The two crime figures pull in the same direction: property crime sits 156% above the national rate, violent crime 104% above, and Seattle lands in the 3rd percentile of the 13,216 jurisdictions SafeNest grades, which is what the D reflects. The trend is not worsening; violent crime fell 0.3% in 2024, a pattern SafeNest classifies as stable, so a buyer is weighing a settled condition rather than a deteriorating one. Schools complicate that picture instead of offsetting it. The 6.0/10 average across 130 rated schools spans a real gap, with elementary schools at 6.5 and high schools at 5.3, and one school, Montlake Elementary, at 10.0/10. Washington's 35 federal flood declarations since 1956 describe a state, not a parcel. Every number here is a city-wide average, and none of it tells you what the block you are buying on looks like.
Crime in Seattle vs. the national average
Seattle reports 776 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 104% above the U.S. average of 381, and 5,008 property crimes per 100k versus a national 1,954 (156% above). In the most recent FBI reporting year (2024), the violent crime rate fell 0.3% year over year, a pattern SafeNest classifies as stable.
| Seattle | US average | |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (per 100k) | 776 | 381 |
| Property crime (per 100k) | 5008 | 1954 |
City-wide averages hide block-by-block variation — the safest and least safe neighborhoods in Seattle 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 Washington — the state SafeNest uses for Seattle's flood context — list 35 FEMA flood disaster declarations between 1956 and 2026, most recently "Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides". Washington 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 Seattle 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 Seattle
Public schools in Seattle average 6.0/10 on the SafeNest School Score across 130 rated schools. By level, elementary schools rate strongest at 6.5/10 on average, while high schools average 5.3/10. The highest-scoring is Montlake Elementary School at 10.0/10.
Registered offenders
Registered-offender data is meaningful only at the address level, so SafeNest does not publish a city-wide figure for Seattle: 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 Seattle 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 Portland crime rate.
- Also on SafeNest: is Spokane safe?
- See also crime and safety data for Boise.
- Compare how safe Reno is.
- Another city on the same data: the Sacramento safety report.
- Also on SafeNest: is Anchorage safe?
Check a specific Seattle 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 Seattle address free in the iPhone app.
Common questions about safety in Seattle
Is Seattle, WA safe?
Seattle records 776 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 104% 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 Seattle?
Seattle reports approximately 776 violent crimes and 5008 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024, the most recent FBI reporting year in our data.
Does Seattle have flood risk?
SafeNest reports federal disaster declaration history for the area. For Seattle, federal records show 35 FEMA flood disaster declarations for Washington, 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 Washington.
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).