Delaware’s 10 Safest Cities of 2023

The SafeWise Team is pleased to release the ninth annual Safest Cities report.

See if your city made the full list.

Delaware's violent crime and property crime rates decreased slightly year over year but remain higher than the national averages. Compared to the average American, Delaware residents are more likely to think crime is increasing and less likely to feel safe in their state. 

Delaware’s property crime rate of 19.4 is just slightly higher than the national average of 19.3 and the nineteenth-highest in the nation. Likewise, Delaware's violent crime rate of 4.2 is higher than the national average of 4.0 and the fifteenth-highest in the nation. 

According to our latest State of Safety survey, 44% of Delawareans feel safe in their state, which is lower than the national average of 50% and represents a 21% decrease year over year.

Delaware residents indicated increased levels of concern about crime overall and increased experiences with crime compared to the 12 months prior to the survey. The most significant increase relates to property crime: Delawareans reported a 158% increase in property crime experiences compared to last year's survey.

For our 2023 State of Safety survey, we asked participants about their natural disaster concerns, preparations, and experiences. Most Delaware residents worried about strong or high winds (64%).

Residents of Delaware matched national tendencies regarding disaster protection, with most choosing emergency kits (43% DE, 44% US) and a family emergency plan (41% DE, 40% US).

Around 9% of Delawareans reported having to evacuate for a natural disaster in the 12 months prior to the survey, which is 2 percentage points lower than the national average.

We asked Delaware residents which crimes they worry may happen to them. See if Delawareans are concerned about the same crime issues as the rest of the country.

View the complete 2023 State of Safety report.

Delaware saw a nearly 3% decrease in violent crime year over year. Its violent crime rate of 4.2 is the third highest in the South Atlantic region but only slightly higher than the national average of 4.0. 

However, in our State of Safety survey, Delaware residents reported experiencing more violent crime year over year. Around 49% of Delaware respondents claimed to have experienced violent crime in the 12 months prior to the survey which is five percentage points higher than the previous year’s survey results.

• Delaware respondents reported a 138% increase in violent crime experiences and a 114% increase in gun violence experiences. 
• Rape accounts for 7% of all violent crime in Delaware, which is one of the lowest percentages in the nation. The national average is 11%. 
• Aggravated assault accounts for 77% of all violent crime in Delaware (US 72%).
• Delaware reported zero officer deaths or injuries in the 2022 reporting year.
• Of the 41% of Delaware residents who use some form of personal protection, most (46%) prefer pepper spray.

• 50% of Delaware residents are concerned about gun violence (47% US).
• 15% experienced gun violence in the 12 months prior to the survey (12% US).
• Delawareans' gun violence experiences increased 114% year over year.
• 2 mass shooting events occurred in Delaware during the 2022 reporting year, representing a 71% decrease year over year.
• Of the Delawareans who use some form of personal protection, 29% use a concealed firearm (41% US).

Delaware’s property crime rate is higher than the national average of 19.3. With that said, The First State saw a 1% decrease in property crime year over year. 

In contrast, our State of Safety survey results show a 158% increase in property crime experiences and a 71% increase in package theft experiences. 

• Larceny-theft represents 79% of all property crime in Delaware, which is the fifth highest in the nation and above the national average of 72%. 
• Motor vehicle theft accounts for 9% of all property crime in Delaware, which is lower than the national average of 14%.
• Of the Delawareans who use property protection, most prefer security cameras (41%) or security systems (40%).
• Of the Delaware residents who use some form of package theft prevention, most prefer doorbell cameras (35%)

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 held onto the top spot for the third year in a row.
• Each of Delaware’s 10 safest cities saw an increase in violent crime year over year.
• Only 5 of Delaware's safest cities experienced a decreased property crime rate: Middletown, Newark, Elsmere, New Castle, and Harrington.
• 5 cities—Milton, Lewes, Middletown, Selbyville, and Harrington—reported 0 murders.
• Clayton, Lewes, and Harrington reported 0 robberies.
• Clayton is Delaware's only safest city to report 0 motor vehicle thefts.

Click on the state image or dropdown menu below to check out the safest cities for each state.

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• The State of Safety in America in 2022

FBI Crime Data Explorer, "Documents & Downloads." Accessed February 6, 2023.

• 2021 and 2020 Crime in the United States Annual Reports
  • Offenses Known to Law Enforcement
• 2021 NIBRS Estimation Tables

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, "Offenses Known to Law Enforcement [2019]." Accessed February 6, 2023.

Bureau of Justice Statistics, "National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)." Accessed February 6, 2023.

US Census Bureau, "2021: ACS 5-Year Estimates Subject Tables." Accessed February 6, 2023.

US Census Bureau, "2021: ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables." Accessed February 6, 2023.

SafeWise, "2022 State of Safety survey." Accessed February 6, 2023.

Gun Violence Archive, "General Methodology." Accessed February 6, 2023.

Gun Violence Archive, "Past Summary Ledgers." Accessed January 3, 2023.

Gun Violence Archive, "Congress."

• 2022 totals: Accessed January 3, 2023.
• 2021 and 2020 totals: Accessed December 19, 2022.