Choosing what area to live in is a process that is not just based on factors such as cost, employment opportunities, education, and facilities. Another integral aspect that many interested in purchasing or renting homes and apartments consider is safety. Washington is seemingly safe for residents and guests as property and violent crime rates are lower compared to the national level. However, the safety levels may still differ significantly depending on the location of the city or town.
Washington cities and towns are to establish the characteristics of safe places.
We will use crime data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting System to identify the safest cities and towns in Washington. This data compares percentages for violent crimes, which include murder, rape, robbery, and assault, and property crimes which include burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
The current study focused on crime statistics in cities and towns with populations above 5000 inhabitants in Washington. Small municipalities were removed because even if a town has an extremely low crime rate it can be ranked highly. A direct comparison between places cannot be made and therefore we standardized the crime rate to a per 1000 population basis.
Washington’s Safest Big Cities
Murder rates and other crimes are generally higher in the biggest cities of Washington than in small towns – as is the case with most nations. Still, numerous significant population hubs across Washington remain fairly safe today, or comparatively so given their population density. Here are the safest major cities in Washington based on the most recent FBI crime stats: Here are the safest major cities in Washington based on the most recent FBI crime stats:
1. Bellevue
2. Kirkland
3. Redmond
4. Kent
5. Yakima
They are all located within the central Puget Sound region and are surrounded by the region’s rapidly expanding eastern suburbs. Bellevue stands atop the list due to its near-zero incidence of violent and property crimes. It is situated in the south-western region of the United States, with a population of approximately 140000 people; in the last year, it was reported that only 210 violent crimes and 1600 property crimes were committed, which means that the rate of violent crimes is 2 per 1000 people and 11 for property offenses.
Other suburban cities with relatively high-tech company density also have a comparably low crime rate for cities within the 80,000+ population bracket, and these are Kirkland and Redmond. All three have violent crime rates that likely make them among the safest small towns in Washington. It is rather cheap to live in Kent, which also places it well as a mid-sized satellite city in King County. Yakima, a regional mid-sized city in central Washington state, completes the top five.
The Seattle area is a wonderful place to live
Even if we are to leave out the major cities, suburban Seattle and other small cities/towns in Washington are some of the safest places to live in. Based on current crime rates per capita, here are the 5 safest suburbs and small towns in Washington with over 5,000 residents:
1. Sammamish
2. Bainbridge Island
3. Mercer Island
4. Sequim
5. Poulsbo
Sammamish leads this group as it has for the past few years, and a quick survey of the table indicates. Kirkland is in King County and lies east of Seattle; the population of this place is more than 65 thousand people. But in 204, it reported only 65 acts of violence and 158 thefts – or 1 violent crime per 1,000 residents and 2 property crimes. Such shockingly low numbers put Sammamish in a league of safety higher than many anemic small towns in the rural parts of the United States.
The next two places are Bainbridge Island and Mercer Island of Seattle. Based on the geographical location of these institutions in islands around Puget Sound, one cannot help but wonder if criminal traffic is restricted. Furthest west is Sequim in the Olympic Peninsula and the city of Poulsbo in the Kitsap Peninsula, both of which boast extremely low crime rates in their small populations.
Methodology Notes
The crime data for this analysis is from the FBI 2020 Uniform Crime Report which is current as of 2021. The violent and property crime statistics as well as population data were collected for Washington cities and towns with a population of over 5,000 so that the crime rates are described at equivalent population level. [b3]Only those cities and towns that provided full FBI crime reports were included; the places that did not provide complete reports were omitted. Our population threshold means that it allows making more accurate per-capita calculations; small towns may post drastically high or low crime rates due to occasional violent episodes and a few incidents a year, respectively.
The Most Secure Areas in Washington
It is also important to note that, although the top safest cities and towns in Washington may be affordable and do not necessarily entail paying hefty housing prices comparable to some of the most luxurious areas in the nation. For example, CASCADE’s recent Buyer Select Report found: For example, CASCADE’s recent Buyer Select Report found:
● As for the current median sale prices, they stand at $1.1m for homes in Sammamish, which is, again, on the level of the broader Seattle metro area.
● Two examples of cities nearby are Bainbridge Island and Mercer Island with a median home value of $950,000.
● Medians of Kirkland and Redmond are $900, 000-$960, 000.
● It may be possible to buy a home for $1.3 million in Bellevue, which has been rated with excellent safety and a luxurious reputation; however, this is still not comparable to the cost of homes in the high-end suburbs of San Francisco or New York.
These reasonable costs of the safest areas in Washington have partly attributed to the lack of a major urban area such as the Bay Area or the NYC metro, which causes extreme residence bubbles. Existing home price no longer presents a major obstacle to owners achieving their goals in Washington; First-time home buyers with the ability to afford Seattle-level prices should still be able to attain homes in the state’s best safer suburbs while relatively costing less than most other high-end and popular income targets.
Washington Home Search, Safety Is A Top Priority
Washington is such a great place to live in, where they have nice green fields, mountain ranges, cities with high-paying jobs, and small towns or upper suburbs security. Here are some of the things you should consider while choosing a place to live in, crime rates, and other factors such as schools, amenities among other issues premier and affordable prices. It is a long-term wise decision to select the safest region possible as it gives mental satisfaction and also helps in saving property rates. Cascade can assist in identifying many communities at once and comparing them to pinpoint the match that best suits you. Call us anytime to get more details about these opportunities or receive personalized information about the neighborhoods you are interested in.
