Big Stone Gap, VA has a A safety grade (75/100) with a violent crime rate of 118 per 100,000, 66% below the national average.

FBI UCR 2024 Per-capita rates FBI UCR + NIBRS

Big Stone Gap, VA Crime Rate & Safety

Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents, drawn directly from FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data. Compare against state and national averages.

PlainCrime home → About this data
A
Safety grade
Safe
118.3
Violent / 100K
1557.9
Property / 100K
5K
Population
-66%
vs U.S. avg

The verdict

Big Stone Gap earns an A safety grade: violent crime runs 66% below the U.S. average, placing it close to the national middle for violent crime.

A
PlainCrime safety grade
-66%
violent crime vs. U.S. average
57th
percentile of 8,986 U.S. cities
1,557.9
property crimes per 100K

Crime data sourced from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program, covering violent crime, property crime, and individual offense categories. Safety grades reflect a composite analysis of violent and property crime rates benchmarked against national averages. For context on how crime statistics are collected and what they mean for community safety, read our guide to understanding FBI crime data.

Is Big Stone Gap, VA safe? Big Stone Gap has a violent crime rate of 118.3 per 100,000 residents in 2024, according to FBI Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data, 66% lower than the national average and 47% below the Virginia average. The city receives a safety grade of A (Safe). Property crime rate: 1557.9/100K. Population: 5,071.

FBI UCR Data Snapshot: Big Stone Gap, VA

Big Stone Gap, VA, reporting population 5,071 in 2024, recorded 6 violent crimes and 79 property crimes in the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program's Table 8 city-level submissions. The city's violent crime rate works out to 118.3 per 100,000 residents, while the property crime rate reaches 1557.9 per 100,000. Combining those two rates against national benchmarks yields a composite safety grade of A (Safe), scoring 75 out of 100.

Within the violent crime count, aggravated assault accounted for 3 incidents, robbery 2, murder 0, and rape 1 in 2024. Property crime splits into larceny-theft (62), burglary (11), motor vehicle theft (6), and arson (0). Larceny-theft and other property offenses typically dominate city crime counts, and larceny-theft leads Big Stone Gap's mix at 72.9% of all Part I offenses.

Against the national violent crime average, Big Stone Gap runs 66% below the US benchmark, and 47% below the Virginia statewide rate. Translated to per-capita risk, the 2024 figures imply roughly a 1 in 60 statistical chance of being named in a crime report that year, narrowing to 1 in 845 for a violent offense. UCR figures reflect offenses reported to and submitted by local law enforcement and may undercount unreported crime.

These figures come from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program, which compiles offenses voluntarily submitted by local law enforcement agencies. Rates are expressed per 100,000 residents so a small town and a large city sit on the same scale, 50 burglaries mean something very different in a town of 2,000 than in a city of 500,000. Two caveats matter when reading any city's numbers. First, a year with missing or partial agency reporting can understate true crime, so a sudden drop sometimes reflects a reporting gap rather than a real safety gain. Second, UCR counts reported offenses, not convictions, and many crimes are never reported at all. Treat a grade as one input among several, not a final verdict on a place.

Is Big Stone Gap, VA Safe? Safety Assessment

Based on 2024 FBI crime data, Big Stone Gap, VA receives a safety grade of A (Safe) with a composite safety score of 75/100. The city is significantly safer than the national average, with violent crime 66% below the US benchmark.

Your statistical chance of being a crime victim in Big Stone Gap is approximately 1 in 60 , with a 1 in 845 chance of being a violent crime victim. The most common crime type is larceny-theft, accounting for 73% of all reported offenses.

Safety assessments are based on FBI UCR reported crime statistics. Actual safety varies by neighborhood, time of day, and individual circumstances. Crime reporting rates differ across jurisdictions.

Safety Overview

A 75/100
Safe
Composite safety score
based on FBI UCR data
Violent Crime Rate
118.3/100K
violent crimes per 100K residents
-66% vs US
Property Crime Rate
1557.9/100K
property crimes per 100K residents
-9% vs US
Total Crimes
85
reported in 2024
Population
5,071
2024 Census-based estimate

Crime Rate Breakdown, How Each Offense Compares

Each offense category's rate per 100,000 residents, benchmarked against the national average. Bars show the rate relative to the highest-rate offense in this city.

Murder 0.0/100K
Rape 19.7/100K
Robbery 39.4/100K
Aggravated Assault 59.2/100K
Burglary 216.9/100K
Larceny-Theft 1222.6/100K
Motor Vehicle Theft 118.3/100K
Arson 0.0/100K

How this works: Each bar shows the offense rate per 100,000 residents relative to the most frequent offense in this city. ▲▼ indicators compare against the FBI UCR national rate for that offense category. A longer bar means a higher per-capita rate, it does not imply the city is dangerous; use it to understand the mix of crime types. Full methodology →

Crime Breakdown (2024)

Category Count Rate /100K
Violent Crime 6 118.3
Murder 0 0
Rape 1 19.7
Robbery 2 39.4
Aggravated Assault 3 59.2
Property Crime 79 1557.9
Burglary 11 216.9
Larceny-Theft 62 1222.6
Motor Vehicle Theft 6 118.3
Arson 0 0

Per-Capita Risk Assessment

Overall Crime Risk
1 in 60
Statistical chance of being a crime victim based on 2024 data
Violent Crime Risk
1 in 845
Statistical chance of being a violent crime victim

These are statistical averages based on reported crimes. Actual risk varies significantly by neighborhood, time of day, and individual circumstances.

Crime Type Distribution (2024)

Larceny-Theft 62 (72.9%)
Burglary 11 (12.9%)
Motor Vehicle Theft 6 (7.1%)
Aggravated Assault 3 (3.5%)
Robbery 2 (2.4%)
Rape 1 (1.2%)

Big Stone Gap vs Virginia vs National Average

Big Stone Gap
Violent118.3/100K
Property1557.9/100K
GradeA
Virginia
Violent222.8/100K
Property1590.1/100K
National Average
Violent352/100K
Property1711/100K

How Big Stone Gap ranks nationally

Big Stone Gap vs. every U.S. city

Violent crime per 100,000 residents, FBI UCR 2024. Lower is safer.

118 Safer than 57% lower than 57% of 8,986 U.S. cities

0–100: 3,427 U.S. cities (38%). Below this entry. 100–200: 2,003 U.S. cities (22%). This entry sits in this band. 200–300: 1,232 U.S. cities (14%). Above this entry. 300–400: 742 U.S. cities (8%). Above this entry. 400–500: 511 U.S. cities (6%). Above this entry. 500–600: 325 U.S. cities (4%). Above this entry. 600–700: 199 U.S. cities (2%). Above this entry. 700–800: 134 U.S. cities (1%). Above this entry. 800–900: 94 U.S. cities (1%). Above this entry. 900–1,000: 77 U.S. cities (1%). Above this entry. 1,000–1,100: 59 U.S. cities (1%). Above this entry. 1,100–1,200: 38 U.S. cities (0%). Above this entry. 1,200–1,300: 27 U.S. cities (0%). Above this entry. 1,300–1,400: 24 U.S. cities (0%). Above this entry. 1,400–1,500: 12 U.S. cities (0%). Above this entry. 1,500–1,600: 16 U.S. cities (0%). Above this entry. 1,600–1,700: 10 U.S. cities (0%). Above this entry. 1,700–1,800: 12 U.S. cities (0%). Above this entry. 1,800–1,900: 11 U.S. cities (0%). Above this entry. 1,900–2,000: 4 U.S. cities (0%). Above this entry. 2,000+: 29 U.S. cities (0%). Above this entry. This city 0 2,000+ every reporting city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band of values; taller bars hold more U.S. cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program · 2024

Big Stone Gap vs. nearby cities — violent vs. property crime. X axis violent crime per 100K, Y axis property crime per 100K, split by the national averages. 9 cities; the anchor city is ringed. Big Stone Gap vs. nearby cities — violent vs. property crime SAFEST HIGHEST CRIME 83 795 Violent crime per 100K → 1,402 4,074 Property crime per 100K → Big Stone Gap: 118 violent · 1,558 property per 100K · grade A Big Stone Gap Virginia Beach: 92 violent · 1,640 property per 100K · grade A Chesapeake: 339 violent · 1,744 property per 100K · grade C Richmond: 337 violent · 3,179 property per 100K · grade D Norfolk: 470 violent · 3,773 property per 100K · grade F Newport News: 736 violent · 2,416 property per 100K · grade F Alexandria: 219 violent · 2,640 property per 100K · grade C Hampton: 248 violent · 2,882 property per 100K · grade C Suffolk: 371 violent · 1,571 property per 100K · grade C Safety grade A / B C D / F
Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program · split lines are the U.S. national averages

Nearby Cities in Virginia

Compare Big Stone Gap against neighboring cities in the same state, or use our side-by-side compare tool to benchmark two cities directly.

Virginia Beach
A
Pop: 455,155
Violent: 92.3/100K
Property: 1639.9/100K
Chesapeake
C
Pop: 257,248
Violent: 339.4/100K
Property: 1744.2/100K
Richmond
D
Pop: 231,805
Violent: 336.9/100K
Property: 3179.4/100K
Norfolk
F
Pop: 230,460
Violent: 469.5/100K
Property: 3772.5/100K
Newport News
F
Pop: 183,563
Violent: 736/100K
Property: 2416.1/100K

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the crime rate in Big Stone Gap, VA? ▼
Big Stone Gap has a violent crime rate of 118.3 per 100,000 residents and a property crime rate of 1557.9 per 100,000, based on 2024 FBI UCR data.
Is Big Stone Gap, VA safe? ▼
Big Stone Gap receives a safety grade of A (Safe), with a safety score of 75/100. The violent crime rate is 66% below the national average and 47% below the Virginia average.
What is the population of Big Stone Gap, VA? ▼
The reporting population for Big Stone Gap is 5,071 as of 2024.
How many crimes were reported in Big Stone Gap? ▼
In 2024, Big Stone Gap reported 6 violent crimes and 79 property crimes, for a total of 85 reported offenses.
What are the odds of being a crime victim in Big Stone Gap? ▼
Based on 2024 data, the statistical chance of being a crime victim in Big Stone Gap is approximately 1 in 60, with a 1 in 845 chance of being a violent crime victim. These are statistical averages and actual risk varies by neighborhood and circumstance.
What is the most common crime in Big Stone Gap? ▼
The most common crime type in Big Stone Gap is larceny-theft, accounting for 72.9% of all reported crimes (62 incidents in 2024).

Understanding Crime Data

►
Understanding Crime Rates
How per-capita rates are calculated and what they mean
 ►
Violent vs Property Crime
Key differences between crime categories
 ►
FBI Crime Stats Explained
How the FBI collects and reports UCR data
 ►
Crime, Housing & Schools
How safety connects to housing costs and school quality

Data as of 2024. Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program.

Crime rates are calculated per 100,000 population. Not all agencies report complete data. FBI Crime in the United States (CIUS) Table 8. Population figures referenced from U.S. Census Bureau estimates where noted; state-level comparisons cross-check against state UCR programs. Verify with FBI.gov UCR, Census.gov QuickFacts, and HUD.gov fair-market rents.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Read our methodology , how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

All federal data sources used on this page
Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

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