Read together, these figures describe a city where measured crime sits below the national benchmark on both counts and is falling: violent crime 11% below average and down 18.6% in the most recent FBI reporting year, property crime 11% below, a pattern SafeNest classifies as improving. Schools average 6.5/10 across 46 rated schools, with high schools at 7.1/10 stronger than middle schools at 6.3/10, so a family buying for the middle-school years is buying a different average than one buying for high school. The counterweight is water: Virginia carries 16 FEMA flood disaster declarations and 18 hurricane or tropical-storm declarations. That is state history, not a parcel determination. Every number here is a city-wide average. The safest and least safe blocks in Chesapeake differ dramatically, and only an address-level look resolves which one you are buying.
Crime in Chesapeake vs. the national average
Chesapeake reports 339 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 11% below the U.S. average of 381, and 1,744 property crimes per 100k versus a national 1,954 (11% below). In the most recent FBI reporting year (2024), the violent crime rate fell 18.6% year over year, a pattern SafeNest classifies as improving.
| Chesapeake | US average | |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (per 100k) | 339 | 381 |
| Property crime (per 100k) | 1744 | 1954 |
City-wide averages hide block-by-block variation — the safest and least safe neighborhoods in Chesapeake 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 Virginia — the state SafeNest uses for Chesapeake's flood context — list 16 FEMA flood disaster declarations between 1957 and 2021, most recently "Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides". Virginia has also seen 18 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 Chesapeake 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 Chesapeake
Public schools in Chesapeake average 6.5/10 on the SafeNest School Score across 46 rated schools. By level, high schools rate strongest at 7.1/10 on average, while middle schools average 6.3/10.
Registered offenders
Registered-offender data is meaningful only at the address level, so SafeNest does not publish a city-wide figure for Chesapeake: 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 Chesapeake 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.
Check a specific Chesapeake 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 for $6.99.
Or search any Chesapeake address free in the iPhone app.
Common questions about safety in Chesapeake
Is Chesapeake, VA safe?
Chesapeake records 339 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, roughly in line with the US national average of 381. Overall SafeNest grade: C, a city-wide average of reported crime. It does not describe a specific street or address.
What is the crime rate in Chesapeake?
Chesapeake reports approximately 339 violent crimes and 1744 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024, the most recent FBI reporting year in our data.
Does Chesapeake have flood risk?
SafeNest reports federal disaster declaration history for the area. For Chesapeake, federal records show 16 FEMA flood disaster declarations for Virginia, most recently in 2021; 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 Virginia.
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).