Washington is one of the safest states in America and does not have nearly as many crimes when compared to other parts of the U.S. In any event, what is true for certain across many states and jurisdictions are the significant differences in crime rates from city to town within a state. If safety ranks close to the top of your list on why you chose a residential area as home, it is important that beforehand take some time and learn about the crime rates within any Washington region with which you could be considering.
To determine some of the safest cities in Washington, we considered the data recorded in the latest FBI Uniform Crime Report. The following cities had the lowest raw scores for violent crime (aggravated assault, murder, rape, robbery) as well as property crime (burglary, arson, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft). For more information regarding the great safety provided by these few Washington cities, continue reading below.
Oak Harbor
The city, located on Whidbey Island, has been ranked among the safest communities to live in Washington State. This is a small city that is home to only 22,005 inhabitants but does not allow the crime rate to rise at all. There was a total of 96 violent crimes in Oak Harbor for the entire year of 2020. This means that out of the total population of the city, it has been determined that 4.34 of those people are involved in violent crimes per thousand citizens.
Oak Harbor has a very low rate of property crime as well. These include property crimes which were only 488 for the year with more than 22,300 people in the population. The overall property crime averaged 21.87 per 1000 people, thus making the city of Oak Harbor one of the safest in the state for property crimes.
It is not shocking that the crime rates are low in Oak Harbor since the largest company operating here is the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station. A large portion of the population are veterans or have family members in the military, and this most probably has a positive impact on maintaining law and order in Oak Harbor. There is also the city police for the general security of the city and cordial cooperation with the naval base forces.
Sammamish
Boasting being among the top safest cities in the United States of America, Sammamish cannot be excluded as one of the safest cities in Washington. Slightly to the east of Seattle, Sammamish is in King County and has had a significant increase in population in the last two decades mostly owing to the technological sector.
Though the population density increases at an alarming rate, the city of Sammamish clings to its safe suburban vibe. For instance, in the year 2020, Sammamish one of the most progressive cities in Washington state reported a total of 32 violent crimes even after accounting for its population of more than 70,000 residents. This means that there is one violent crime recorded for every 2,222 residents of the city, which is equivalent to a rate of 0.45 violent crimes per 1000 residents.
Burglary and theft cases which are subcategories for property crimes are equally rare in Sammamish. Using only 163 property criminals out of over 70,000 residents, the property crime rate of Sammamish was 2.30 in 2020. The House prices are rather high in Sammamish which means that there are very few if any burglaries, thefts, or car break-ins; all of which are major plus points for families moving to the city.
Poulsbo
Located on the Kitsap Peninsula, near Liberty Bay, the city of Poulsbo is in the area populated with Seattle yet with the atmosphere of a small town and excellent levels of public safety. There are over 10,000 people in this city, but they managed to experience only 35 violent crimes throughout the year 2020. This translates to a negligible violent crime rate per 1000 populace of 3.4 incidences hence, Indiana experiences a low violent crime rate.
Criminal activities especially those that involved properties were also rare given the size of the Poulsbo city. Poulsbo specifically registered one hundred and fifteen property crimes in 2020 and for every thousand citizens, there are 11.08 property crimes. This is less than half the national average property crime rate and indicates a very low crime rate in this area.
It is likely impossible to deny that Poulsbo’s strong emphasis on its Scandinavian heritage and the picturesque downtown that overlooks the bay goes a long way towards fostering a sense of community, and it is quite clear that there simply are not many criminal offenses being committed in this town. The Poulsbo Police Department also works efficiently to reach out to the residents of the city through social networking sites and other engagements.
Mercer Island
Classed as a suburb, Mercer Island, a community in western King County, has around 25,500 citizens. Richness, high-quality education, and tree-lined streets define this neighborhood; the crime rates in a population this size are quite low.
Data gleaned from the Uniform Crime Reports for 2020 shows Mercer Island has only fifteen violent crime records. This implies that, at 0.59 per 1000 persons, the rates of violent crime in this city are quite low. One such way to define Mercer Island is as a low-property crime zone. With 120 property offenses out of 25,500 individuals, the 2020 report indicates a 4.71 property crime rate per thousand members of the community.
Mercer Island is an island amid Lake Washington, hence criminals could not have simple access to the island. Simultaneously, the city is handy for getting to higher paying employment in Seattle and provides pleasant, safe homes for one to return to every night.
Pullman
Based on the fact that Pullman is the city where Washington State University is located, it is only reasonable that Pullman also experiences the high crime rates that are common to other college cities. Nevertheless, Pullman presents moderate crime rates, even if it accommodates many university students.
All the 117 violent crimes recorded in Pullman in 2020 were committed by more than 34,000 residents, which also comprises thousands of students. This explains the rather tame violent crime rate of 3.43 incidents per every one thousand citizens. Violent crimes were significantly lower than in the previous year at 12.59 per 1000 population while property crimes were also below the expected average for a college town at 20.30.
The small-town qualities of Pullman and well-organized neighborhood patrols probably reduce the possibility of crimes occurring. The engagement of university and city police officers is beneficial also in a way that it fosters cooperation and helps prevent crimes among students.
Conclusion
Washington surely has to boast more than its fair share of safe havens for couples to start their family owing to the low crime rates in most cities and towns. There are several other magnificent examples such as Oak Harbor, Sammamish, Poulsbo, Mercer Island, and Pullman with extremely low violent and property crime rates.
When investigating the safer places in Washington, the most effective strategy is to consider the latest FBI Uniform Crime Reports. When it comes to violent crime per 1000 people and property crime per 1000 people, there may be a comparison of which communities are safe and which communities are doing all that is possible to minimize such incidences.
