Virginia's 20 Safest Cities of 2019

SafeWise is happy to release our fifth annual Safest Cities report. Here are the 20 Safest Cities in Virginia for 2019. See if your city made the list.

Virginia takes safety seriously and it shows in its crime rates, which are below nationwide averages. In 2017, violent crime statewide was limited to 3.14 incidents per 1,000, compared to the national rate of 4.49. Virginia also did well in regard to property crime. The national rate is 27.11, and Virginia reported 25.67 property crimes per 1,000.

It’s not just small towns that keep crime low in this southern state—Virginia Beach made the list this year. This oceanfront town with more than 450,000 residents and an onslaught of spring breakers every year had just 1.38 violent crimes per 1,000. Plus, its property crime rate of 19.35 was lower than five other cities on the list with smaller populations.

See which other Virginia towns kept crime under control and learn about safety across the state in our findings below.

Interesting Findings

65% of these cities are on the list for the second consecutive year.
The top two cities (Bridgewater and Berryville) only had one violent crime each.
Only three cities reported a murder.
All cities had fewer than 1.50 violent crimes per 1,000.
Property crime and digital security tied for the biggest security concerns in Virginia, with 63% of State of Safety respondents naming them a top concern.
The top concern may be a tie, but digital security beats property crime out when it comes to personal experience—20% reported a digital security issue, while 15% experienced a property crime in the past year.

The 20 Safest Cities in Virginia

Population 6,119

Median Income $58,625

Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000) 0.16

Property Crime Rate (per 1,000) 1.96

Population 4,324

Median Income $58,602

Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000) 0.23

Property Crime Rate (per 1,000) 8.79

Population 16,590

Median Income $150,383

Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000) 0.24

Property Crime Rate (per 1,000) 7.96

Population 45,443

Median Income $39,910

Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000) 0.53

Property Crime Rate (per 1,000) 7.46

Population 4,320

Median Income $37,647

Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000) 0.69

Property Crime Rate (per 1,000) 11.11

Population 14,278

Median Income $114,795

Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000) 0.70

Property Crime Rate (per 1,000) 14.92

Population 25,624

Median Income $53,990

Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000) 0.70

Property Crime Rate (per 1,000) 21.66

Population 5,219

Median Income $62,303

Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000) 0.77

Property Crime Rate (per 1,000) 9.01

Population 9,779

Median Income $128,017

Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000) 1.02

Property Crime Rate (per 1,000) 5.01

Population 3,889

Median Income $44,852

Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000) 1.03

Property Crime Rate (per 1,000) 3.09

Population 6,613

Median Income $56,744

Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000) 1.06

Property Crime Rate (per 1,000) 8.92

Population 5,334

Median Income $40,619

Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000) 1.12

Property Crime Rate (per 1,000) 32.43

Population 3,470

Median Income $32,527

Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000) 1.15

Property Crime Rate (per 1,000) 31.70

Population 16,158

Median Income $79,131

Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000) 1.24

Property Crime Rate (per 1,000) 9.10

Population 7,034

Median Income $37,309

Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000) 1.28

Property Crime Rate (per 1,000) 5.69

Population 3,842

Median Income $26,971

Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000) 1.30

Property Crime Rate (per 1,000) 34.36

Population 9,901

Median Income $70,863

Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000) 1.31

Property Crime Rate (per 1,000) 18.79

Population 24,406

Median Income $106,870

Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000) 1.35

Property Crime Rate (per 1,000) 15.00

Population 8,084

Median Income $47,273

Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000) 1.36

Property Crime Rate (per 1,000) 21.03

Population 454,353

Median Income $70,500

Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000) 1.38

Property Crime Rate (per 1,000) 19.35

How We Determined the Safest Cities

Learn how we identified the safest cities on our methodology page.

Beyond Safest Cities: What Are the Biggest Safety Concerns in Your State?

Crime statistics are one thing, but do they line up with what people are really worried about when it comes to safety? To find out, SafeWise conducted a nationwide survey. See what the biggest safety concern is in your state—and learn more about what your neighbors are nervous about—in our State of Safety report.

If you would like to contact a SafeWise Safest Cities Analyst, please email info@safewise.com.

Didn’t Find Your City in the Top 20?

See how the remaining cities ranked in the list below.

Rank	City	Population	Violent Crime (per 1,000)	Property Crime (per 1,000)
21	Orange	5,033	1.39	12.91
22	Staunton	24,423	1.43	22.56
23	Herndon	24,561	1.55	11.69
24	Williamsburg	15,464	1.55	11.7
25	Vinton	8,207	1.58	26.81
26	Poquoson	11,981	1.59	15.27
27	Alexandria	158,256	1.66	15.68
28	Luray	4,804	1.67	25.4
29	Abingdon	8,066	1.74	17.48
30	Waynesboro	22,004	1.82	24
31	Richlands	5,365	1.86	17.52
32	Farmville	8,127	2.21	27.81
33	Manassas	41,995	2.26	18.76
34	Bedford	6,622	2.27	35.34
35	Woodstock	5,272	2.28	21.43
36	Harrisonburg	53,717	2.38	16.7
37	Clifton Forge	3,689	2.44	13.01
38	Culpeper	18,232	2.47	17.55
39	South Hill	4,449	2.47	27.65
40	Pulaski	8,799	2.5	29.78
41	Smithfield	8,492	2.71	10.83
42	Galax	6,728	2.82	38.64
43	Martinsville	13,383	2.99	29.52
44	Hampton	134,929	3.02	32.34
45	Suffolk	89,922	3.05	24.81
46	Colonial Beach	3,577	3.08	13.14
47	Covington	5,442	3.12	16.17
48	Bristol	16,795	3.22	33.46
49	Bluefield	4,894	3.27	50.67
50	Rocky Mount	4,801	3.33	35.41
51	Marion	5,837	3.43	42.32
52	Hopewell	22,723	3.48	26.23
53	Lynchburg	80,890	3.55	23.32
54	Franklin	8,250	3.64	56.36
55	Fredericksburg	29,016	3.72	35.36
56	Colonial Heights	17,820	3.76	40.85
57	Radford	17,641	3.85	13.43
58	Charlottesville	47,446	3.9	21.84
59	Ashland	7,722	4.01	20.72
60	Roanoke	100,027	4.02	44.92
61	Blackstone	3,427	4.09	40.56
62	Winchester	27,715	4.15	24.82
63	Chesapeake	240,119	4.19	22.72
64	Emporia	5,201	4.23	42.88
65	South Boston	7,919	4.67	37.63
66	Newport News	181,738	4.99	30.42
67	Norfolk	245,190	5.56	37.49
68	Danville	41,680	6	43.38
69	Portsmouth	95,100	7.12	57.28
70	Petersburg	31,739	7.94	34.03

Find the Safest Cities in Each State

Click on the state image below to check out our “Safest City” winners for each state.

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, check out SafeWise’s picks for Best Home Security Systems of 2019.

Sources:

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, “2017 Crime in the United States”
SafeWise’s, “2019 State of Safety”
US Census Bureau, “2013-2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates“

Written by Rebecca Edwards

Rebecca has honed her safety and security skills as both a single mom and a college director. Being responsible for the well-being of others helped her learn how to minimize risk and create safe environments. Learn more

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Virginia’s 20 Safest Cities of 2019