Read together, these numbers describe a city where the recorded risk is ordinary rather than dramatic. Violent crime at 93 per 100k sits 76% below the national 381, but property crime at 1,640 is only 16% below the national 1,954 — what shows up in the data here is property crime, not violence. That gap explains the 51st percentile placement among the 13,216 jurisdictions SafeNest grades: on measured crime overall, Virginia Beach sits near the national middle. Schools follow a similar shape. The 5.9/10 average across 83 rated schools hides a drop from 6.2 in elementary to 5.2 in middle school, which matters for a buyer whose child ages into it. Virginia's 16 flood declarations and 18 hurricane or tropical-storm declarations are state-level history; whether one address sits in a flood zone is a parcel question these figures do not answer.
Crime in Virginia Beach vs. the national average
Virginia Beach reports 93 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 76% below the U.S. average of 381, and 1,640 property crimes per 100k versus a national 1,954 (16% below). In the most recent FBI reporting year (2024), the violent crime rate fell 2.1% year over year, a pattern SafeNest classifies as stable.
| Virginia Beach | US average | |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (per 100k) | 93 | 381 |
| Property crime (per 100k) | 1640 | 1954 |
City-wide averages hide block-by-block variation — the safest and least safe neighborhoods in Virginia Beach 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 Virginia — the state SafeNest uses for Virginia Beach's flood context — list 16 FEMA flood disaster declarations between 1957 and 2021, most recently "Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides". Virginia has also seen 18 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 Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach
Public schools in Virginia Beach average 5.9/10 on the SafeNest School Score across 83 rated schools. By level, elementary schools rate strongest at 6.2/10 on average, while middle schools average 5.2/10.
Registered offenders
Registered-offender data is meaningful only at the address level, so SafeNest does not publish a city-wide figure for Virginia Beach: 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 Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach address free in the iPhone app.
Common questions about safety in Virginia Beach
Is Virginia Beach, VA safe?
Virginia Beach records 93 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 76% below the US national average of 381. Overall SafeNest grade: A, a city-wide average of reported crime. It does not describe a specific street or address.
What is the crime rate in Virginia Beach?
Virginia Beach reports approximately 93 violent crimes and 1640 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024, the most recent FBI reporting year in our data.
Does Virginia Beach have flood risk?
SafeNest reports federal disaster declaration history for the area. For Virginia Beach, federal records show 16 FEMA flood disaster declarations for Virginia, 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 Virginia.
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).