Memphis, TN Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Memphis Crime

Is Memphis safe to live in or visit?

Memphis has a more nuanced safety picture than its reputation suggests. Of the 242 neighborhoods analyzed on our crime map, 75% earn a Grade A or B — meaning three out of four neighborhoods are rated safe. Specifically, 49.6% of neighborhoods hold an A grade and 25.2% hold a B grade. On the other end of the spectrum, only 14% of neighborhoods — roughly 34 out of 242 — fall into the higher-crime D or F categories. Neighborhoods like Daybreak (Grade A+, median income $115,975) and Davies Plantation (Grade A+, median income $151,999) exemplify the safe, family-friendly communities Memphis has to offer. Higher-crime areas such as Klondyke and Victorian Village (both Grade F) are concentrated in specific pockets, so researching your specific destination or prospective neighborhood before visiting or relocating is strongly recommended.

What is the overall crime grade for Memphis in 2026?

Memphis carries an overall city-wide crime grade of D+ for 2026, reflecting elevated crime relative to national benchmarks. However, this city-wide grade is heavily influenced by a minority of high-crime neighborhoods. The city-wide safety rating — which weights neighborhood-level data across the population — comes in at Safe (B), because the majority of residents (75%) live in A- or B-rated neighborhoods. Context matters: socioeconomic factors including an 8.6% unemployment rate and a 24.6% poverty rate contribute to crime concentration in specific areas. The D+ overall grade signals that Memphis requires more caution than average U.S. cities, but it does not mean the entire metro is uniformly dangerous.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Memphis?

Based on 2026 crime map data, the ten safest neighborhoods in Memphis all hold Grade A+ ratings. Here's a data snapshot of the top five:

• Davies Plantation — Grade A+, population 1,658, median income $151,999
• Buckhead Acres — Grade A+, population 1,286, median income $142,338
• Daybreak — Grade A+, population 3,702, median income $115,975
• Kirby Ridge — Grade A+, population 127, median income $100,969
• Gailyn Ridge — Grade A+, population 364, median income $96,935

Other A+ neighborhoods include Easthill, Cherry Valley, Bartlett Grove, Burloe, and Birdsong Estates. A clear pattern emerges: the safest neighborhoods tend to have median household incomes well above the city median of $41,864, suggesting a strong correlation between economic stability and neighborhood safety in Memphis.

Which Memphis neighborhoods have the highest crime rates?

Fifteen neighborhoods — representing 6.2% of the 242 analyzed — received a Grade F, and 19 neighborhoods (7.9%) received a Grade D, together accounting for the 14% of Memphis neighborhoods classified as higher-crime. The five neighborhoods with the most elevated crime grades are Klondyke, Handy Holiday Community Club, and New Pathways (all Grade F), along with Victorian Village and Winchester Park (both Grade F+). These areas contrast sharply with the city's safest neighborhoods in terms of both crime grades and income levels. If you are considering renting, buying, or frequently traveling through these areas, reviewing the most current crime map data and local police reports is highly advisable.

How does Memphis's crime distribution compare across its 242 neighborhoods?

The grade distribution across Memphis's 242 neighborhoods breaks down as follows:

• Grade A — 120 neighborhoods (49.6%): Nearly half of all Memphis neighborhoods fall into the lowest-crime tier.
• Grade B — 61 neighborhoods (25.2%): An additional quarter are rated above average for safety.
• Grade C — 27 neighborhoods (11.2%): Roughly one in nine neighborhoods sit in the moderate-crime middle tier.
• Grade D — 19 neighborhoods (7.9%): These areas show meaningfully elevated crime levels.
• Grade F — 15 neighborhoods (6.2%): The highest-crime tier, representing a small but significant share of the city.

The takeaway: Memphis is a city of stark contrasts. The combined A+B share of 75% means that most of the city's roughly 1.07 million residents live in neighborhoods that score well on safety metrics, while a concentrated 14% of neighborhoods account for a disproportionate share of the city's crime activity.

Is Memphis a good place to live given its crime statistics?

Memphis offers genuine affordability — a median home value of $106,971 and median rent of $915 — alongside a rich cultural identity. From a crime perspective, 49.6% of its neighborhoods earn an A grade, which is a higher share of top-rated neighborhoods than many comparably sized U.S. cities. That said, the city's D+ overall crime grade, 8.6% unemployment rate, and 24.6% poverty rate are real factors that prospective residents must weigh. Families and individuals who prioritize safety and do their homework can find excellent options in neighborhoods like Daybreak, Buckhead Acres, and Davies Plantation, all of which hold A+ ratings and have median incomes significantly above the city average. The key is neighborhood-level research rather than relying solely on city-wide statistics, which can obscure the wide variance in safety across Memphis's diverse communities.