Home | News | The State of Safety in Hawaii 2026

The State of Safety in Hawaii 2026

For over 13 years, SafeWise experts have conducted independent research and testing to write unbiased, human reviews (not robots). Learn more.

By Cathy Habas

Jan 29, 2026

2 min read

Edited ByRebecca Edwards

Data Analysis ByDaniel Delgado

According to our most recent State of Safety Survey, Hawaiians are reporting fewer experiences with violent crime, gun violence, property crime, and package theft than in previous years. Concern about crime is also declining across Hawaii, with some worry levels falling below the national averages.

Stay Safe and become a SafeWise Insider!

By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Hawaii crime rates and safety concerns

Bar chart comparing Hawaii violent and property crime rates to national averages. Hawaii is below average in both categories. Image: SafeWise

The violent crime rate in Hawaii is 1.84 incidents per 1,000 people, which is much lower than the national average of 4.43. In fact, it's the fifth lowest violent crime rate in the nation behind four northeastern states. We weren't able to report a statewide violent crime rate over the last few years due to insufficient data, but in our 2022 report, Hawaii reported a higher violent crime rate of 2.5.

Property crime in The Aloha State has also decreased in recent years, falling from 24.1 incidents per 1,000 people in 2022 to 17.26 incidents in this year's report. That's lower than the national property crime rate of 22.89.

According to our annual State of Safety survey, 54% told us they feel safe calling Hawaii home. That's up from 40% the year before and higher than the national average of 52%. Despite those promising statistics, Hawaiians tend to take a pessimistic view toward crime trends, with just 8% believing crime decreasing overall.

Property crime in Hawaii: Fear vs. reality

Property crime is still a major concern among Hawaiians, but people are less likely to worry about it than in previous years. First-hand experiences with property crime have also declined year over year.

Hawaiians worry about property crime more than most Americans, but their concerns have fallen from 69% to 53% year over year (46% US).
21% of Hawaiians experienced a property crime in the 12 months prior to our survey, down from 29% the year before (21% US).
Concern about package theft dropped from 56% to 40% year over year, and package theft experiences decreased from 31% to 23%.
Hawaiians are among those least likely to experience package theft in the US.
27% of Hawaiians said they increased their safety or security measures in the 12 months prior to our survey.
Of Hawaiians who protect their properties, most prefer security cameras (45%) and guard dogs (28%). "None of the above" was the second most popular answer at 30%.

What security measures do Hawaiians use most?

Top security measures used in Hawaii (security cameras, no security measures, and guard dogs) compared to national trends. Image: SafeWise

Violent crime in Hawaii: Fear vs. reality

Hawaiians' concerns about violent crime has decreased year over year, as have their personal experiences with violent crime.

Daily concern about violent crime is 58%—8 percentage points lower than the previous year (55% US).
11% of Hawaiians said they experienced violent crime in the 12 months prior to our survey, which is a significant drop from 22% the year before.
61% of Hawaiians think that crime is on the rise.
22% of survey respondents use some kind of personal protection.
Of those who do use personal protection, most Hawaiians prefer pepper spray (55%) or pocket knives (55%).
Hawaiians are more likely to carry a safety alarm/whistle (27%) or keychain weapon (27%) compared to the average American (11% and 15%, respectively).

Attitudes about gun violence in Hawaii

Daily concern about gun violence is 51%—down from 64% the year before and lower than the national average of 55%.
5% of Hawaiians said they experienced gun violence in the 12 months prior to our survey—down from 13% the previous year. That's the second lowest percentage nationwide.
In 2025, Hawaii reported 2 mass shooting incidents, up from 1 in 2024.
Only 5% of Hawaiian respondents indicated they carry a concealed firearm for protection (US 45%).

Crime concerns in Hawaii

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

Bar chart showing the percentage of Hawaii residents concerned about violent crime, property crime, gun violence, package theft, and cyber crime. Image: SafeWise

From rankings to real-world safety

Our Safest Cities rankings help highlight crime incidence patterns and relative risk — but they don’t determine what happens in a community or a home. How safe a community is (or isn't) is the result of a mix of individual choices, community conditions, and external factors like the economy, job market, housing availability, and local priorities.

Expand the sections below for a closer look at what you can do to help improve the safety of your community.

It's not possible to eliminate risk entirely, but you can reduce your potential risk by staying informed about local crime trends, practicing situational awareness (know who belongs in your neighborhood, work parking lot, etc.), and taking practical steps to protect yourself and your property.

Getting involved in your community can make a big difference — but you should expect certain baseline crime prevention measures from your neighborhood and city.

Good lighting in public spaces
Visible community law enforcement presence
Neighborhood watch-type groups/support
Access to a community liasion officer or department
Budget to support community safety programs (beyond law enforcement)

Strong local networks — whether formal or informal (or in-person or virtual) — can play an essential role in improving safety beyond what statistics alone can capture.

Our research and national crime data consistently point to the value of layered prevention. This means that the more layers you put between your home and loved ones and criminals, the better chance you have of actually deterring a criminal act.

Multiple security layers can look like a neighborhood watch plan combined with locking your doors when you leave the house, and a security camera with a siren that can scare an intruder away. A monitored security system that connects you to faster help if something happens adds an extra proactive layer.

Research-backed practices that help reduce exposure include:

Community prevention: Improved lighting, clear sightlines (trim hedges and bushes near doors/windows), and coordinated neighborhood efforts
Awareness and reporting: Stay alert, trust your instincts, know who and what belongs in your neighborhood, and report suspicious behavior
Home safety fundamentals: Secure all entry points (don't forget the deck or the sliding glass door), eliminate hiding spots around your home, and get into consistent security routines (locking the door, arming the security system)
Targeted technology use: Pair common-sense safety habits with tools that support awareness or response, like monitored security systems or cameras

Explore our safety research
See crime trends by state
Learn more about home security essentials

Find the safest cities in each state

Click on the state below to check out the safest cities for each state.

How we determine and interpret these rankings

Our Safest Cities rankings offer a data-informed look at crime trends across cities. They’re designed to highlight relative risk — not to define overall quality of life or what it’s like to live in a community.

We use the most recent FBI-reported violent and property crime data, and adjust for population so we can compare cities of different sizes fairly. This approach helps us identify patterns and differences in reported crime rates.

We understand that crime statistics reported to one source don’t tell the whole story. A number of factors, including local agency reporting practices, community resources, prevention efforts, and lived experience all influence how safe a place is (or is perceived to be) — and not all of that shows up in the numbers.

Think of these rankings as a starting point. Our goal is to help readers understand crime trends and ask informed questions, not to judge communities or the people who call them home.

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

Get a deeper understanding of our independent research, data sources, calculations, and how we refine our reports each year.