Three numbers set the frame. Crime runs high on both measures — 83% above the national average for violent crime, 47% above for property crime — and the 5th percentile ranking among 13,216 graded jurisdictions puts Jacksonville near the bottom on measured crime, though the recent trend is stable rather than worsening. Schools show the same spread problem: a 4.5/10 average across 193 schools contains 3.0/10 middle schools and River City Science Academy Southeast at 9.9/10. That spread is the point. A city-wide D grade describes Jacksonville, not the street a buyer is considering, and the same holds for flood risk, where Florida's 14 federal flood declarations and 67 hurricane declarations are state-level records, not a parcel determination. The decision here is made block by block, address by address.
Crime in Jacksonville vs. the national average
Jacksonville reports 698 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 83% above the U.S. average of 381, and 2,872 property crimes per 100k versus a national 1,954 (47% above). In the most recent FBI reporting year (2020), SafeNest classifies the recent trend as stable.
| Jacksonville | US average | |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (per 100k) | 698 | 381 |
| Property crime (per 100k) | 2872 | 1954 |
City-wide averages hide block-by-block variation — the safest and least safe neighborhoods in Jacksonville 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 Florida — the state SafeNest uses for Jacksonville's flood context — list 14 FEMA flood disaster declarations between 1953 and 2023, most recently "Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding". Florida has also seen 67 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 Jacksonville 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 Jacksonville
Public schools in Jacksonville average 4.5/10 on the SafeNest School Score across 193 rated schools. By level, elementary schools rate strongest at 5.1/10 on average, while middle schools average 3.0/10. The highest-scoring is River City Science Academy Southeast 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 Jacksonville: 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 Jacksonville 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 Jacksonville 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 Jacksonville address free in the iPhone app.
Common questions about safety in Jacksonville
Is Jacksonville, FL safe?
Jacksonville records 698 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 83% above the US national average of 381. Overall SafeNest grade: D, a city-wide average of reported crime. It does not describe a specific street or address.
What is the crime rate in Jacksonville?
Jacksonville reports approximately 698 violent crimes and 2872 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2020, the most recent FBI reporting year in our data.
Does Jacksonville have flood risk?
SafeNest reports federal disaster declaration history for the area. For Jacksonville, federal records show 14 FEMA flood disaster declarations for Florida, 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 Florida.
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).