Study: Seattle ranks 4th worst in nation for total crime, nearly triple national average
Aug 29, 2025, 5:02 AM
A black band is drawn across the badge of a Seattle police officer. (Photo: Elaine Thompson, The Associated Press)
(Photo: Elaine Thompson, The Associated Press)
A Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) crime report for 2024 was released in August, indicating the total amount of violent and petty crime within the United States.
Security.org released a study based on the FBI report, which calculated the best and worst cities’ crime statistics in 2024. Seattle ranked in the top five worst cities in two of the three categories provided, including total crime, violent crime, and property crime.
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Seattle’s total crime ranking
The study for total crime combined violent crimes such as murder, robbery, and assault, paired with property crimes like burglary, theft, and motor vehicle theft.
The national total crime rate in 2024 was 2,119 incidents per 100,000 residents, according to the study. The study used the national data as a baseline to determine the percent change for each city in its rankings.
Seattle was ranked fourth out of the 30 largest American cities for total crime in 2024. The study provided Seattle’s total crime rate per 100,000 residents was 5,782.7. Additionally, Seattle’s total crime numbers in comparison to the national average were 172.9% higher.
Portland, Oregon, was listed as the second-worst city for total crime in America, with a total crime rate of 6,246.4 per 100,000 people. Portland’s total crime numbers were also 194.8% higher than the national average.
The worst U.S. city for total crime was Memphis, Tennessee, with a total crime rate of 9,400.3, and 343.6% higher total crime occurrences than the national average.
Seattle’s high property crime
In 2024, the national property crime rate was 1,760.1 per 100,000 residents.
“Nationally, property crime declined in 2024, helped by a steep drop in auto thefts—the largest one-year decline in more than four decades,” the Security.org study stated. “However, in these cities, theft, burglary, and vehicle crime remain stubbornly high.
Seattle ranked third-worst on the list with a property crime rate of 5,007.6 per 100,000 residents. Seattle was also 184.5% higher than the national property crime average.
Portland was slightly worse for property crime with a No. 2 ranking, one spot ahead of Seattle. Portland had a property crime rate of 5,526.2 per 100,000 residents, which was 214% higher than the national property crime average.
Similar to the total crime rankings, Memphis, Tennessee, was listed as the worst U.S. city for property crime with a rate of 6,899 per 100,000 residents, 292% above the national average.
Seattle’s violent crime statistics
As for violent crime, Seattle did not rank in the top 10. The U.S. total average for violent crime was 359.1, and Seattle was nearly double the national average, with a violent crime rate of 775.1 per 100,000 residents in 2024. Portland was slightly better than Seattle, with a violent crime rate of 720.1.
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