Crime & Safety in Dayton
Dayton's crime profile is disclosed here honestly and unfavorably: per NeighborhoodScout, Dayton's overall crime rate runs approximately 56 per 1,000 residents, among the highest in the U.S. across communities of all sizes, with more than 99% of Ohio communities carrying a lower rate -- though a real, meaningful neighborhood-level variation (17 A-graded neighborhoods alongside 6 F-graded ones) is disclosed alongside that unfavorable citywide figure.
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Learn moreA Real, Above-Average Citywide Crime Rate
Per NeighborhoodScout, Dayton's overall crime rate runs approximately 56 per 1,000 residents, among the highest in the U.S. across communities of all sizes -- a real, unfavorable figure this record states plainly rather than downplays. The overall chance of being a victim of violent or property crime runs roughly 1 in 18, with violent crime specifically running roughly 1 in 75.
Dayton Runs Above the Vast Majority of Ohio Communities
More than 99% of Ohio communities carry a lower crime rate than Dayton per NeighborhoodScout -- a real, disclosed, stark comparison this record does not soften.
A Real, Meaningful Neighborhood-Level Nuance
NeighborhoodScout assigns Dayton an overall D+ grade for 2026, but grades individual neighborhoods separately: 17 neighborhoods earned an A grade and 17 earned a B, while 10 earned a D and 6 earned an F. The Village of Winding Creek is cited as the single top-ranked (A+) neighborhood. This is a real, meaningful reason to research a specific neighborhood directly rather than treat the unfavorable citywide figure as uniform across the entire city.
A Modest Confidence Caveat
This record sources its crime figures from a secondary aggregator (NeighborhoodScout) rather than independently re-verifying against a primary Dayton Police Department or FBI Uniform Crime Report dataset this pass -- disclosed as a real, modest confidence caveat, consistent with this project's sourcing discipline elsewhere.
Key takeaways
- Dayton's overall crime rate runs approximately 56 per 1,000 residents per NeighborhoodScout, among the highest in the U.S. across communities of all sizes -- a real, disclosed, unfavorable position stated plainly.
- More than 99% of Ohio communities carry a lower crime rate than Dayton per the same source.
- Real, meaningful neighborhood-level variation exists underneath the citywide D+ grade: 17 A-graded neighborhoods and 17 B-graded neighborhoods alongside 10 D-graded and 6 F-graded ones.
- The Village of Winding Creek is cited as the single top-ranked (A+) neighborhood in Dayton.
- These figures come from a secondary aggregator rather than an independently re-verified primary dataset this pass -- disclosed as a modest confidence caveat.
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