Dewey Beach, DE has a F safety grade (0/100) with a violent crime rate of 4434 per 100,000, 1160% above the national average.

FBI UCR 2024 Per-capita rates FBI UCR + NIBRS

Dewey Beach, DE 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
4433.5
Violent / 100K
5665
Property / 100K
0K
Population
+1160%
vs U.S. avg

The verdict

Dewey Beach earns an F safety grade: violent crime runs 1160% above the U.S. average, placing it among the highest-crime cities in the country.

F
PlainCrime safety grade
+1160%
violent crime vs. U.S. average
0th
percentile of 8,986 U.S. cities
5,665
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 Dewey Beach, DE safe? Dewey Beach has a violent crime rate of 4433.5 per 100,000 residents in 2024, according to FBI Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data, 1160% higher than the national average and 1105% above the Delaware average. The city receives a safety grade of F (High Risk). Property crime rate: 5665/100K. Population: 406.

FBI UCR Data Snapshot: Dewey Beach, DE

Dewey Beach, DE, reporting population 406 in 2024, recorded 18 violent crimes and 23 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 4433.5 per 100,000 residents, while the property crime rate reaches 5665 per 100,000. Combining those two rates against national benchmarks yields a composite safety grade of F (High Risk), scoring 0 out of 100.

Within the violent crime count, aggravated assault accounted for 17 incidents, robbery 0, murder 0, and rape 1 in 2024. Property crime splits into larceny-theft (16), burglary (7), motor vehicle theft (0), and arson (0). Larceny-theft and other property offenses typically dominate city crime counts, and aggravated assault leads Dewey Beach's mix at 41.5% of all Part I offenses.

Against the national violent crime average, Dewey Beach runs 1160% above the US benchmark, and 1105% above the Delaware statewide rate. Translated to per-capita risk, the 2024 figures imply roughly a 1 in 10 statistical chance of being named in a crime report that year, narrowing to 1 in 23 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 Dewey Beach, DE Safe? Safety Assessment

Based on 2024 FBI crime data, Dewey Beach, DE receives a safety grade of F (High Risk) with a composite safety score of 0/100. Violent crime is 1160% above the national average, indicating substantially higher risk than most US cities.

Your statistical chance of being a crime victim in Dewey Beach is approximately 1 in 10 , with a 1 in 23 chance of being a violent crime victim. The most common crime type is aggravated assault, accounting for 41% 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 0/100
High Risk
Composite safety score
based on FBI UCR data
Violent Crime Rate
4433.5/100K
violent crimes per 100K residents
+1160% vs US
Property Crime Rate
5665/100K
property crimes per 100K residents
+231% vs US
Total Crimes
41
reported in 2024
Population
406
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 246.3/100K
Robbery 0.0/100K
Aggravated Assault 4187.2/100K
Burglary 1724.1/100K
Larceny-Theft 3940.9/100K
Motor Vehicle Theft 0.0/100K
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 18 4433.5
Murder 0 0
Rape 1 246.3
Robbery 0 0
Aggravated Assault 17 4187.2
Property Crime 23 5665
Burglary 7 1724.1
Larceny-Theft 16 3940.9
Motor Vehicle Theft 0 0
Arson 0 0

Per-Capita Risk Assessment

Overall Crime Risk
1 in 10
Statistical chance of being a crime victim based on 2024 data
Violent Crime Risk
1 in 23
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)

Aggravated Assault 17 (41.5%)
Larceny-Theft 16 (39.0%)
Burglary 7 (17.1%)
Rape 1 (2.4%)

Dewey Beach vs Delaware vs National Average

Dewey Beach
Violent4433.5/100K
Property5665/100K
GradeF
Delaware
Violent367.8/100K
Property1772.7/100K
National Average
Violent352/100K
Property1711/100K

How Dewey Beach ranks nationally

Dewey Beach vs. every U.S. city

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

4,434 0th percentile lower than 0% 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%). Below this entry. 700–800: 134 U.S. cities (1%). Below this entry. 800–900: 94 U.S. cities (1%). Below this entry. 900–1,000: 77 U.S. cities (1%). Below this entry. 1,000–1,100: 59 U.S. cities (1%). Below this entry. 1,100–1,200: 38 U.S. cities (0%). Below this entry. 1,200–1,300: 27 U.S. cities (0%). Below this entry. 1,300–1,400: 24 U.S. cities (0%). Below this entry. 1,400–1,500: 12 U.S. cities (0%). Below this entry. 1,500–1,600: 16 U.S. cities (0%). Below this entry. 1,600–1,700: 10 U.S. cities (0%). Below this entry. 1,700–1,800: 12 U.S. cities (0%). Below this entry. 1,800–1,900: 11 U.S. cities (0%). Below this entry. 1,900–2,000: 4 U.S. cities (0%). Below this entry. 2,000+: 29 U.S. cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. Dewey Beach 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

Dewey Beach 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. Dewey Beach vs. nearby cities — violent vs. property crime SAFEST HIGHEST CRIME 113 4,788 Violent crime per 100K → 1,389 6,555 Property crime per 100K → Dewey Beach: 4,434 violent · 5,665 property per 100K · grade F Dewey Beach Wilmington: 1,127 violent · 3,159 property per 100K · grade F Dover: 1,013 violent · 6,069 property per 100K · grade F Newark: 310 violent · 1,998 property per 100K · grade C Middletown: 125 violent · 1,543 property per 100K · grade B Milford: 791 violent · 3,650 property per 100K · grade F Smyrna: 486 violent · 1,965 property per 100K · grade D Seaford: 1,134 violent · 4,568 property per 100K · grade F Georgetown: 702 violent · 4,990 property per 100K · grade F 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 Delaware

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

Wilmington
F
Pop: 71,958
Violent: 1127/100K
Property: 3158.8/100K
Dover
F
Pop: 40,087
Violent: 1012.8/100K
Property: 6069.3/100K
Newark
C
Pop: 30,030
Violent: 309.7/100K
Property: 1998/100K
Middletown
B
Pop: 25,594
Violent: 125/100K
Property: 1543.3/100K
Milford
F
Pop: 14,028
Violent: 791.3/100K
Property: 3649.8/100K

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the crime rate in Dewey Beach, DE? ▼
Dewey Beach has a violent crime rate of 4433.5 per 100,000 residents and a property crime rate of 5665 per 100,000, based on 2024 FBI UCR data.
Is Dewey Beach, DE safe? ▼
Dewey Beach receives a safety grade of F (High Risk), with a safety score of 0/100. The violent crime rate is 1160% above the national average and 1105% above the Delaware average.
What is the population of Dewey Beach, DE? ▼
The reporting population for Dewey Beach is 406 as of 2024.
How many crimes were reported in Dewey Beach? ▼
In 2024, Dewey Beach reported 18 violent crimes and 23 property crimes, for a total of 41 reported offenses.
What are the odds of being a crime victim in Dewey Beach? ▼
Based on 2024 data, the statistical chance of being a crime victim in Dewey Beach is approximately 1 in 10, with a 1 in 23 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 Dewey Beach? ▼
The most common crime type in Dewey Beach is aggravated assault, accounting for 41.5% of all reported crimes (17 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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