Phoenix, AZ Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions: Phoenix, AZ Crime & Safety

Is Phoenix, AZ safe to live in?

Phoenix earns an overall crime grade of C+ at the city-wide level, but that headline number tells only part of the story. When researchers analyzed 16 distinct neighborhoods across the metro area, 94% — 15 out of 16 neighborhoods — scored a Grade A or B, placing them in the "safe" category. Fully 75% of neighborhoods (12 out of 16) received an A grade, and three additional neighborhoods earned a B. Only one neighborhood, Central City, landed at C+. No neighborhood in the analysis scored a D or F. For residents choosing where to put down roots, that distribution means the odds of landing in a genuinely safe community are strongly in their favor.

What is the crime rate in Phoenix by neighborhood?

Crime risk in Phoenix varies meaningfully by area, but the distribution skews heavily toward safety. At the top end, four neighborhoods hold an A+ rating: Anthem Country Club (population ~6,200; median income $103,109), Anthem East (population ~18,570; median income $103,894), North Gateway (population ~17,392; median income $94,351), and Desert View (population ~59,080; median income $119,234). Large residential districts like Deer Valley (213,178 residents, Grade A) and North Mountain (199,188 residents, Grade A-) demonstrate that high safety grades aren't limited to small, wealthy enclaves. On the higher-crime end, Central City is the only neighborhood graded C+, while Midtown Phoenix sits at B and South Mountain and Camelback East each hold a B+. No neighborhood in the dataset falls below a C+.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Phoenix in 2026?

The ten safest neighborhoods in Phoenix, ranked by grade, are:

1. Anthem Country Club — Grade A+ | Median income: $103,109
2. Anthem East — Grade A+ | Median income: $103,894
3. North Gateway — Grade A+ | Median income: $94,351
4. Desert View — Grade A+ | Median income: $119,234 (highest in dataset)
5. Deer Valley — Grade A | Median income: $81,486 | Population: 213,178
6. Paradise Valley Village — Grade A | Median income: $93,262 | Population: 167,890
7. Ahwatukee Foothills — Grade A | Median income: $112,853 | Population: 89,236
8. Amberlea — Grade A | Median income: $55,167
9. Estrella — Grade A- | Median income: $50,422 | Population: 99,085
10. North Mountain — Grade A- | Median income: $65,126 | Population: 199,188

Desert View stands out not only for its A+ safety grade but also for its large population of nearly 60,000 residents, proving that safe neighborhoods in Phoenix aren't exclusively small or gated communities. Ahwatukee Foothills similarly combines an A grade with a population of nearly 90,000 and a median income of $112,853.

Which Phoenix neighborhoods have higher crime rates?

Among the 16 neighborhoods analyzed, Central City carries the highest relative crime risk at Grade C+. Midtown Phoenix follows at Grade B — still considered safe by most benchmarks but elevated compared to the city's A-grade majority. South Mountain (B+) and Camelback East (B+) round out the higher-crime tier, though both remain solidly in the "safe" range. Sheely Farms, graded A-, sits just below the A tier. Importantly, even the lowest-graded neighborhood in this dataset (Central City at C+) does not reach a D or F, which means Phoenix lacks the extreme crime hotspots found in some comparable metros. Visitors and residents in Central City or Midtown should still exercise standard urban awareness, particularly regarding property crime.

How does Phoenix's overall crime grade compare to its neighborhood grades?

Phoenix's city-wide overall crime grade is C+, while the neighborhood-level city-wide safety rating is classified as Very Safe (A). This apparent gap reflects how aggregate city statistics are calculated — they incorporate all reported crimes across the full urban footprint, including commercial corridors, transit hubs, and areas outside the 16 residential neighborhoods in this analysis. When you zoom into where people actually live, 75% of neighborhoods score an A and 18.8% score a B, meaning the residential experience of safety in Phoenix is considerably better than the raw city-wide grade suggests. Prospective residents should weight neighborhood-level grades heavily when evaluating where to live.

Is Phoenix a good place to live for families?

Phoenix presents a compelling case for families, backed by concrete data. The city's median household income is $60,914, the median home value is $250,974, and the median rent is $1,100 — figures that reflect relative affordability compared to other Sun Belt metros. The unemployment rate stands at 5.4%. On safety, family-oriented neighborhoods dominate the top grades: Desert View (A+, median income $119,234), Ahwatukee Foothills (A, median income $112,853), and Deer Valley (A, population 213,178) all offer large, established residential communities with strong safety records. With 94% of analyzed neighborhoods graded A or B and a poverty rate of 16.2% concentrated in specific corridors rather than spread evenly, families who choose their neighborhood carefully will find Phoenix to be a genuinely safe and livable city in 2026.

What percentage of Phoenix neighborhoods are considered safe?

By the numbers: 75% of Phoenix neighborhoods in this analysis earned a Grade A (12 out of 16), and an additional 18.8% earned a Grade B (3 out of 16). Combined, 94% of analyzed neighborhoods fall into the safe A-or-B category. Only 6.3% — a single neighborhood, Central City — scored a C+. Zero neighborhoods received a D or F grade. The city-wide safety rating across all 16 neighborhoods is classified as Very Safe (A), meaning that the statistical weight of Phoenix's large, low-crime residential districts like North Mountain (199,188 residents, A-) and Deer Valley (213,178 residents, A) substantially outweighs the impact of its few higher-crime pockets.