Lowell, MA has a F safety grade (0/100) with a violent crime rate of 533 per 100,000 — 654% above the national average.

FBI UCR 2024 Per-capita rates FBI UCR + NIBRS

Lowell, 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.

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 Lowell, MA safe? Lowell has a violent crime rate of 532.5 per 100,000 residents in 2024, according to FBI Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data — 654% higher than the national average and 72% above the Massachusetts average. The city receives a safety grade of F (High Risk). Property crime rate: 1662.9/100K. Population: 116,062.

FBI UCR Data Snapshot: Lowell, MA

Lowell, MA — reporting population 116,062 in 2024 — recorded 618 violent crimes and 1,930 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 532.5 per 100,000 residents, while the property crime rate reaches 1662.9 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 539 incidents, robbery 66, murder 5, and rape 8 in 2024. Property crime splits into larceny-theft (1,520), burglary (174), motor vehicle theft (236), and arson (13). Larceny-theft and other property offenses typically dominate city crime counts, and larceny-theft leads Lowell's mix at 59.7% of all Part I offenses.

Against the national violent crime average, Lowell runs 654% above the US benchmark, and 72% above the Massachusetts statewide rate. Translated to per-capita risk, the 2024 figures imply roughly a 1 in 46 statistical chance of being named in a crime report that year, narrowing to 1 in 188 for a violent offense. UCR figures reflect offenses reported to and submitted by local law enforcement and may undercount unreported crime.

Is Lowell, MA Safe? Safety Assessment

Based on 2024 FBI crime data, Lowell, MA receives a safety grade of F (High Risk) with a composite safety score of 0/100. Violent crime is 654% above the national average, indicating substantially higher risk than most US cities.

Your statistical chance of being a crime victim in Lowell is approximately 1 in 46 , with a 1 in 188 chance of being a violent crime victim. The most common crime type is larceny-theft, accounting for 60% 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

Safety Grade
F
High Risk
Score: 0/100
Violent Crime Rate
532.5/100K
violent crimes per 100K residents
+654% vs US
Property Crime Rate
1662.9/100K
property crimes per 100K residents
+384% vs US
Total Crimes
2,548
reported in 2024
Population
116,062
2024 Census-based estimate

Crime Breakdown (2024)

Category Count Rate /100K
Violent Crime 618 532.5
Murder 5 4.3
Rape 8 6.9
Robbery 66 56.9
Aggravated Assault 539 464.4
Property Crime 1,930 1662.9
Burglary 174 149.9
Larceny-Theft 1,520 1309.6
Motor Vehicle Theft 236 203.3
Arson 13 11.2

Per-Capita Risk Assessment

Overall Crime Risk
1 in 46
Statistical chance of being a crime victim based on 2024 data
Violent Crime Risk
1 in 188
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 1,520 (59.7%)
Aggravated Assault 539 (21.2%)
Motor Vehicle Theft 236 (9.3%)
Burglary 174 (6.8%)
Robbery 66 (2.6%)
Arson 13 (0.5%)
Rape 8 (0.3%)
Murder 5 (0.2%)

Lowell vs Massachusetts vs National Average

Lowell
Violent532.5/100K
Property1662.9/100K
GradeF
Massachusetts
Violent308.8/100K
Property1101.2/100K
National Average
Violent70.6/100K
Property343.3/100K

Nearby Cities in Massachusetts

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the crime rate in Lowell, MA?
Lowell has a violent crime rate of 532.5 per 100,000 residents and a property crime rate of 1662.9 per 100,000, based on 2024 FBI UCR data.
Is Lowell, MA safe?
Lowell receives a safety grade of F (High Risk), with a safety score of 0/100. The violent crime rate is 654% above the national average and 72% above the Massachusetts average.
What is the population of Lowell, MA?
The reporting population for Lowell is 116,062 as of 2024.
How many crimes were reported in Lowell?
In 2024, Lowell reported 618 violent crimes and 1,930 property crimes, for a total of 2,548 reported offenses.
What are the odds of being a crime victim in Lowell?
Based on 2024 data, the statistical chance of being a crime victim in Lowell is approximately 1 in 46, with a 1 in 188 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 Lowell?
The most common crime type in Lowell is larceny-theft, accounting for 59.7% of all reported crimes (1,520 incidents in 2024).

Understanding Crime Data

Explore More Data for MA

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.

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

Coverage

50 states + DC

Full national footprint

Update cadence

Quarterly

Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release

Source agency

Federal

Authoritative data, no third-party aggregation

Page reliability score 94.0%
Industry baseline

Composite score weighing source authority, update freshness, and methodological transparency. 1.0 = full federal-source coverage with documented methodology and recent update.