State crime profile · 2024
Virginia Crime Rates: Safest & Most Dangerous Cities
Crime data for 125 cities and 94 of 133 counties in Virginia (VA), ranked safest to most dangerous from 415 reporting agencies.
Data updated 2026-09-05
- 222.8
- Violent / 100K
- 1,590.1
- Property / 100K
- 125
- Cities
- 94
- Counties
Virginia violent crime is 222.8 per 100,000, 37% below the U.S. average
According to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program for 2024, Virginia records 222.8 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 37% below the national average (about the 10th-safest of 51 states and D.C.). Statewide averages hide city and county variation; UCR participation is voluntary.
- 222.8 violent crimes per 100K
- -37% vs. the U.S. average
- 1,351 Newport News violent-crime reports, volume #1 of 23
- 1,043.6/100K Petersburg rate #1 (volume #9)
How safe is Virginia? FBI UCR data snapshot
Virginia (VA) reported 19,630 violent crimes and 140,103 property crimes in 2024, based on FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program submissions from 415 law enforcement agencies. That translates to a statewide violent crime rate of 222.8 per 100,000 residents and a property crime rate of 1590.1 per 100,000 against a reporting population of 8,811,195. The PlainCrime dataset indexes 125 Virginia cities and 94 counties, each with their own detail pages and local crime figures drawn from FBI UCR Tables 8 and 10.
The FBI's state-level summary reports violent and property crime as aggregate totals rather than broken out by individual offense type (murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, arson). For an offense-by-offense breakdown, see the individual city and county pages for Virginia below, which draw on FBI UCR Tables 8 and 10 and do report each offense type separately.
Across 11 years of state-level UCR history (2014–2024), the violent crime rate moved from 198.2 to 222.8 per 100,000, a rise of 12.4%. City-level detail pages within Virginia include safety grades (A+ to F), benchmarks against national averages, per-capita risk estimates, and multi-year trend tables for users comparing specific jurisdictions. All figures above are drawn from FBI UCR 2024 submissions; reporting completeness varies by agency, and the FBI periodically restates prior-year figures as late submissions arrive.
How Virginia ranks nationally
Virginia vs. every U.S. state
Violent crime per 100,000 residents, FBI UCR 2024. Lower is safer.
223 Safer than 80% among 51 U.S. states
Each bar is a band of values; taller bars hold more U.S. states. 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
Safest cities · Most dangerous cities · Crime trends
Crime Trends
| Year | Population | Violent Crime | Rate | Property Crime | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8,811,195 | 19,630 | 222.8 | 140,103 | 1590.1 |
| 2023 | 8,715,698 | 21,169 | 242.9 | 146,784 | 1684.1 |
| 2022 | 8,683,619 | 20,791 | 239.4 | 149,744 | 1724.4 |
| 2021 | 8,642,274 | 19,649 | 227.4 | 126,545 | 1464.3 |
| 2020 | 8,590,563 | 18,504 | 215.4 | 127,132 | 1479.9 |
| 2019 | 8,535,519 | 18,137 | 212.5 | 141,566 | 1658.6 |
| 2018 | 8,517,685 | 17,520 | 205.7 | 143,426 | 1683.9 |
| 2017 | 8,470,020 | 17,914 | 211.5 | 152,835 | 1804.4 |
| 2016 | 8,411,808 | 18,429 | 219.1 | 157,510 | 1872.5 |
| 2015 | 8,382,993 | 16,698 | 199.2 | 158,615 | 1892.1 |
| 2014 | 8,326,289 | 16,500 | 198.2 | 162,526 | 1952 |
Cities in Virginia
Safest cities in Virginia
Cities with 25,000+ residents, lowest violent crime per 100,000, FBI UCR 2024. Hover a bar for the exact rate.
- Blacksburg 77
Blacksburg
77 /100K
- Virginia Beach 92
Virginia Beach
92 /100K
- Fairfax City
Fairfax City
129 /100K
- Staunton
Staunton
142 /100K
- Alexandria
Alexandria
219 /100K
- Winchester
Winchester
238 /100K
- Herndon
Herndon
239 /100K
- Hampton
Hampton
248 /100K
What this shows Blacksburg is the safest sizeable city in Virginia, at 76.5 violent crimes per 100,000.
Highest violent-crime cities in Virginia
Cities with 25,000+ residents, highest violent crime per 100,000, FBI UCR 2024. Hover a bar for the exact rate.
- Petersburg
Petersburg
1,044 /100K
- Portsmouth
Portsmouth
752 /100K
- Newport News
Newport News
736 /100K
- Roanoke
Roanoke
620 /100K
- Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg
604 /100K
- Norfolk
Norfolk
470 /100K
- Suffolk 371
Suffolk
371 /100K
- Danville 365
Danville
365 /100K
What this shows Petersburg reports the highest big-city violent-crime rate in Virginia, at 1,043.6 per 100,000.
Newport News recorded 1,351 violent-crime reports (#1 of 23) at 736 per 100,000 (rate #3). Petersburg recorded 350 (#9) at 1,043.6 per 100,000 (#1). These are FBI UCR 2024 agency submissions, not a personal risk forecast.
Volume #1 is not rate #1 among Virginia cities
Violent-crime rate per 100,000 for the count leader and the rate leader among cities with 25,000+ residents, FBI UCR 2024. Each tooltip identifies the relevant rate or volume rank; chart row is not a state rank.
- Petersburg
Petersburg
1,044 /100K
- Newport News
Newport News
736 /100K
What this shows Newport News recorded 1,351 violent-crime reports (#1 of 23) at 736 per 100,000 (rate #3). Petersburg recorded 350 (#9) at 1,043.6 per 100,000 (#1). These are FBI UCR 2024 agency submissions, not a personal risk forecast.
Read the chart as a list
- Virginia Beach: 92 violent, 1640 property per 100,000 (grade A)
- Chesapeake: 339 violent, 1744 property per 100,000 (grade C)
- Richmond: 337 violent, 3179 property per 100,000 (grade D)
- Norfolk: 470 violent, 3773 property per 100,000 (grade F)
- Newport News: 736 violent, 2416 property per 100,000 (grade F)
- Alexandria: 219 violent, 2640 property per 100,000 (grade C)
- Hampton: 248 violent, 2882 property per 100,000 (grade C)
- Suffolk: 371 violent, 1571 property per 100,000 (grade C)
- Portsmouth: 752 violent, 3861 property per 100,000 (grade F)
- Roanoke: 620 violent, 4056 property per 100,000 (grade F)
- Lynchburg: 357 violent, 1738 property per 100,000 (grade C)
- Harrisonburg: 267 violent, 1693 property per 100,000 (grade C)
- Leesburg: 256 violent, 1574 property per 100,000 (grade B)
- Blacksburg: 77 violent, 715 property per 100,000 (grade A)
Virginia safety livability score: 70/100
Percentile-benchmarked against all 51 tracked states, 2024 FBI UCR data.
-
Violent crime rate
222.8/100K · B (80th percentile)
-
Property crime rate
1590.1/100K · C (57th percentile)
-
Murder rate
N/A, dropped from score, weight redistributed
| City | Population | Violent / 100K | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach | 455,155 | 92.3 | A |
| Chesapeake | 257,248 | 339.4 | C |
| Richmond | 231,805 | 336.9 | D |
| Norfolk | 230,460 | 469.5 | F |
| Newport News | 183,563 | 736 | F |
| Alexandria | 155,153 | 219.1 | C |
| Hampton | 138,100 | 247.6 | C |
| Suffolk | 103,506 | 371 | C |
| Portsmouth | 97,156 | 752.4 | F |
| Roanoke | 97,027 | 620.4 | F |
| Lynchburg | 80,339 | 357.2 | C |
| Harrisonburg | 51,270 | 267.2 | C |
| Leesburg | 49,626 | 255.9 | B |
| Blacksburg | 45,734 | 76.5 | A |
| Charlottesville | 44,844 | 359 | D |
| Manassas | 43,028 | 274.2 | C |
| Danville | 41,915 | 365 | D |
| Petersburg | 33,538 | 1,043.6 | F |
| Fredericksburg | 29,474 | 603.9 | F |
| Winchester | 27,700 | 238.3 | C |
| Staunton | 26,151 | 141.5 | B |
| Fairfax City | 25,672 | 128.5 | C |
| Herndon | 25,058 | 239.4 | B |
| Waynesboro | 23,673 | 245 | B |
| Hopewell | 22,843 | 380.9 | C |
| Christiansburg | 22,297 | 224.2 | C |
| Culpeper | 21,302 | 122.1 | B |
| Colonial Heights | 18,605 | 462.2 | D |
| Radford | 17,399 | 212.7 | B |
| Bristol | 16,775 | 435.2 | D |
| Vienna | 16,258 | 61.5 | A |
| Manassas Park | 16,228 | 80.1 | A |
| Williamsburg | 16,098 | 198.8 | B |
| Front Royal | 15,524 | 335 | C |
| Falls Church | 14,801 | 101.3 | A |
| Martinsville | 13,968 | 386.6 | C |
| Poquoson | 12,788 | 312.8 | B |
| Warrenton | 10,265 | 97.4 | A |
| Smithfield | 9,137 | 175.1 | B |
| Purcellville | 8,918 | 22.4 | A+ |
| Pulaski | 8,818 | 567 | F |
| Franklin | 8,469 | 460.5 | D |
| Abingdon | 8,310 | 132.4 | B |
| Wytheville | 8,138 | 61.4 | B |
| Vinton | 8,044 | 149.2 | B |
| Ashland | 7,903 | 594.7 | F |
| South Boston | 7,757 | 464.1 | D |
| Lexington | 7,656 | 130.6 | A |
| Farmville | 7,477 | 548.3 | F |
| Strasburg | 7,312 | 191.5 | B |
| Bridgewater | 6,823 | 29.3 | A+ |
| Bedford | 6,819 | 190.6 | B |
| Galax | 6,770 | 310.2 | D |
| Buena Vista | 6,598 | 45.5 | A+ |
| Dumfries | 5,985 | 133.7 | A |
| Woodstock | 5,983 | 133.7 | B |
| Marion | 5,576 | 286.9 | C |
| Covington | 5,522 | 181.1 | B |
| Emporia | 5,426 | 1,068.9 | F |
| Orange | 5,249 | 400.1 | C |
| Big Stone Gap | 5,071 | 118.3 | A |
| Richlands | 5,037 | 397.1 | C |
| Rocky Mount | 4,990 | 140.3 | C |
| South Hill | 4,949 | 404.1 | D |
| Berryville | 4,849 | 41.2 | A+ |
| Bluefield | 4,845 | 61.9 | B |
| Luray | 4,829 | 41.4 | A |
| Broadway | 4,366 | 45.8 | A+ |
| Tazewell | 4,282 | 163.5 | A |
| Colonial Beach | 4,034 | 247.9 | B |
| West Point | 3,574 | 139.9 | A |
| Norton | 3,458 | 231.3 | C |
| Clifton Forge | 3,339 | 209.6 | B |
| Blackstone | 3,329 | 210.3 | B |
| Altavista | 3,316 | 271.4 | C |
| Chincoteague | 3,249 | 123.1 | A |
| Lebanon | 3,097 | 129.2 | B |
| Elkton | 3,068 | 65.2 | A |
| Grottoes | 3,029 | 264.1 | B |
| Windsor | 2,950 | 203.4 | B |
| Wise | 2,861 | 69.9 | B |
| Hillsville | 2,847 | 140.5 | A |
| Pearisburg | 2,806 | 106.9 | B |
| Dublin | 2,656 | 188.3 | B |
| Shenandoah | 2,479 | 121 | A |
| Crewe | 2,231 | 493.1 | D |
| New Market | 2,208 | 90.6 | A |
| Louisa | 2,205 | 90.7 | A |
| Tappahannock | 2,186 | 320.2 | D |
| Stephens City | 2,146 | 46.6 | A |
| Amherst | 2,114 | 189.2 | B |
| Chase City | 2,053 | 243.5 | B |
| Mount Jackson | 2,023 | 0 | A |
| Gate City | 2,015 | 198.5 | B |
| Saltville | 1,766 | 56.6 | A+ |
| Victoria | 1,749 | 343.1 | C |
| Stanley | 1,704 | 58.7 | A |
| Warsaw | 1,686 | 0 | A+ |
| Chilhowie | 1,608 | 124.4 | B |
| Haymarket | 1,578 | 63.4 | A |
Counties in Virginia
94 of 133 Census county-equivalents (70.7%) appear in FBI Table 10 for this vintage. Missing counties are absent from the FBI source for this year, not dropped by PlainCrime. See national county coverage and methodology.
Largest counties in Virginia, violent crime per 100K
Top 8 counties by population, violent crime per 100,000 residents. Hover a bar for the exact rate.
- Fairfax 94
Fairfax
94 /100K
- Prince William
Prince William
256 /100K
- Loudoun 71
Loudoun
71 /100K
- Chesterfield
Chesterfield
175 /100K
- Henrico
Henrico
172 /100K
- Arlington
Arlington
308 /100K
- Stafford
Stafford
239 /100K
- Spotsylvania
Spotsylvania
246 /100K
Nationwide peers for Virginia
Similar violent rate (~222.8/100K)
Nearby States
Safest cities · Most dangerous · Trends · National rankings · Crime grades · Compare · Methodology
Primary source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, Crime in the United States annual release. State-level trends cross-check against the FBI Crime Data Explorer (CDE) API.
Population figures for rate calculations reference U.S. Census Bureau estimates where FBI-reported populations are unavailable. Verify with Census.gov QuickFacts.
Read our methodology , how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Put this to use
Put the Virginia FBI UCR state file to work: open a city, a county, or a national ranking built from the same vintage.
A statewide average hides city and county variation: open a local profile before treating the state figure as a place-level verdict.
Every figure on PlainCrime is rendered directly from FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FBI Uniform Crime Reporting source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.