For another year, Ohio came in as one of the safest states in America. According to the 2016 FBI crime reports, Ohio has some of the lowest violent crime rates in the United States.
Coming in at the top of the list this year is Chester Township, with a population of just over 10,000 and zero violent crimes reported. Second-ranked Powell (a suburb of Columbus) and third-ranked Harrison also had no violent crimes in 2016. In fact, every single city in our list has a violent crime rate less than 0.4. To put that in perspective, the national average is 70% higher, at 4.64 violent crimes per 1,000 people.
All of the cities on this year’s list not only have extremely low violent crime rates but also have property crime rates an average of 74% lower than the state’s. Nationally, there were about twenty-eight property crimes per 1,000 people. All of Ohio’s safest cities came in at or below that number, and six of those cities had fewer than five property crimes per 1,000 people.
The numbers show that the Buckeye State is committed to safety. And a recent initiative to help child victims of crime demonstrates that Ohio is just as concerned about effectively dealing with crime as it is about preventing it. Announced in July, this initiative puts $25 million toward helping young people affected by crimes receive the services they need to work through any trauma they’ve experienced.
Ohio’s low crime rates make it a great place to live—and our Ohio Safety Directory offers links to the resources that help this state stay shipshape. Check it out for details on emergency preparedness, crime prevention, and more.
The 20 Safest Cities in Ohio
1. Chester Township
Population: 10,371
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.00
Property crimes per 1,000: 1.74
Total crime: 0% violent, 100% property
2. Powell
Population: 13,273
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.00
Property crimes per 1,000: 7.99
Total crime: 0% violent, 100% property
3. Harrison
Population: 10,819
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.00
Property crimes per 1,000: 28.28
Total crime: 0% violent, 100% property
4. Olmstead Township
Population: 13,228
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.08
Property crimes per 1,000: 3.25
Total crime: 2.33% violent, 97.67% property
5. Highland Heights
Population: 8,402
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.12
Property crimes per 1,000: 11.78
Total crime: 1.01% violent, 98.99% property
6. Montville Township
Population: 11,815
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.17
Property crimes per 1,000: 3.89
Total crime: 4.35% violent, 95.65% property
7. New Philadelphia
Population: 17,526
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.17
Property crimes per 1,000: 10.73
Total crime: 1.60% violent, 98.40% property
8. Hudson
Population: 22,470
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.18
Property crimes per 1,000: 4.09
Total crime: 4.35% violent, 95.65% property
9. Mason
Population: 33,026
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.18
Property crimes per 1,000: 9.99
Total crime: 1.82% violent, 98.18% property
10. Lawrence Township
Population: 8,265
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.24
Property crimes per 1,000: 8.59
Total crime: 2.82% violent, 97.18% property
11. Poland Township
Population: 12,052
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.25
Property crimes per 1,000: 5.48
Total crime: 4.55% violent, 95.45% property
12. Pierce Township
Population: 11,559
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.26
Property crimes per 1,000: 15.75
Total crime: 1.65% violent, 98.35% property
13. Clearcreek Township
Population: 15,322
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.26
Property crimes per 1,000: 6.00
Total crime: 4.35% violent, 95.65% property
14. Vermilion
Population: 10,404
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.29
Property crimes per 1,000: 10.28
Total crime: 2.80% violent, 97.20% property
15. Brecksville
Population: 13,390
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.30
Property crimes per 1,000: 4.03
Total crime: 7.41% violent, 92.59% property
16. Marysville
Population: 22,952
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.30
Property crimes per 1,000: 6.27
Total crime: 4.86% violent, 95.14% property
17. Olmstead Falls
Population: 8,859
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.34
Property crimes per 1,000: 3.39
Total crime: 10.00% violent, 90.00% property
18. Worthington
Population: 14,689
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.34
Property crimes per 1,000: 15.86
Total crime: 2.15% violent, 97.85% property
19. Seven Hills
Population: 11,661
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.34
Property crimes per 1,000: 5.49
Total crime: 6.25% violent, 93.75% property
20. Rocky River
Population: 20,400
Violent crimes per 1,000: 0.34
Property crimes per 1,000: 3.97
Total crime: 8.64% violent, 91.36% property
How We Chose the Safest Cities in Ohio
To identify the twenty safest cities in Ohio, we reviewed the 2016 FBI crime report statistics and population data. Cities that fell below identified population thresholds or that failed to submit a complete crime report to the FBI were excluded from the ranking system.
Our evaluation is based on the number of reported violent crimes (aggravated assault, murder, rape,
and robbery) in each city. If there was a tie, we also factored in the number of property crimes (burglary, arson, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft). To level the playing field, we calculated the rate of crimes per 1,000 people in each city. This makes it easier to directly compare the likelihood of these crimes occurring in cities with vastly different populations.
How to Make a Safe Home Anywhere
Wherever you live, feeling safe in your home can bring greater peace of mind and happiness. Whether your city made our list or not, we recommend adding extra security to your home with monitored security services provided by the nation’s leading home security providers.
To learn more about the home security options available to you, check out SafeWise’s picks for Best Home Security Systems of 2018.
If you would like to contact a SafeWise Safest Cities Analyst, please email info@safewise.com.
Written by Laura E. Hilton
Laura is a writer, teacher, and mother based out of Utah. She is passionate about making and maintaining strong, safe, healthy communities. To learn more, visit her website at lauraehilton.com. Learn more
