Washington, DC Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Washington, DC Crime

Is Washington, DC safe to live in?

Washington, DC earns a city-wide safety rating of Safe (B) based on analysis of 65 neighborhoods. A striking 69% of those neighborhoods fall into the A or B grade range, meaning the majority of the city is considered safe by objective crime metrics. Specifically, 43.1% of neighborhoods (28 out of 65) earned an A grade, and another 26.2% (17 neighborhoods) earned a B grade. Only 13.8% of neighborhoods — 9 out of 65 — received a D grade, and notably, zero neighborhoods received an F. Areas like Georgetown University (A+), Spring Valley (A+), and Woodley Park (A) represent the city's safest pockets, while neighborhoods like Historic Anacostia (D-) and Sheridan / Barry Farm / Buena Vista (D+) reflect more concentrated crime challenges. Overall, Washington, DC is a city where informed neighborhood selection makes a substantial difference in day-to-day safety.

What is the crime rate in Washington, DC?

Washington, DC carries an overall crime grade of D+ at the city-wide aggregate level, which reflects the impact of higher-crime pockets on the overall average. However, that figure masks a deeply uneven distribution: 69% of the city's 65 analyzed neighborhoods are graded A or B, while only 14% are graded D or F. The city's unemployment rate of 7.1% and poverty rate of 15.5% are factors that researchers consistently link to elevated crime in specific corridors. Neighborhoods like Saint Elizabeths (D), Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens (D), and Woodland / Fort Stanton / Garfield Heights / Knox Hill (D) account for a disproportionate share of incidents, pulling the city-wide grade down despite strong performance elsewhere. Property crime — particularly theft — tends to dominate incident reports in mid-tier neighborhoods, while violent crime is more concentrated in the D-graded areas east of the Anacostia River.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Washington, DC?

Ten neighborhoods stand out as the safest in Washington, DC, all earning A or A+ grades. At the very top are Georgetown University (A+) with a median household income of $154,464 and a population of about 3,478, and Spring Valley (A+) — the wealthiest neighborhood on the list with a median income of $260,451 and roughly 5,228 residents. Close behind are Palisades / Wesley Heights / Foxhall Crescent / Foxhall Village / Georgetown Reservoir (A), home to over 13,000 residents and a median income of $195,581, and Georgetown (A) with 10,459 residents and a median income of $183,461. Other A-rated neighborhoods include Woodley Park (median income: $143,036), Burleith / Hillandale ($176,947), Hawthorne / Barnaby Woods / Chevy Chase ($182,420), Friendship Heights / American University Park / Tenleytown ($178,032), Glover-Archbold Park ($154,823), and Theodore Roosevelt Island ($218,125). Collectively, these neighborhoods share high median incomes, lower population density relative to the city average, and strong community investment — all factors correlated with lower crime rates.

Which neighborhoods in Washington, DC have higher crime?

Washington, DC's crime map identifies 9 neighborhoods — 13.8% of the 65 analyzed — as D-grade areas, and none received an F. The highest-concern neighborhood is Historic Anacostia (D-), located southeast of the Anacostia River, which has long faced economic disinvestment and elevated violent crime rates. Other D-grade neighborhoods include Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens (D), Woodland / Fort Stanton / Garfield Heights / Knox Hill (D), and Saint Elizabeths (D) — all clustered in the eastern and southeastern quadrants of the city. Sheridan / Barry Farm / Buena Vista (D+) sits at the lower boundary of the higher-crime tier. These neighborhoods tend to have unemployment and poverty rates well above the city's already-elevated averages of 7.1% and 15.5% respectively. Residents and visitors should exercise heightened awareness in these areas, particularly after dark, and consult the DC Metropolitan Police Department's real-time crime data for the most current incident information.

Is Washington, DC a good place to live in 2026?

For most residents, Washington, DC remains a compelling place to live in 2026, with 69% of neighborhoods graded A or B for safety and a median household income of $90,842 — well above the national median. The city's median home value of $616,945 and median rent of $1,607 reflect strong demand, particularly in northwest DC neighborhoods like Friendship Heights / American University Park / Tenleytown (A) and Georgetown (A). The unemployment rate of 7.1% is a consideration, though the federal government and a growing tech and nonprofit sector provide significant employment stability. The poverty rate of 15.5% underscores persistent inequality that contributes to the D-grade ratings in areas like Historic Anacostia and Saint Elizabeths. For families and professionals prioritizing safety, the 43.1% of neighborhoods with an A grade — many featuring median incomes above $150,000 — offer genuinely low-crime environments with strong schools and walkable amenities. The key to a positive DC experience in 2026 is neighborhood selection backed by data.

How does Washington, DC's crime compare across its quadrants?

Washington, DC's crime landscape is strongly shaped by its quadrant geography. The Northwest quadrant dominates the safest-neighborhood rankings, accounting for nearly all of the city's 28 A-grade neighborhoods (43.1% of the total) — including Spring Valley, Georgetown, Woodley Park, Hawthorne / Barnaby Woods / Chevy Chase, and Friendship Heights / American University Park / Tenleytown. The Northeast quadrant shows more mixed results, with several B and C-grade neighborhoods alongside a few D-grade areas. The Southeast and Southwest quadrants, particularly east of the Anacostia River, contain the highest concentration of D-grade neighborhoods, including Historic Anacostia (D-), Woodland / Fort Stanton / Garfield Heights / Knox Hill (D), and Sheridan / Barry Farm / Buena Vista (D+). This geographic divide reflects decades of uneven public investment and socioeconomic disparity. The city's overall D+ crime grade is heavily influenced by these eastern neighborhoods, even as the majority of DC's 5 million metro-area residents live in or near the safer northwestern zones.