Boston, MA has a F safety grade (20/100) with a violent crime rate of 628 per 100,000, 78% above the national average.

FBI UCR 2024 Per-capita rates FBI UCR + NIBRS

Boston, MA 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
F
Safety grade
High Risk
627.9
Violent / 100K
2021.7
Property / 100K
659K
Population
+78%
vs U.S. avg

The verdict

Boston earns an F safety grade: violent crime runs 78% above the U.S. average, placing it among the highest-crime cities in the country.

F
PlainCrime safety grade
+78%
violent crime vs. U.S. average
8th
percentile of 8,986 U.S. cities
2,021.7
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 Boston, MA safe? Boston has a violent crime rate of 627.9 per 100,000 residents in 2024, according to FBI Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data, 78% higher than the national average and 103% above the Massachusetts average. The city receives a safety grade of F (High Risk). Property crime rate: 2021.7/100K. Population: 659,049.

FBI UCR Data Snapshot: Boston, MA

Boston, MA, reporting population 659,049 in 2024, recorded 4,138 violent crimes and 13,324 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 627.9 per 100,000 residents, while the property crime rate reaches 2021.7 per 100,000. Combining those two rates against national benchmarks yields a composite safety grade of F (High Risk), scoring 20 out of 100.

Within the violent crime count, aggravated assault accounted for 3,112 incidents, robbery 833, murder 24, and rape 169 in 2024. Property crime splits into larceny-theft (11,121), burglary (1,171), motor vehicle theft (1,032), and arson (20). Larceny-theft and other property offenses typically dominate city crime counts, and larceny-theft leads Boston's mix at 63.7% of all Part I offenses.

Against the national violent crime average, Boston runs 78% above the US benchmark, and 103% above the Massachusetts statewide rate. Translated to per-capita risk, the 2024 figures imply roughly a 1 in 38 statistical chance of being named in a crime report that year, narrowing to 1 in 159 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 Boston, MA Safe? Safety Assessment

Based on 2024 FBI crime data, Boston, MA receives a safety grade of F (High Risk) with a composite safety score of 20/100. Violent crime is 78% above the national average, indicating substantially higher risk than most US cities.

Your statistical chance of being a crime victim in Boston is approximately 1 in 38 , with a 1 in 159 chance of being a violent crime victim. The most common crime type is larceny-theft, accounting for 64% 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

F 20/100
High Risk
Composite safety score
based on FBI UCR data
Violent Crime Rate
627.9/100K
violent crimes per 100K residents
+78% vs US
Property Crime Rate
2021.7/100K
property crimes per 100K residents
+18% vs US
Total Crimes
17,462
reported in 2024
Population
659,049
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 3.6/100K
Rape 25.6/100K
Robbery 126.4/100K
Aggravated Assault 472.2/100K
Burglary 177.7/100K
Larceny-Theft 1687.4/100K
Motor Vehicle Theft 156.6/100K
Arson 3.0/100K

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 4,138 627.9
Murder 24 3.6
Rape 169 25.6
Robbery 833 126.4
Aggravated Assault 3,112 472.2
Property Crime 13,324 2021.7
Burglary 1,171 177.7
Larceny-Theft 11,121 1687.4
Motor Vehicle Theft 1,032 156.6
Arson 20 3

Per-Capita Risk Assessment

Overall Crime Risk
1 in 38
Statistical chance of being a crime victim based on 2024 data
Violent Crime Risk
1 in 159
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 11,121 (63.7%)
Aggravated Assault 3,112 (17.8%)
Burglary 1,171 (6.7%)
Motor Vehicle Theft 1,032 (5.9%)
Robbery 833 (4.8%)
Rape 169 (1.0%)
Murder 24 (0.1%)
Arson 20 (0.1%)

Boston vs Massachusetts vs National Average

Boston
Violent627.9/100K
Property2021.7/100K
GradeF
Massachusetts
Violent308.8/100K
Property1101.2/100K
National Average
Violent352/100K
Property1711/100K

How Boston ranks nationally

Boston vs. every U.S. city

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

628 8th percentile lower than 8% 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%). Below this entry. 200–300: 1,232 U.S. cities (14%). Below this entry. 300–400: 742 U.S. cities (8%). Below this entry. 400–500: 511 U.S. cities (6%). Below this entry. 500–600: 325 U.S. cities (4%). Below this entry. 600–700: 199 U.S. cities (2%). This entry sits in this band. 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. Boston 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

Boston 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. Boston vs. nearby cities — violent vs. property crime SAFEST HIGHEST CRIME 15 963 Violent crime per 100K → 0 3,062 Property crime per 100K → Boston: 628 violent · 2,022 property per 100K · grade F Boston Worcester: 17 violent · 0 property per 100K · grade A+ Springfield: 891 violent · 2,836 property per 100K · grade F Cambridge: 437 violent · 2,644 property per 100K · grade D Lowell: 533 violent · 1,663 property per 100K · grade D Brockton: 599 violent · 1,346 property per 100K · grade D Quincy: 335 violent · 1,333 property per 100K · grade C Lynn: 575 violent · 1,171 property per 100K · grade D New Bedford: 353 violent · 1,359 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 Massachusetts

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

Worcester
A+
Pop: 212,425
Violent: 16.5/100K
Property: 0/100K
Springfield
F
Pop: 155,491
Violent: 891.4/100K
Property: 2835.5/100K
Cambridge
D
Pop: 120,447
Violent: 436.7/100K
Property: 2644.3/100K
Lowell
D
Pop: 116,062
Violent: 532.5/100K
Property: 1662.9/100K
Brockton
D
Pop: 106,650
Violent: 599.2/100K
Property: 1345.5/100K

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the crime rate in Boston, MA? ▼
Boston has a violent crime rate of 627.9 per 100,000 residents and a property crime rate of 2021.7 per 100,000, based on 2024 FBI UCR data.
Is Boston, MA safe? ▼
Boston receives a safety grade of F (High Risk), with a safety score of 20/100. The violent crime rate is 78% above the national average and 103% above the Massachusetts average.
What is the population of Boston, MA? ▼
The reporting population for Boston is 659,049 as of 2024.
How many crimes were reported in Boston? ▼
In 2024, Boston reported 4,138 violent crimes and 13,324 property crimes, for a total of 17,462 reported offenses.
What are the odds of being a crime victim in Boston? ▼
Based on 2024 data, the statistical chance of being a crime victim in Boston is approximately 1 in 38, with a 1 in 159 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 Boston? ▼
The most common crime type in Boston is larceny-theft, accounting for 63.7% of all reported crimes (11,121 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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Full national footprint

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