The State of Safety in Hawaii 2025

According to our most recent State of Safety Survey, Hawaiians are reporting more experiences with violent crime, gun violence, and package theft than in previous years. Concern about crime is on the rise in Hawaii, and only 40% of our respondents feel safe in the state.

According to our annual State of Safety survey, only four in 10 residents told us they feel safe calling Hawaii home. Alaska, North Carolina, and Maryland are on the same wavelength, with 40% feeling safe in their state.

Coming in eight points below the national average when it comes to feeling safe, it's not surprising that more than 7 in ten Hawaiian survey respondents think crime is increasing. But despite those numbers, only 32% increased security measures in 2024.

Find safety and security resources in Hawaii.

Property crime is the biggest concern among Hawaiians, with nearly 7 in 10 (69%) indicating they worry about it happening to them. Hawaiians' experiences with property crime stayed flat year over year, so their concerns may be overblown; however, The Aloha State has historically had higher property crime rates than most of the country. 

• Hawaiians worry about property crime more than most Americans. Only New Mexicans reported a higher level of concern. 
• 29% of Hawaiians experienced a property crime in the 8 months prior to our survey, which is the same percentage as the year before. 
• Concern about package theft rose from 51% to 56% year over year, and package theft experiences increased from 29% to 31%.
• Hawaiians are among those least likely to experience package theft in the US.
• 32% of Hawaiians said they increased their safety or security measures in the 8 months prior to our survey, which is the fifth-lowest percentage in the nation.
• Of Hawaiians who protect their properties, most prefer security cameras (48%), security systems (29%), and guard dogs (27%). 

Hawaiians' concerns about violent crime and gun violence have risen year over year, and fewer Hawaiians feel safe in their state compared to last year.

• Daily concern about violent crime is 66%—7 percentage points higher than the national average and up from 49% the previous year.
• 22% of Hawaiians said they experienced violent crime in the 8 months prior to our survey, up from 15% the year before.
• 4 in 10 Hawaiians feel safe in their state, which is down from 5 in 10 last year and lower than the national average of 48%.
• 71% of Hawaiians think that crime is on the rise, which is a lower than the previous year (77%) but the second-highest percentage in the nation. 
• Only 5% believe crime is decreasing—the lowest percentage nationwide.
• 23% of survey respondents use some kind of personal protection, which is the second-lowest percentage in the nation behind Massachusetts (20%). Nationwide, 35% of respondents carry a personal protection device.
• Of those who do use personal protection, most Hawaiians prefer pepper spray (12%) or pocket knives (11%).

• Daily concern about gun violence is 64%—up from 47% the year before and higher than the national average of 57%.
• 13% of Hawaiians said they experienced gun violence in the 8 months prior to our survey—up from 6% the previous year.
• In 2024, Hawaii reported 1 mass shooting incident.
• Only 3% of Hawaiian respondents indicated they carry a concealed firearm for protection (US 15%) and just 13% said they use a firearm for property protection (US 29%).

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.

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