Crime & Safety in Arlington
Arlington's overall crime rate is cited at 38.53 per 1,000 residents in a typical year, with a violent crime rate of 4.888 per 1,000 -- figures that place Arlington in a middle range rather than at either extreme, per CrimeGrade.org data reviewed August 2026. Safety varies meaningfully by area of the city, and this page uses general geographic and per-capita data rather than naming any specific neighborhood as higher- or lower-crime.
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Learn moreOverall and Violent Crime Rates
CrimeGrade.org cites Arlington's overall crime rate at 38.53 per 1,000 residents in a typical year, and its violent crime rate specifically at 4.888 per 1,000 -- both citywide figures blending genuinely different areas of a city with roughly 394,000-404,000 residents (see the moving topic page for the population-estimate spread). Separately, DoorProfit's 2026 analysis assigns Arlington an overall crime score of C+ based on its interactive crime-mapping data -- a middling grade consistent with the CrimeGrade rate, not an alarming or a clean-bill-of-health outcome.
Geographic Variation Within the City
CrimeGrade data shows a real range depending on area: the odds of being a victim of crime range from about 1 in 19 in the north part of the city to about 1 in 35 in the southeast, with residents generally regarding the southeast as the safer part of Arlington. In raw incident counts, the north part of the city reports the most total crime (about 2,386 cases per year) while the northwest reports the fewest (about 822 per year). This page presents that geographic pattern as sourced, directional data rather than naming any specific neighborhood as 'bad' -- anyone evaluating a specific address should consult CrimeGrade.org, the Arlington Police Department's own published data, or NeighborhoodScout directly for block-level detail.
Modeled Economic Cost of Crime
One economic-impact model projects the total cost of crime in Arlington for 2025 at approximately $212,687,518, working out to roughly $536 per resident and $1,538 per household -- a modeled cost estimate, not a direct crime-rate figure, presented here as one way analysts translate crime statistics into dollar terms rather than as an independently verified dollar cost.
A Note on Interpreting These Figures
As with any city this size, citywide and even quadrant-level figures blend genuinely different blocks and streets. This page intentionally does not name specific neighborhoods as higher- or lower-crime -- prospective residents should check a block-level crime-mapping tool (CrimeGrade.org, NeighborhoodScout, or the Arlington Police Department's own data) for any specific address they're considering rather than relying on either the citywide average or general area reputation.
Key takeaways
- Arlington's overall crime rate is cited at 38.53 per 1,000 residents, with violent crime at 4.888 per 1,000, per CrimeGrade.org -- a middling picture, reinforced by DoorProfit's 2026 C+ overall crime score.
- Safety varies by area of the city: CrimeGrade cites odds ranging from about 1-in-19 (north) to 1-in-35 (southeast), with the north reporting the most total incidents (~2,386/year) and the northwest the fewest (~822/year) -- directional, sourced data, not a neighborhood-level "bad area" claim.
- A modeled 2025 economic-impact estimate puts the total cost of crime at roughly $536 per resident and $1,538 per household -- a modeled estimate, not a precise measured figure.
- No specific neighborhood is named as higher- or lower-crime on this page; consult CrimeGrade.org, NeighborhoodScout, or the Arlington Police Department directly for block-level detail on any specific address.
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