Is Norfolk, VA Safe?
Norfolk, VA has a Safety Score of 57/100 (grade C). Violent crime is 14% above the national average. Crime rates have been relatively stable over the past 5 years.
Safety Context Score: 57/100 (Grade C)
CrimeContext scores Norfolk 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 Norfolk 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.
Norfolk Crime Rates per 100,000 vs National Average
| Crime Type | Norfolk | National Avg | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime | 414.5 | 363.8 | +14% |
| Property Crime | 2481.9 | 1832.3 | +35% |
| Murder | 12.4 | 5.7 | +118% |
| Robbery | 99.5 | 73.0 | +36% |
| Aggravated Assault | 286.0 | 246.4 | +16% |
| Burglary | 397.1 | 269.8 | +47% |
| Larceny-Theft | 1960.7 | 1401.9 | +40% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 421.9 | 318.3 | +33% |
| 5-Year Trend | -1.0% | ||
| Population | 238,005 | ||
All values are incidents per 100,000 residents (FBI UCR/NIBRS). Per-capita rates only — never raw counts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Norfolk, VA has a Safety Score of 57/100 (grade C). Violent crime is 14% above the national average. Crime rates have been relatively stable over the past 5 years.
Norfolk, VA has a violent crime rate of 414.5 per 100,000 residents (14% above the U.S. average of 363.8) and a property crime rate of 2481.9 per 100,000 (35% above the U.S. average of 1832.3). All figures are per-capita rates, never raw counts.
Norfolk has a murder rate of 12.4 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 Norfolk has changed by -1.0%.
Violent crime in Norfolk is 14% above the U.S. average and property crime is 35% above average. Norfolk's overall Safety Context Score is 57/100 (grade C).
More about Norfolk
Norfolk, VA has a Safety Score of 57/100 (grade C). Violent crime is 14% above 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.
A practical caveat: the headline answer above reflects the most recent the FBI UCR/NIBRS dataset vintage; underlying data is often revised for months after first publication, and the right reference for any specific decision is whichever vintage is current at the time of the decision. The as-of date is stamped on every page.
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2026.