Denver's numbers describe a city where the citywide average and the individual block are not the same thing. Crime places Denver in the 2nd percentile of the 13,216 jurisdictions SafeNest grades: property crime runs 144% above the national rate, violent crime 161% above. That level is not rising — the violent rate fell 2.8% in 2024, which SafeNest classifies as stable. Schools carry the same spread. A 4.5/10 average across 225 schools holds a 3.6/10 middle-school tier alongside Challenge School at 9.9/10, so the district figure settles nothing about a specific catchment. Flood history is state-level: 14 federal declarations for Colorado since 1955, which say nothing about whether one parcel sits in a FEMA zone. Read together, these numbers frame the question a buyer has to answer address by address.
Crime in Denver vs. the national average
Denver reports 993 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 161% above the U.S. average of 381, and 4,762 property crimes per 100k versus a national 1,954 (144% above). In the most recent FBI reporting year (2024), the violent crime rate fell 2.8% year over year, a pattern SafeNest classifies as stable.
| Denver | US average | |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (per 100k) | 993 | 381 |
| Property crime (per 100k) | 4762 | 1954 |
City-wide averages hide block-by-block variation — the safest and least safe neighborhoods in Denver 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 Colorado — the state SafeNest uses for Denver's flood context — list 14 FEMA flood disaster declarations between 1955 and 2023, most recently "Severe Storms, Flooding, And Tornadoes". Colorado has also seen 1 hurricane or tropical-storm declaration, events that frequently drive flooding. These are state-level federal declarations, not a parcel-level flood-zone determination — a specific Denver 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 Denver
Public schools in Denver average 4.5/10 on the SafeNest School Score across 225 rated schools. By level, high schools rate strongest at 5.3/10 on average, while middle schools average 3.6/10. The highest-scoring is Challenge School at 9.9/10.
Registered offenders
Registered-offender data is meaningful only at the address level, so SafeNest does not publish a city-wide figure for Denver: 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 Denver 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 Aurora crime rate.
- Also on SafeNest: is Colorado Springs safe?
- See also crime and safety data for Albuquerque.
- Compare how safe Wichita is.
- Another city on the same data: the Lincoln safety report.
Check a specific Denver 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 Denver address free in the iPhone app.
Common questions about safety in Denver
Is Denver, CO safe?
Denver records 993 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 161% 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 Denver?
Denver reports approximately 993 violent crimes and 4762 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024, the most recent FBI reporting year in our data.
Does Denver have flood risk?
SafeNest reports federal disaster declaration history for the area. For Denver, federal records show 14 FEMA flood disaster declarations for Colorado, most recently in 2023; 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 Colorado.
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).