Washington’s 20 Safest Cities of 2018

Once again, Washingtonians can boast about their state’s nominal violent crime rate—which, according the most recent FBI crime report, is 23% lower than the national average. Among the twenty safest cities in the Evergreen State, violent crime is even more uncommon, with all but three of these cities reporting fewer than one violent crime for every 1,000 people. That’s especially commendable for cities with larger populations like fifteenth-ranked Bellevue, home to nearly 150,000 citizens.

Like many low-crime cities, the leaders of Bellevue are committed to working with citizens to help keep crime at bay. This collaborative approach carries through to the Bellevue Police Department, which hosts a Community Police Academy, offers several volunteer opportunities, and services strategically located police substations. We salute Police Chief Steve Mylett, who reiterates his department’s commitment to citizens in a behind-the-scenes video titled “At Your Service.”

Similar to violent crime, property crime wasn’t much of a concern among the state’s twenty safest cities. In fact, these cities reported an average property crime rate less than half the Washington average.  Sammamish, the third-safest city in Washington, deserves special recognition for having the lowest property crime rate of any city on our list. Following suit are fifth-ranked Lynden and twelfth-ranked West Richard, both of which reported less than ten property crimes per 1,000 people.

We congratulate every city on our list but remind you that no city is immune to crime. Even if you live in one of the state’s safest cities, it’s important to stay aware of your surroundings, take basic security measures, and keep up-to-date on crime trends for your area. We also encourage you to explore the

Washington Safety Directory, where you’ll find important information concerning crime prevention, emergency preparedness, home security, and more.

The 20 Safest Cities in Washington

How We Chose the Safest Cities in Washington

To identify the twenty safest cities in Washington, 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.

Learn more about how we rank our Safest Cities reports.

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.