Is Boston, MA Safe?
Boston, MA has a Safety Score of 61/100 (grade C). Violent crime is 15% below the national average. Crime rates have been relatively stable over the past 5 years.
Safety Context Score: 61/100 (Grade C)
CrimeContext scores Boston on a 0-100 scale that weights per-capita violent crime against the national average (40%), per-capita property crime (30%), and the 5-year direction of total crime (30%). A grade of C means Boston sits roughly in line with the typical U.S. city once population is taken into account. Crime rates have been relatively stable over the past 5 years.
We never display raw crime counts. A large city will always log more total incidents than a small town; the only fair comparison is the rate per 100,000 residents, which is what every number on this page uses.
Boston Crime Rates per 100,000 vs National Average
| Crime Type | Boston | National Avg | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime | 309.6 | 363.8 | -15% |
| Property Crime | 2233.6 | 1832.3 | +22% |
| Murder | 3.1 | 5.7 | -46% |
| Robbery | 65.0 | 73.0 | -11% |
| Aggravated Assault | 188.9 | 246.4 | -23% |
| Burglary | 290.4 | 269.8 | +8% |
| Larceny-Theft | 1585.9 | 1401.9 | +13% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 312.7 | 318.3 | -2% |
| 5-Year Trend | +1.0% | ||
| Population | 675,647 | ||
All values are incidents per 100,000 residents (FBI UCR/NIBRS). Per-capita rates only — never raw counts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Boston, MA has a Safety Score of 61/100 (grade C). Violent crime is 15% below the national average. Crime rates have been relatively stable over the past 5 years.
Boston, MA has a violent crime rate of 309.6 per 100,000 residents (15% below the U.S. average of 363.8) and a property crime rate of 2233.6 per 100,000 (22% above the U.S. average of 1832.3). All figures are per-capita rates, never raw counts.
Boston has a murder rate of 3.1 per 100,000 residents, compared with the national average of 5.7. Like every figure here, this is a per-capita rate — raw homicide counts without population context can badly mislead.
Crime rates have been relatively stable over the past 5 years. Over the past 5 years, the total crime rate in Boston has changed by +1.0%.
Violent crime in Boston is 15% below the U.S. average and property crime is 22% above average. Boston's overall Safety Context Score is 61/100 (grade C).
More about Boston
Boston, MA has a Safety Score of 61/100 (grade C). Violent crime is 15% below the national average. Crime rates have been relatively stable over the past 5 years.
The data source behind this answer is the FBI UCR/NIBRS dataset. Every figure on the page traces back to that source; the methodology page describes the inputs and the refresh cadence in full detail.
For readers turning this answer into action: cross-reference against the underlying the FBI UCR/NIBRS dataset record before acting on time-sensitive decisions. The site renders the data as it was published; subsequent revisions can shift the picture, and the live federal data is always the authoritative current reference.
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2026.