Crime & Safety in Prescott
Prescott's crime data shows a real interpretive tension: CrimeGrade reads it as safer than both state and national averages (A- grade), while NeighborhoodScout frames a similar raw rate as still higher than 68% of Arizona's own cities -- both disclosed rather than resolved, though Prescott reads as the safest of the three Arizona high-country markets in this batch on every raw metric.
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Learn moreCrimeGrade's favorable read
CrimeGrade cites an 18.12-per-1,000 overall crime rate and a 2.889-per-1,000 violent crime rate for Prescott, an A- safety grade, and a rate cited as 48% BELOW the national average -- reading Prescott as safer than both Arizona and national averages.
NeighborhoodScout's less favorable within-Arizona framing
NeighborhoodScout cites a lower raw rate (15 per 1,000, "not among the communities with the very highest crime rate") but frames it as "considerably higher than the national average across all communities in America," and higher than 68% of Arizona's own cities and towns -- a real interpretive tension with CrimeGrade's more favorable read, even though the underlying raw numbers aren't wildly different.
The safest of the three Arizona high-country markets in this batch on every raw metric
Despite the interpretive disagreement between sources, Prescott's raw crime figures (15-18.12 per 1,000 depending on source) read as lower than both Flagstaff's (29-38.51 per 1,000) and, on the per-1,000 measures available, more favorable than the picture painted for Flagstaff -- worth naming directly rather than treating all three Arizona high-country markets as interchangeable on safety.
Real block-level variance exists, even within a favorable citywide reading
Residents cite the northwest part of the city as comparatively safest. As with any city, block-level variance is real and can be masked by a single citywide statistic. Per site policy, no specific lower-rated area is named here -- check a specific address directly with both sources.
Key takeaways
- CrimeGrade cites an 18.12-per-1,000 overall rate and an A- safety grade for Prescott, reading it as 48% below the national average.
- NeighborhoodScout cites a lower 15-per-1,000 raw rate but frames it as higher than 68% of Arizona's own cities -- a real interpretive tension between the two sources.
- Prescott reads as the safest of the three Arizona high-country markets in this batch (Flagstaff, Sedona, Prescott) on every raw metric reviewed, despite the interpretive disagreement.
- Residents cite the northwest part of the city as comparatively safest; no specific lower-rated area is named here per site policy.
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