Crime & Safety in Highlands Ranch

Highlands Ranch's crime data reads more favorably overall than either Parker's or Castle Rock's on the one source reviewed, though the picture is genuinely nuanced between its overall grade and its violent-crime-specific figure.

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CrimeGrade: a C- overall, but a considerably better violent-crime read

CrimeGrade assigns Highlands Ranch an overall C- grade (38th percentile -- safer than 38% of cities, less safe than 62%, by this source's methodology). Its violent-crime-specific rate, though, reads considerably better: 2.347 per 1,000 residents, safer than both the Colorado state average and the national average by that narrower measure -- worth understanding both figures together rather than citing either alone.

A favorable cost-of-crime figure

CrimeGrade's cost-of-crime-per-resident estimate for Highlands Ranch is $413/year -- $51 below the national average and $291 below the Colorado state average, a real, favorable data point by this specific measure.

The most favorable overall grade of the three Douglas County communities in this build

Highlands Ranch's C- overall CrimeGrade grade reads more favorably than both Parker's D+ (29th percentile) and Castle Rock's D+ (26th percentile) -- a real, disclosed comparative difference, though a second major source (NeighborhoodScout) was not independently cross-checked against CrimeGrade for Highlands Ranch specifically this research pass, unlike Parker and Castle Rock where both sources were reviewed.

Check a specific address directly

Given the real gap between Highlands Ranch's overall and violent-crime-specific figures, and the unresolved cross-source check noted above, prospective buyers and renters should check a specific address directly with more than one crime-data source. Per site policy, no specific lower-rated area within Highlands Ranch is named here.

Key takeaways

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Last reviewed: 2026-08-24. Independent research; not financial, tax, or legal advice -- confirm current figures with a local professional before making a decision.