Three numbers set the frame. The violent crime gap is wider than the property gap, 63% above the national rate against 26%, so the D grade is driven more by violent offenses than by theft. The 7.0% rise in 2024 means the direction matches the level, a pattern SafeNest classifies as worsening, and the 7th-percentile rank among the 13,216 jurisdictions SafeNest grades places the city near the bottom of that field on measured crime. Flood context works differently. The 14 FEMA flood declarations between 1953 and 2023 and the 67 hurricane or tropical-storm declarations are Florida-wide, not parcel-level, and say nothing about whether one address sits in a flood zone. The same limit applies to the crime rates. A city-wide average describes the city, not the block you are buying on.
Crime in St. Petersburg vs. the national average
St. Petersburg reports 622 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 63% above the U.S. average of 381, and 2,459 property crimes per 100k versus a national 1,954 (26% above). In the most recent FBI reporting year (2024), the violent crime rate rose 7.0% year over year, a pattern SafeNest classifies as worsening.
| St. Petersburg | US average | |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (per 100k) | 622 | 381 |
| Property crime (per 100k) | 2459 | 1954 |
City-wide averages hide block-by-block variation — the safest and least safe neighborhoods in St. Petersburg 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 Florida — the state SafeNest uses for St. Petersburg's flood context — list 14 FEMA flood disaster declarations between 1953 and 2023, most recently "Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding". Florida has also seen 67 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 St. Petersburg 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.
Registered offenders
Registered-offender data is meaningful only at the address level, so SafeNest does not publish a city-wide figure for St. Petersburg: 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 St. Petersburg 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 St. Petersburg 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 St. Petersburg address free in the iPhone app.
Common questions about safety in St. Petersburg
Is St. Petersburg, FL safe?
St. Petersburg records 622 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 63% 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 St. Petersburg?
St. Petersburg reports approximately 622 violent crimes and 2459 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024, the most recent FBI reporting year in our data.
Does St. Petersburg have flood risk?
SafeNest reports federal disaster declaration history for the area. For St. Petersburg, federal records show 14 FEMA flood disaster declarations for Florida, 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 Florida.
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).