Roanoke city Crime & Safety

Roanoke city has a total crime rate of 4886.4 per 100,000 residents, based on FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data. This includes both violent crimes (601.7 per 100K) and property crimes (4284.7 per 100K).

Roanoke city has a safety score of 2/100, rated "High Crime". A higher safety score indicates lower crime rates relative to other counties nationwide. It ranks #128 out of 131 counties in Virginia for safety (1 = safest).

The city's safety score of 92.3 sits below the Virginia state average of 97.3. This highlights a distinct safety profile compared to the broader Commonwealth where total crime rates average a much lower 1728.8 per 100K.

Property crime dominates the landscape at 4284.7 per 100K, while violent crime remains lower at 601.7. These figures mean residents are far more likely to experience theft or vandalism than personal harm.

Crime data for Roanoke city comes from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program. Local law enforcement agencies submit data on violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) and property crimes (burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft) to the FBI. Rates are calculated per 100,000 residents to allow fair comparison between counties of different sizes. The safety score (0-100) is derived from these rates, with higher scores indicating safer counties.

Roanoke city has a safety score of 2/100, which is below the Virginia average of 39/100. Many counties with above-average crime rates invest in community policing, crime prevention programs, neighborhood watch initiatives, and social services aimed at reducing crime over time.