The two crime numbers pull in different directions. Madison's violent rate sits 33% below the national average and fell 15.5% year over year in 2024, a pattern SafeNest classifies as improving, while property crime at 1,865 per 100k is only 5% below the national 1,954. So a buyer is weighing a city in the 26th percentile of the 13,216 jurisdictions SafeNest grades against everyday theft that tracks the rest of the country. Schools invert the usual path: high schools average 6.6/10 while elementary schools average 4.7/10 across 55 rated schools, putting the weakest scores in the earliest years. Wisconsin's 21 federal flood declarations between 1969 and 2026 set the hazard backdrop, not the parcel. Every figure here is a city-wide average, and none of it describes the specific block or address you are buying on.
Crime in Madison vs. the national average
Madison reports 256 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 33% below the U.S. average of 381, and 1,865 property crimes per 100k versus a national 1,954 (5% below). In the most recent FBI reporting year (2024), the violent crime rate fell 15.5% year over year, a pattern SafeNest classifies as improving.
| Madison | US average | |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (per 100k) | 256 | 381 |
| Property crime (per 100k) | 1865 | 1954 |
City-wide averages hide block-by-block variation — the safest and least safe neighborhoods in Madison 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 Wisconsin — the state SafeNest uses for Madison's flood context — list 21 FEMA flood disaster declarations between 1969 and 2026, most recently "Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding". Wisconsin 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 Madison 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 Madison
Public schools in Madison average 4.9/10 on the SafeNest School Score across 55 rated schools. By level, high schools rate strongest at 6.6/10 on average, while elementary schools average 4.7/10. The highest-scoring is Milestone Democratic School at 5.0/10.
Registered offenders
Registered-offender data is meaningful only at the address level, so SafeNest does not publish a city-wide figure for Madison: 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 Madison 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 Madison 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 Madison address free in the iPhone app.
Common questions about safety in Madison
Is Madison, WI safe?
Madison records 256 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 33% below the US national average of 381. Overall SafeNest grade: B, a city-wide average of reported crime. It does not describe a specific street or address.
What is the crime rate in Madison?
Madison reports approximately 256 violent crimes and 1865 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024, the most recent FBI reporting year in our data.
Does Madison have flood risk?
SafeNest reports federal disaster declaration history for the area. For Madison, federal records show 21 FEMA flood disaster declarations for Wisconsin, most recently in 2026; 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 Wisconsin.
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).