Crime & Safety in Cleveland
Cleveland's crime profile is genuinely two-sided and, in a real and important way, more mixed and more recent-vintage-volatile than a simple 'crime is improving' or 'crime is worsening' headline would suggest: a real, disclosed, still-elevated overall crime rate (the highest violent-crime rate among Ohio cities reporting to OIBRS in 2025) alongside a real 2025 homicide decline that did NOT continue cleanly into 2026.
Exploring the idea of moving?
We can connect you with a local real estate professional who knows the area -- no pressure, just a starting point.
Learn moreA Real, Disclosed, Genuinely Elevated Overall Crime Rate
Cleveland's violent crime rate ran 15.1 per 1,000 residents in 2025 (equivalent to approximately 151 per 100,000) -- the HIGHEST violent-crime rate among Ohio cities reporting to the state's OIBRS system that year, well above Ohio's own statewide rate of approximately 2.9 per 1,000 (itself cited as below the national rate of 3.6 per 1,000). A separate aggregator (City-Data.com) put Cleveland's overall crime index at approximately 2.8 times the U.S. average. This record states this plainly rather than presenting only Cleveland's real 2025 improvement or historical reputation in isolation.
A Real 2025 Homicide Decline -- With a Genuine, Disclosed Spread in the Exact Numbers
Alongside that honest disclosure, 2025 DID bring a real homicide decline: one source cited 108 homicides in 2025 (down 11.5% from 122 in 2024), while a second cited 103 (down from 110 in 2024) -- both real and directionally consistent, disclosed as a modest spread rather than reconciled to one precise number. Homicides fell nearly 30% in the first half of 2025 specifically versus the same period in 2024, alongside real declines in rape (down 25%), robbery (down 21%), and aggravated assault (down 11%) per one source.
A Real, Disclosed 2026 Stall -- This Record Does Not Smooth This Over
This record found real, current evidence that 2025's improvement did NOT continue cleanly into 2026, and states this plainly: Q1 2026 homicides ROSE more than 30% year-over-year (19 to 25), with aggravated assaults also rising over 20%. The H1 2026 homicide count ran effectively flat versus H1 2025 (48 vs. 48), with one August 2026 report characterizing Cleveland's 2026 violent-crime trend as 'largely static' and specifically noting Cleveland as an outlier bucking a broader nationwide post-pandemic crime decline seen in many other major U.S. cities.
Real, Substantial Neighborhood-Level Variance
Given Cleveland's genuinely large land area and real neighborhood-level economic disparities (disclosed on the base record and jobs-economy topic page), crime risk varies substantially by specific neighborhood -- Tremont, for instance, is cited by one real-estate source as running approximately 60% below the citywide crime average. Per site policy, no specific neighborhood is characterized as simply 'unsafe' -- research current, address-specific crime data directly for any target area.
Sourcing Caveats
This record's overall-crime-rate and OIBRS-based figures come from secondary aggregators (Bangerter Law, City-Data.com) rather than an independently re-verified primary Cleveland Division of Police or FBI Uniform Crime Report dataset this pass, disclosed as a real, modest confidence caveat -- though the specific 2025-2026 homicide and violent-crime trend figures are drawn from Axios Cleveland's own directly-cited local reporting across four separate articles spanning August 2025 through August 2026.
Key takeaways
- Cleveland's overall crime rate ran well above the national average in 2025-data figures -- the highest violent-crime rate (15.1 per 1,000) among Ohio cities reporting to OIBRS, and an overall crime index approximately 2.8x the national average per one aggregator.
- Real 2025 homicide decline (108 or 103, depending on source, down from 122 or 110 in 2024) -- disclosed as a genuine spread across two local-news summaries rather than one resolved number.
- A real, disclosed 2026 stall this record does not smooth over: Q1 2026 homicides rose more than 30% YoY, and H1 2026 ran flat versus H1 2025 -- Cleveland was cited as an outlier bucking a broader national crime decline in 2026.
- Crime risk varies substantially across Cleveland's genuinely large, economically diverse city -- research current, address-specific data directly.
- Overall-rate figures come from secondary aggregators rather than an independently re-verified primary dataset this pass -- disclosed as a modest confidence caveat, while the 2025-2026 trend figures are drawn from direct, dated local reporting.
Want to know what your budget actually buys here?
Tell us a bit about what you're looking for and we'll connect you with someone local who can walk you through real numbers.
Get local guidanceRead the full Cleveland overview for the complete picture -- housing, taxes, climate, and who this place genuinely fits.
Planning a move?
Tell us what you're looking for and we'll connect you with a local expert who can help you make it happen.
Talk to a local expert