The crime figures agree with each other. Violent crime at 709 per 100k runs 86% above the national 381, and property crime at 3,326 sits 70% above 1,954, placing Louisville in the 5th percentile of the 13,216 jurisdictions SafeNest grades. One number cuts the other way: in the 2024 FBI reporting year violent crime fell 7.5%, a trend SafeNest classifies as improving. Schools split rather than settle. Across 158 rated schools the average is 4.7/10, but high schools average 6.0 and middle schools 4.1, so the level a child enters matters more than the city figure does. Flood context is state-level, 27 Kentucky FEMA declarations between 1957 and 2023, and describes no single parcel. All of it is a city-wide average; the safest and least safe blocks in Louisville differ dramatically.
Crime in Louisville vs. the national average
Louisville reports 709 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 86% above the U.S. average of 381, and 3,326 property crimes per 100k versus a national 1,954 (70% above). In the most recent FBI reporting year (2024), the violent crime rate fell 7.5% year over year, a pattern SafeNest classifies as improving.
| Louisville | US average | |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (per 100k) | 709 | 381 |
| Property crime (per 100k) | 3326 | 1954 |
City-wide averages hide block-by-block variation — the safest and least safe neighborhoods in Louisville 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 Louisville'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 Louisville 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 Louisville
Public schools in Louisville average 4.7/10 on the SafeNest School Score across 158 rated schools. By level, high schools rate strongest at 6.0/10 on average, while middle schools average 4.1/10. The highest-scoring is Dawson Orman Education Center at 9.1/10.
Registered offenders
Registered-offender data is meaningful only at the address level, so SafeNest does not publish a city-wide figure for Louisville: 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 Louisville 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 Louisville 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 Louisville address free in the iPhone app.
Common questions about safety in Louisville
Is Louisville, KY safe?
Louisville records 709 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 86% 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 Louisville?
Louisville reports approximately 709 violent crimes and 3326 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024, the most recent FBI reporting year in our data.
Does Louisville have flood risk?
SafeNest reports federal disaster declaration history for the area. For Louisville, 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).