Baltimore Crime Statistics and Safest Neighborhoods

Baltimore is the most populous city in Maryland and one of the largest in the country. It’s a place full of history, culture, and fun. But if you’re thinking about moving there, you might wonder: is Baltimore safe? Where can you find the safest neighborhoods in Baltimore? And what can you do to protect yourself? Let’s look at the Baltimore crime rates and where you might safely call home.

Is Baltimore Safe?

Naturally, safety is a major concern for anyone who’s considering a relocation, especially if you have children. Large cities like Baltimore are often hotbeds of crime, so your worry is warranted. Before we dive into specifics, what about the city as a whole? Is Baltimore dangerous or safe by national standards?

Baltimore Crime Rate

The simplest way to approximate a location’s relative safety level is to look at crime statistics. This isn’t a perfect measure, but you’ll at least get the broad picture.

According to the Baltimore Police Department, the city experienced about 37,000 reported crimes over the past year. Given the city’s population size, the Baltimore crime rate is around 64.2 crimes per 1,000 residents. That’s about three times the state and national averages.

But crimes aren’t created equal. Violent crimes (homicide, assault, robbery, etc.) are much more worrisome. It’s especially worth noting that the Baltimore violent crime rate is one of the highest in the country. In fact, it earned the #17 spot on NeighborhoodScout’s list of the most dangerous U.S. cities and #2 on CBS’s list of cities with the highest murder rates.

So, is Baltimore safe? Overall, if you’re looking at crime rates, the answer is no.

Will You Feel Safe?

Safety is more than crime rates. It’s also a feeling. Do Baltimoreans feel safe in their hometown?

When AreaVibes asked residents about safety in Baltimore, 81% described the amount of crime as “poor” or “awful.” Similarly, 87% said they felt “not very safe” or “not safe at all” walking alone at night. However, a similar poll on Niche.com revealed that 52% of Baltimore residents felt “not safe” or “somewhat safe”—still not a vote of confidence, but not nearly as bleak.

In short, Baltimore isn’t the picture of personal security. But there are many different areas in Baltimore, so let’s drill down further.

Safest Neighborhoods in Baltimore

In terms of safety, it’s all about location, location, location. Some Baltimore neighborhoods experience less crime than others. Here’s where you’ll find the top 10 safest neighborhoods in Baltimore, according to NeighborhoodScout.

1. Guilford
2. Homeland / Cedarcroft
3. Canton
4. Original Northwood / Morgan State University
5. Patterson Park
6. Locust Point
7. Keswick / Evergreen
8. Riverside West
9. South Baltimore
10. Sabina-Mattfeldt / Mount Washington

These Baltimore neighborhoods are clustered in a few areas around the city—namely, the northern border and near the harbor.

Most Dangerous Baltimore Neighborhoods

Knowing the safest neighborhoods in Baltimore is helpful, but it’s only half of the story. Where are the most dangerous spots?

According to AreaVibes, these are the worst neighborhoods in Baltimore ranked by violent crime rate.

1. Hopkins–Middle East ( 36.3 violent crimes per 1,000 residents)
2. West Baltimore ( 32.0 per 1,000)
3. Cherry Hill ( 31.5 per 1,000)
4. Berea Area ( 31.0 per 1,000)
5. Highlandtown ( 30.9 per 1,000)
6. Fairfield Area ( 29.7 per 1,000)
7. Greenmount East ( 29.5 per 1,000)
8. Brooklyn–Curtis Bay ( 29.4 per 1,000)
9. Morrell Park ( 29.0 per 1,000)
10. Pulaski ( 28.8 per 1,000)

Bear in mind that crime maps and lists can be deceiving if a neighborhood contains a high-traffic location like an airport or tourist attraction. Still, people visiting or living in these locations may experience more crime, particularly violent crimes like assault and robbery. Each of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Baltimore exceeds the city’s already-high violent crime rate by 55–96%.

If you find yourself in one of these Baltimore neighborhoods, stay vigilant and follow security best practices to stay safe.

Baltimore Crime Map

Lists of Baltimore neighborhoods might not be very helpful, especially if you’re unfamiliar with the city. How about some visualization? This map can help you pinpoint the safest and most dangerous neighborhoods in Baltimore.

The city’s police department also publishes a live Baltimore crime map that you can filter by date, crime type, and more.

The Best Baltimore Neighborhoods: Other Factors

Safety is important, but it might not be your top priority. If that’s the case for you, here are some other Baltimore neighborhoods and suburbs to check out based on what you value most.

Top-rated public schools (from Niche) :

• The Orchards
• Cedarcroft
• Bellona–Gittings
• Blythewood
• Wyndhurst
• Suburbs like Highland, Ellicott City, Fulton, and Scaggsvile

Highest real estate appreciation (from NeighborhoodScout) :

• Remington
• Wyman Park
• Milton-Montford / Middle East
• Hampden West
• Greenmount West

Lowest cost of living (from Niche) :

• Armistead Gardens
• Gherry Hill
• Arlington
• Johnston
• Northwest Community Action

Most walkable (from Walk Score):

• Downtown
• Mount Vernon
• University of MD at Baltimore
• Fells Point
• Mid-Town Belvedere

Best for singles (from AreaVibes):

• Inner Harbor
• Riverside
• Roland Parl–Homewood–Guilford
• Locust Point
• Chinquapin Park–Belvedere

No matter what “best” means to you, these lists should help you find the best Baltimore neighborhoods to live in. Anywhere can be a haven if it suits your needs and preferences.

But even if crime rates aren’t your top concern, you still need to be mindful of your home’s security.

Avoid Baltimore Crime and Stay Safe

Whether you live in the safest neighborhood in Baltimore or anywhere else, strong security isn’t an accident. It’s important to take precautions to protect your home, your family, and your belongings.

First, brainstorm what you could do to your property to make it less appealing to criminals. Could you add more lighting? How about putting up a fence or trimming unruly landscaping? These changes fall under the umbrella of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, which embraces conscious design choices with the intent of discouraging criminal activity.

You should also familiarize yourself with your local law enforcement and emergency services, as well as the resources they make available for citizens. The Baltimore Police Department has nine districts, depending on where you live.

The most important step you can take to protect yourself is to install home security cameras with live security monitoring. Deep Sentinel puts a professional guard’s eyes and ears on your Baltimore property. The moment there’s trouble, the guard intervenes and calls the police on your behalf. How’s that for top-notch security? (In fact, you might be able to get a rebate or voucher through the Baltimore PD’s CitiWatch program.)

Pick a safe neighborhood and use these tips, plus a good dose of good judgment, to avoid becoming a victim of crime in Baltimore. Deep Sentinel is proud to be your partner in security. We’ll keep that notorious Baltimore crime far from your front door no matter where you settle.