Baltimore's two crime figures move at different scales: violent crime sits 322% above the national rate while property crime runs 113% above, so the gap that defines this city is violence, not theft. A 2.2% year-over-year rise puts the trend in SafeNest's stable band: this is a level problem, not a direction problem. Schools compound the decision rather than offset it. The 3.7/10 average across 271 rated schools drops to 3.0/10 at middle school from an elementary 3.8/10, so a family's math changes as a child ages, and The Green School of Baltimore at 7.2/10 shows the range a citywide average erases. Flood context is state-level, 10 FEMA declarations for Maryland between 1962 and 2018 plus 9 hurricane or tropical-storm declarations, and says nothing about one parcel. Every figure here is a city average; the block you buy on can differ.
Crime in Baltimore vs. the national average
Baltimore reports 1,606 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 322% above the U.S. average of 381, and 4,157 property crimes per 100k versus a national 1,954 (113% above). In the most recent FBI reporting year (2024), the violent crime rate rose 2.2% year over year, a pattern SafeNest classifies as stable.
| Baltimore | US average | |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (per 100k) | 1606 | 381 |
| Property crime (per 100k) | 4157 | 1954 |
City-wide averages hide block-by-block variation — the safest and least safe neighborhoods in Baltimore can differ dramatically. For a specific address, a SafeNest report covers it directly — or search free in the iPhone app.
Flood & natural hazard risk
Federal disaster records for Maryland — the state SafeNest uses for Baltimore's flood context — list 10 FEMA flood disaster declarations between 1962 and 2018, most recently "Severe Storm And Flooding". Maryland has also seen 9 hurricane or tropical-storm declarations, events that frequently drive flooding. These are state-level federal declarations, not a parcel-level flood-zone determination — a specific Baltimore address may sit inside or well outside a FEMA flood zone, which SafeNest does not determine; check FEMA's flood maps and flood-insurance requirements for that address.
Schools in Baltimore
Public schools in Baltimore average 3.7/10 on the SafeNest School Score across 271 rated schools. By level, elementary schools rate strongest at 3.8/10 on average, while middle schools average 3.0/10. The highest-scoring is The Green School of Baltimore at 7.2/10.
Registered offenders
Registered-offender data is meaningful only at the address level, so SafeNest does not publish a city-wide figure for Baltimore: a single citywide number would blend blocks with very different profiles and mislead more than it informs. Registered offender counts by distance band for any specific Baltimore address are included in a SafeNest report, drawn directly from the state's public registry. The iPhone app shows that count free for any address, and maps each registrant with Premium.
Compare other cities
- Compare with Washington crime rate.
- Also on SafeNest: is Richmond safe?
- See also crime and safety data for Philadelphia.
- Compare how safe Newark is.
- Another city on the same data: the Norfolk safety report.
Check a specific Baltimore address
City averages are a starting point. A SafeNest report covers one specific address — crime, registered offender counts, flood and disaster history, schools, air quality, taxes — delivered by email as a PDF.
Or search any Baltimore address free in the iPhone app.
Common questions about safety in Baltimore
Is Baltimore, MD safe?
Baltimore records 1606 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 322% above the US national average of 381. Overall SafeNest grade: F, a city-wide average of reported crime. It does not describe a specific street or address.
What is the crime rate in Baltimore?
Baltimore reports approximately 1606 violent crimes and 4157 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024, the most recent FBI reporting year in our data.
Does Baltimore have flood risk?
SafeNest reports federal disaster declaration history for the area. For Baltimore, federal records show 10 FEMA flood disaster declarations for Maryland, most recently in 2018; a specific address may still sit inside or outside a FEMA flood zone, which SafeNest does not determine — check FEMA's flood maps for that address.
How this page was built
Every figure here comes from the same public records behind SafeNest's grading. We published the full method and what it does and doesn't support in We graded 13,216 American cities with FBI data — including where a letter grade means almost nothing. City comparisons: safest cities in Maryland.
Other city safety reports
Data compiled from public sources including FBI crime statistics, FEMA disaster declarations and the FEMA National Risk Index, NCES education data, and state registries. Last updated 2026-08-17. Figures are city-level estimates; verify with primary sources before making decisions. SafeNest is not a consumer reporting agency (see Terms).