higher than violent crime. Theft, vehicle break-ins, and burglary tend to cluster near commercial corridors and higher-density rental areas, which aligns with neighborhoods like Hawley and Capitol View showing elevated grades. Violent crime exists but remains comparatively rare across the city, particularly in the A-grade communities that make up more than four-fifths of Lincoln's neighborhoods. The city's 3.5% unemployment rate and 12.8% poverty rate provide useful context: where economic stress concentrates, property crime risk tends to follow, while the majority of Lincoln's residential footprint remains well insulated from both categories.

How the Crime Map Supports Smarter Decisions in Lincoln

Lincoln's interactive crime map is a practical tool for several distinct groups navigating the city. Home buyers comparing neighborhoods like Family Acres or Highlands against areas near downtown can immediately see grade-level differences and overlay median home values — Lincoln's median sits at $180,047 — to find the right balance of affordability and safety. Renters, where the city median rent is $871, can use the map to evaluate specific streets before signing a lease, particularly in transitional zones near Clinton or Everett where grades shift block by block. Daily commuters passing through Capitol View or Malone can identify peak-risk corridors and adjust routes or parking choices accordingly. The map doesn't replace judgment, but it replaces guesswork with actual data — and in a city where 94% of neighborhoods are already safe, it helps residents make confident, well-informed choices rather than relying on reputation alone.