Wellesley, MA Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Crime in Wellesley, MA

Is Wellesley, MA safe?

Wellesley earns an overall crime grade of B+ and a city-wide safety rating of A (Very Safe) — an exceptional combination that places it among the safest communities in Massachusetts. Across all six analyzed neighborhoods, 100% received a grade of A or higher: Babson Park, Overbrook, and Fells each earned A+, while Dana Hall and Wellesley Square hold A grades, and Woodlands rounds out the group at A−. Not a single neighborhood fell into the B, C, D, or F range. For context, the national average for similarly sized towns typically includes a meaningful share of neighborhoods graded C or below, making Wellesley's clean sweep of top grades statistically notable. Residents and visitors can feel confident navigating any part of town.

What is the crime rate in Wellesley compared to national averages?

Wellesley's crime profile is substantially better than national benchmarks. With a poverty rate of just 4.2% — well below the U.S. average of roughly 12% — and a median household income of $213,684, the socioeconomic factors that correlate most strongly with crime are largely absent here. All six neighborhoods studied (100%) achieved safe grades of A or A+, compared to national patterns where only a fraction of urban and suburban neighborhoods reach that tier. Property crimes such as burglary and theft represent the most common incident categories in Wellesley, as is typical of affluent suburbs, while violent crime remains exceptionally rare. The Wellesley crime map reflects these low incident densities across every district analyzed.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Wellesley?

Every neighborhood in Wellesley's analysis qualifies as safe, but three stand out at the very top with A+ grades:

• Babson Park — A+ grade, population 2,018, median income $210,948. Home to Babson College, this area benefits from an active campus safety presence and a tight-knit residential community.
• Overbrook — A+ grade, population 159, median income $185,651. One of Wellesley's smallest neighborhoods by population, Overbrook's low density contributes to its exceptionally clean safety record.
• Fells — A+ grade, population 3,309, median income $210,487. The largest of the top-rated neighborhoods, Fells demonstrates that a higher population doesn't have to mean higher crime in a well-resourced community.

Dana Hall and Wellesley Square both hold A grades, and even the comparatively lower-rated Woodlands sits at an A− — still an outstanding safety standing by any measure.

Which Wellesley neighborhood has the most crime?

Using relative terms within an already very safe city, Woodlands carries the lowest grade among Wellesley's analyzed neighborhoods at A−, with a population of 913 and a median income of $139,738 — the lowest of the six areas studied. Following Woodlands, Wellesley Square (grade A, population 1,083, median income $161,192) and Dana Hall (grade A, population 2,537, median income $166,008) rank next. It is important to emphasize that an A− in Wellesley still represents a very safe environment in absolute terms; these designations reflect only minor relative differences within a uniformly low-crime city, not areas of genuine concern.

Is Wellesley a good place to live in 2026?

By nearly every measurable indicator, Wellesley ranks as an outstanding place to live in 2026. Consider the key data points: a median household income of $213,684, a median home value of $1,218,540, an unemployment rate of 4.7%, and a poverty rate of 4.2%. The town's overall crime grade of B+ reflects a strong safety record at the city level, while the neighborhood-level analysis shows 100% of areas graded A or better — meaning no matter where you settle in Wellesley, you are in a statistically safe neighborhood. The combination of top-tier public schools, economic stability, low crime, and a median rent of $2,177 makes Wellesley particularly attractive for families and professionals. Population density sits at a manageable 1,107 residents per square mile, preserving a suburban character that supports community cohesion and safety awareness.

How does Wellesley's safety grade break down by neighborhood?

The neighborhood-level grade distribution in Wellesley is remarkably uniform at the top of the scale. Here is the full breakdown across all six analyzed areas:

• Grade A+: 3 neighborhoods — Babson Park, Overbrook, Fells (50% of all neighborhoods)
• Grade A: 2 neighborhoods — Dana Hall, Wellesley Square (33% of all neighborhoods)
• Grade A−: 1 neighborhood — Woodlands (17% of all neighborhoods)
• Grade B or below: 0 neighborhoods (0%)

In total, 100% of Wellesley's neighborhoods fall into the combined A/B safe category, with the entire distribution concentrated in the A range. This means residents choosing any of these six neighborhoods are selecting from communities that all meet the highest safety standards tracked on the Wellesley crime map.