Kent, WA Crime Map

Kent, WA Safety Overview: What the Data Actually Shows

Kent is a city of 130,038 residents carrying an overall crime grade of C — but that city-wide number masks a neighborhood picture that skews considerably safer. Across the 16 neighborhoods analyzed, 94% earned a combined A or B rating, with 68.8% landing squarely in A territory. Only one neighborhood out of sixteen scored as low as C, and not a single area reached D or F. For a city of this size and density — 1,487 residents per square mile — that distribution is meaningfully better than what the headline grade suggests.

Where Kent Is Safest

The strongest safety grades cluster in Kent's higher-income southeastern and hillside communities. Meridian Heights leads the city with an A+ grade and a median household income of $137,511 among its 4,384 residents. Lake Morton / Berrydale, the largest of the top-rated neighborhoods at 12,409 people, also holds an A+ with a median income of $117,649. Cambridge & Kentwood rounds out the A+ tier with a median income of $102,904. Just below those, Timberlane (A, $110,365) and Meridian Valley Country Club (A, $164,953) continue the pattern of strong safety grades correlating with higher household earnings. Even larger, more populated neighborhoods like Kent East Hill — home to 31,920 residents — hold an A- grade with a median income of $80,437, demonstrating that safe conditions extend well beyond the city's wealthiest pockets.

Higher-Crime Areas in Context

The neighborhoods drawing comparatively more crime activity are O'Brien, which grades out at C+, and a cluster of B- areas including North Park, Mill Creek / Kent, and South Kent. None of these represent severe risk by national standards — a C+ is a moderate concern, not a crisis — but residents and prospective renters in these areas should factor those grades into their decisions. With a citywide median rent of $1,495 and a median home value of $378,642, the trade-off between affordability and neighborhood grade is a real consideration for many households.

Property Crime vs. Violent Crime Patterns

In Kent, as in most mid-sized Pacific Northwest cities, property crime drives the overall grade far more than violent crime does. Vehicle theft and package theft are the most frequently reported incident types across the city, concentrated in denser commercial corridors and lower-graded neighborhoods like O'Brien and South Kent. Violent crime — assault and robbery — occurs at lower rates and is more sporadic, though it does contribute to the softer grades in North Park and Mill Creek / Kent. Understanding this distinction matters: a neighborhood with elevated property crime may still feel and function as a safe place to live day-to-day, while the practical risk of leaving a car unlocked or a package unattended is genuinely higher in certain zones.

How the Crime Map Supports Real Decisions

Kent's interactive crime map is most useful when it informs a specific choice rather than a general sense of worry. Home buyers weighing properties in Timberlane versus South Kent can compare A versus B- grades alongside median home values to understand exactly what the safety premium looks like in dollar terms. Renters considering apartments near Mill Creek / Kent can check recent incident patterns before signing a lease rather than relying on impressions alone. Daily commuters — particularly those driving through Kent's industrial corridors or using transit hubs — can identify which routes and parking areas see higher rates of vehicle-related incidents. The map turns neighborhood-level data into a practical planning tool, which is especially valuable in a city where safety conditions vary this sharply from one zip code to the next.