Memphis's crime figures point one direction: 558% above the national violent rate, 253% above on property, an F grade, 0th percentile of the 13,216 jurisdictions SafeNest grades. The schools tell a more divided story. The 3.6/10 average across 198 rated schools sits on top of a 2.5/10 middle-school average, a 5.1/10 high-school average, and East High at 9.3/10 — a spread the citywide number flattens. Crime behaves the same way. Both rates are city-wide averages of reported activity, not a reading of any street, and the safest and least safe neighborhoods in Memphis can differ dramatically. One number moves the other way: violent crime fell 4.2% in the 2024 FBI reporting year, a pattern SafeNest classifies as stable. Flood risk stays unresolved at this level — 19 Tennessee declarations since 1963, and a zone determination that happens address by address.
Crime in Memphis vs. the national average
Memphis reports 2,508 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 558% above the U.S. average of 381, and 6,899 property crimes per 100k versus a national 1,954 (253% above). In the most recent FBI reporting year (2024), the violent crime rate fell 4.2% year over year, a pattern SafeNest classifies as stable.
| Memphis | US average | |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (per 100k) | 2508 | 381 |
| Property crime (per 100k) | 6899 | 1954 |
City-wide averages hide block-by-block variation — the safest and least safe neighborhoods in Memphis 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 Tennessee — the state SafeNest uses for Memphis's flood context — list 19 FEMA flood disaster declarations between 1963 and 2021, most recently "Severe Storm And Flooding". Tennessee has also seen 3 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 Memphis 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 Memphis
Public schools in Memphis average 3.6/10 on the SafeNest School Score across 198 rated schools. By level, high schools rate strongest at 5.1/10 on average, while middle schools average 2.5/10. The highest-scoring is East High at 9.3/10.
Registered offenders
Registered-offender data is meaningful only at the address level, so SafeNest does not publish a city-wide figure for Memphis: 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 Memphis 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 Nashville crime rate.
- Also on SafeNest: is Huntsville safe?
- See also crime and safety data for St. Louis.
- Compare how safe Louisville is.
- Another city on the same data: the Atlanta safety report.
Check a specific Memphis 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 Memphis address free in the iPhone app.
Common questions about safety in Memphis
Is Memphis, TN safe?
Memphis records 2508 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 558% 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 Memphis?
Memphis reports approximately 2508 violent crimes and 6899 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024, the most recent FBI reporting year in our data.
Does Memphis have flood risk?
SafeNest reports federal disaster declaration history for the area. For Memphis, federal records show 19 FEMA flood disaster declarations for Tennessee, most recently in 2021; 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 Tennessee.
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).