Delaware’s Safest Cities of 2025

See crime rates for the safest cities.

According to our 11th annual State of Safety survey, Delaware residents feel safer in their state these days. They reported fewer first-hand experiences with violent crime and gun violence, but property crime and package theft seems to be on the rise. Most of Delaware's 5 safest cities experienced a similar trend.

We didn't have enough data to accurately calculate statewide crime rates this year, but we can look at the results of our annual State of Safety survey to catch a glimpse of crime trends throughout Delaware.

Half of all Delaware residents feel safe in the state, which is a little higher than the national average of 48%. The majority believe crime is increasing, but there's growing support for the idea that crime is slowing down. 

Our State of Safety survey results suggest violent crime and gun violence are dropping in The First State while property crime and package theft is on the rise. The majority of Delaware's five safest cities experienced similar trends.

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Our State of Safety survey results show Delaware residents are slightly less worried about property crime year over year. However, first-hand property crime experiences increased. Meanwhile, package theft concern and experiences are on the rise.

• 56% of Delawareans said they worry about property crime on a daily basis, down from 58% the previous year and slightly higher than the national average of 54%.
• 27% of Delawareans said they experienced a property crime in the 8 months prior to our survey, up from 18% the previous year and on par with the national average.
• Delaware residents worry about package theft more than the average American (DE 58%, US 52%) but are less likely to experience it first-hand (DE 36%, US 37%).
• Of the Delawareans who use property protection, most prefer security cameras (62%), security systems (38%), or guard dogs (37%).
• Delaware residents reported the highest use of security cameras in the country.
• The percentage of Delawareans who increased their security measures jumped from 28% in our previous report to 42%. 

Worries about violent crime have risen slightly in Delaware while personal experiences have dropped for the second year in a row. 

• Nearly 6 out of 10 (58%) Delaware respondents said they're highly concerned about violent crime.
• 8% claimed to have experienced violent crime in the 8 months prior to the survey, down from 14% last year.
• Delaware residents reported the second lowest percentage of violent crime experiences in the US, tying with Iowa, Nebraska, and Vermont at 8%. South Dakota claims the lowest percentage (6%).
• Of the 35% who use some form of personal protection, most Delaware residents prefer pepper spray (18%) and pocket knives (14%).
• Compared to the average American, Delawareans are more likely to use a whistle or personal alarm (DE 8%, US 4%), stun gun (DE 11%, US 8%), self defense keychain (DE 10%, US 7%), and personal safety app (DE 5%, US 4%).

• 57% of Delaware residents worry about gun violence on a daily basis, which matches the national sentiment.
• 5% experienced gun violence in the 8 months prior to the survey, tying Delaware with Rhode Island and Nebraska for the smallest percentage nationwide.
• Delawareans' reported gun violence experiences fell by 7 percentage points year over year.
• 2 mass shooting events occurred in Delaware during 2024, up from 1 incident in 2023.
• Of the Delawareans who use some form of personal protection, 12% use a concealed firearm (15% US).

For the purposes of this report, the terms “dangerous” and “safest” refer explicitly to crime rates as calculated from FBI crime data—no other characterization of any community is implied or intended.

• 18 Delaware cities met the criteria to be considered for ranking.
• Clayton, which fell to second place in the 2024 report after a three-year reign in the top spot, is once again the safest city in Delaware.
• Middletown was the only safest city to see a drop in both violent crime and property crime year over year.
• All 5 cities reported 0 murders.
• Lewes reported 0 rapes, robberies, and motor vehicle thefts.
• The #5 city, Newark, is the third-largest city in Delaware, which makes its low per capita crime rates even more impressive.

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