Read together, Lexington's numbers point to a specific kind of risk, and not the one buyers usually ask about. Violent crime sits 31% below the national average while property crime runs 16% above it: the everyday exposure here is theft, not confrontation. The violent rate rose 3.2% in 2024, movement SafeNest classifies as stable. Schools split the same way. Across 70 rated schools the average is 5.4/10, elementary holds at 5.7, high schools fall to 4.7, and Scapa At Bluegrass reaches 9.9. A family buying for the elementary years faces a different picture by high school. Kentucky's 27 federal flood declarations between 1957 and 2023 are state-level context, not a parcel determination. And each figure here is a city-wide average across the 13,216 jurisdictions SafeNest grades — Lexington's 23rd percentile on measured crime says nothing about the block you are considering.
Crime in Lexington vs. the national average
Lexington reports 262 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 31% below the U.S. average of 381, and 2,274 property crimes per 100k versus a national 1,954 (16% above). In the most recent FBI reporting year (2024), the violent crime rate rose 3.2% year over year, a pattern SafeNest classifies as stable.
| Lexington | US average | |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (per 100k) | 262 | 381 |
| Property crime (per 100k) | 2274 | 1954 |
City-wide averages hide block-by-block variation — the safest and least safe neighborhoods in Lexington 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 Kentucky — the state SafeNest uses for Lexington's flood context — list 27 FEMA flood disaster declarations between 1957 and 2023, most recently "Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides". Kentucky has also seen 2 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 Lexington 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 Lexington
Public schools in Lexington average 5.4/10 on the SafeNest School Score across 70 rated schools. By level, elementary schools rate strongest at 5.7/10 on average, while high schools average 4.7/10. The highest-scoring is Scapa At Bluegrass 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 Lexington: 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 Lexington 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 Lexington 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 Lexington address free in the iPhone app.
Common questions about safety in Lexington
Is Lexington, KY safe?
Lexington records 262 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 31% below 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 Lexington?
Lexington reports approximately 262 violent crimes and 2274 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024, the most recent FBI reporting year in our data.
Does Lexington have flood risk?
SafeNest reports federal disaster declaration history for the area. For Lexington, federal records show 27 FEMA flood disaster declarations for Kentucky, 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 Kentucky.
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).