Seattle has cemented its reputation as one of America’s most dangerous big cities, with one of the highest property crime rates in the nation. This is on the heels of the revelation that Washington state as a whole is going from bad to worse, even as the rest of the country turns the corner on violent crime.
Security.org’s 2024 rankings place Seattle 3rd highest in property crime among America’s 30 largest cities. The city recorded a property crime rate of 5,007.6 per 100,000 residents, which is nearly 185% higher than the national average of 1,760.1.
Washington State came in dead last in the category of Safety, in a recent national index of Best Places to Live in the US.
Now another index, using the recently released FBI Crime Data, shows Seattle as the 4th MOST DANGEROUS CITY IN THE UNITED STATES!
With a crime rate 172.9%… pic.twitter.com/qyvytYVcnE
— Future 42 (@future42org) August 27, 2025
For at least two years running, Seattle has also topped the nation for burglary rates, underscoring how widespread break-ins and theft remain in the city.
NEW: Seattle ranked 3rd worst for property crime among major US cities—185% above the national average & topped US burglary rates. WA ranked last in safety nationwide, even as crime dropped in the US.
But hey, at least Bruce Harrell cleaned graffiti from one tunnel. pic.twitter.com/fbaNKCQIGK
— Ari Hoffman 🎗 (@thehoffather) August 29, 2025
This concentration of property crime shapes much of Seattle’s reputation, with everything from auto theft to package theft driving the numbers upward.
When it comes to violent crime, Seattle lands in the 5th-worst spot in Washington State, with 713 incidents per 100,000 residents, according to SafeHome.org. Cities such as Tukwila and Tacoma actually rank higher, with Tukwila recording 840 per 100,000.
Seattle recorded 52 homicides in 2024, equal to a rate of 6.8 per 100,000 people. That puts the city above the national average (around 5 per 100,000) but far from the nation’s most violent major cities.
CrimeGrade.com gives Seattle a “D–” safety grade, placing it in the 8th percentile nationwide, safer than just 8% of US cities. That statistic reflects how property crime weighs heavily on the city’s crime profile.
Seattle’s challenges are part of a broader statewide trend. Earlier this month, Washington was ranked 50th in the nation for safety, the lowest score of any state, according to WalletHub’s 2025 “Best States to Live In” report.
That ranking coincided with newly released FBI data showing Washington moving in the opposite direction from much of the country. Between 2019 and 2024, while the national murder rate dropped 3.55 percent, Washington’s soared 42.46 percent.
- Violent crime nationally fell 6.28 percent, but in Washington, it rose 8.16 percent.
- Aggravated assaults increased just 2.14 percent nationwide, but in Washington, they spiked 18.84 percent—nearly nine times higher.
- Vehicle thefts rose 15.99 percent nationally, while Washington saw a 34.87 percent jump, more than double the national pace.
While robbery and rape declined, property crime is also easing more slowly in Washington than elsewhere.
“These numbers speak for themselves,” said Steven D. Strachan, executive director of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC). “Some national reports suggest the crime increases seen during the pandemic have now largely reversed themselves. Unfortunately, that is not the case here in Washington.”
Washington has now ranked last in police staffing per capita for 15 consecutive years, according to WASPC. The persistent shortage, combined with restrictive policing laws passed in recent years, is widely cited as a key driver behind the state’s worsening crime trends.
