Area Safety Data

State hub ยท MA

Safest cities in Massachusetts? Lowest and highest property-crime candidates

Use this hub to compare validated Massachusetts city candidates by reported selected property-offense rate. It is a cautious city-page index, not a statewide safety ranking or personal-risk score.

Candidate-city rate 6.69 per 1,000 residents across listed cities; not a statewide risk score
Validated cities191Current candidate pages
Candidate population3,034,764Sum of listed city estimates
Selected offenses20,313FBI NIBRS offense records

Highest-rate city candidates

Use the city pages for source notes, trend handling, and offense mix. Small or ambiguous places remain outside automatic publication.

5,250 residents Hadley 36.95 selected property offenses per 1,000 residents 12,435 residents Wrentham 18.25 selected property offenses per 1,000 residents 10,184 residents Plainville 17.67 selected property offenses per 1,000 residents 26,794 residents Burlington 17.50 selected property offenses per 1,000 residents 15,967 residents Seekonk 17.16 selected property offenses per 1,000 residents 16,541 residents East Longmeadow 15.96 selected property offenses per 1,000 residents

Lowest-rate city candidates

Searchers often ask for the safest cities in a state. This section answers that intent carefully by showing the lowest reported selected property-offense rates among validated city candidates only.

6,861 residents Groveland 0.44 selected property offenses per 1,000 residents 15,745 residents Clinton 0.70 selected property offenses per 1,000 residents 19,473 residents Norton 0.82 selected property offenses per 1,000 residents 9,270 residents Millis 0.86 selected property offenses per 1,000 residents 6,203 residents Dalton 0.97 selected property offenses per 1,000 residents 19,678 residents Scituate 1.22 selected property offenses per 1,000 residents

Home-security guides

City data pages point into practical guides for renters, no-subscription setups, package areas, cameras, and entry alerts.

Buying guide Door and window alarms for renters Compare simple entry alarms for apartments, rented homes, garages, and windows before moving into heavier systems. Buying guide No-subscription home security starter kit Build a basic home-security setup with local alarms, lighting, locks, and cameras without starting with a monthly plan. Buying guide Package theft camera checklist Check porch visibility, driveway angles, storage, Wi-Fi, and evidence needs before buying a camera for package areas. Buying guide Security camera checklist Evaluate exterior visibility, entry coverage, storage needs, and placement before choosing a camera system. Buying guide Smart lock and entry sensor checklist Start with reliable locks, entry sensors, lighting, and backup access before adding convenience features. Buying guide Basic home-security checklist A balanced setup can cover entries, packages, motion, lighting, and alerts without overbuying.

Massachusetts city candidates

City Population Selected offenses Rate per 1,000 Trend
Hadley 5,250 194 36.95 Increasing
Wrentham 12,435 227 18.25 Increasing
Plainville 10,184 180 17.67 Increasing
Burlington 26,794 469 17.50 Increasing
Seekonk 15,967 274 17.16 Roughly stable
East Longmeadow 16,541 264 15.96 Increasing
Lenox 5,081 80 15.74 Increasing
Oak Bluffs 5,461 85 15.56 Increasing
Holbrook 11,393 166 14.57 Increasing
Millbury 14,189 206 14.52 Increasing
Danvers 29,217 424 14.51 Increasing
Saugus 29,227 418 14.30 Increasing
Abington 17,158 243 14.16 Increasing
Dedham 25,705 347 13.50 Increasing
Adams 8,002 102 12.75 Increasing
Bellingham 17,863 215 12.04 Roughly stable
Swampscott 15,213 182 11.96 Increasing
Wilbraham 14,639 173 11.82 Increasing
Auburn 17,560 207 11.79 Decreasing
Dartmouth 34,278 403 11.76 Decreasing
Westwood 16,418 193 11.76 Increasing
Natick 37,019 434 11.72 Decreasing
Stoughton 29,856 343 11.49 Increasing
Raynham 16,123 181 11.23 Increasing
Wareham 23,643 258 10.91 Roughly stable
Bourne 20,785 221 10.63 Increasing
Lunenburg 12,028 126 10.48 Increasing
Chelmsford 37,829 389 10.28 Increasing
Wilmington 23,617 242 10.25 Increasing
Hanover 14,953 150 10.03 Increasing
West Bridgewater 7,822 76 9.72 Roughly stable
Milford 30,854 300 9.72 Increasing
Lee 5,697 55 9.65 Decreasing
Orange 7,578 73 9.63 Decreasing
Nantucket 14,713 137 9.31 Decreasing
Brookline 63,407 589 9.29 Roughly stable
Tewksbury 31,636 283 8.95 Decreasing
Sturbridge 10,109 89 8.80 Decreasing
Falmouth 33,413 292 8.74 Roughly stable
Lynnfield 13,252 115 8.68 Increasing
Orleans 6,525 56 8.58 Decreasing
Eastham 5,857 50 8.54 Increasing
Webster 17,837 151 8.47 Decreasing
Hingham 24,513 207 8.44 Increasing
Walpole 26,218 220 8.39 Roughly stable
Westborough 22,645 189 8.35 Increasing
Athol 12,107 101 8.34 Decreasing
Dennis 14,942 124 8.30 Decreasing
Easton 25,668 213 8.30 Increasing
Edgartown 5,468 45 8.23 Decreasing
Whitman 15,514 126 8.12 Increasing
Maynard 10,736 87 8.10 Increasing
Mansfield 24,183 195 8.06 Increasing
South Hadley 17,898 143 7.99 Decreasing
Swansea 17,626 140 7.94 Roughly stable
Halifax 7,840 62 7.91 Increasing
Plymouth 66,934 497 7.43 Decreasing
Norwood 31,749 234 7.37 Decreasing
Great Barrington 7,260 53 7.30 Roughly stable
Yarmouth 25,343 180 7.10 Mixed
Kingston 14,518 103 7.09 Increasing
Andover 37,060 261 7.04 Mixed
Belmont 27,223 191 7.02 Roughly stable
Leicester 11,422 80 7.00 Roughly stable
Dracut 32,708 221 6.76 Increasing
Montague 8,414 56 6.66 Decreasing
Needham 32,713 214 6.54 Increasing
Foxborough 18,929 123 6.50 Roughly stable
Shrewsbury 39,686 258 6.50 Roughly stable
Ludlow 21,091 135 6.40 Decreasing
Longmeadow 15,688 98 6.25 Roughly stable
Stoneham 24,317 151 6.21 Mixed
Lancaster 9,026 56 6.20 Increasing
Fairhaven 16,051 99 6.17 Decreasing
Oxford 13,514 82 6.07 Mixed
Reading 25,814 156 6.04 Increasing
Marblehead 20,598 123 5.97 Mixed
Marion 5,364 32 5.97 Increasing
Hudson 20,359 121 5.94 Increasing
North Andover 32,192 190 5.90 Increasing
Somerset 18,399 108 5.87 Mixed
Mashpee 15,560 91 5.85 Roughly stable
Lakeville 12,315 72 5.85 Increasing
Winchendon 10,605 62 5.85 Roughly stable
Westminster 8,616 50 5.80 Roughly stable
Canton 24,988 144 5.76 Roughly stable
Milton 28,583 162 5.67 Increasing
Concord 18,232 103 5.65 Mixed
Carver 11,916 67 5.62 Roughly stable
Harwich 13,680 75 5.48 Decreasing
Belchertown 15,272 83 5.43 Increasing
Salisbury 9,438 51 5.40 Decreasing
Monson 8,148 44 5.40 Roughly stable
Chatham 6,749 36 5.33 Decreasing
Mattapoisett 6,794 36 5.30 Increasing
Dover 6,012 31 5.16 Increasing
Wellesley 31,162 157 5.04 Increasing
Deerfield 5,167 26 5.03 Roughly stable
Freetown 9,416 47 4.99 Mixed
Wayland 13,961 67 4.80 Increasing
Barre 5,630 27 4.80 Increasing
Norwell 11,541 55 4.77 Increasing
Townsend 9,162 43 4.69 Increasing
Hull 10,256 48 4.68 Decreasing
Ashland 19,239 89 4.63 Increasing
Arlington 46,700 207 4.43 Mixed
Littleton 10,413 46 4.42 Roughly stable
Bedford 14,837 65 4.38 Roughly stable
Rockland 17,957 78 4.34 Increasing
Weston 11,707 50 4.27 Mixed
Billerica 42,648 180 4.22 Roughly stable
Norfolk 11,847 50 4.22 Increasing
Newbury 6,884 29 4.21 Mixed
Southwick 9,264 39 4.21 Mixed
North Reading 16,254 68 4.18 Mixed
Warren 5,096 21 4.12 Decreasing
Wakefield 28,995 119 4.10 Increasing
Pepperell 11,779 46 3.91 Mixed
Mendon 6,448 25 3.88 Decreasing
Uxbridge 14,720 57 3.87 Decreasing
Westport 16,758 64 3.82 Decreasing
Acton 24,458 92 3.76 Decreasing
Paxton 5,051 19 3.76 Roughly stable
Ware 10,069 37 3.67 Decreasing
Ashburnham 6,535 24 3.67 Roughly stable
Winchester 23,744 87 3.66 Roughly stable
Northbridge 16,727 61 3.65 Mixed
Sutton 9,626 35 3.64 Decreasing
Pembroke 18,513 67 3.62 Increasing
Bolton 5,804 21 3.62 Decreasing
Ayer 9,091 32 3.52 Decreasing
Charlton 13,633 48 3.52 Increasing
Middleton 9,988 35 3.50 Increasing
Westford 24,842 86 3.46 Increasing
Cohasset 8,468 29 3.42 Decreasing
Lexington 34,602 117 3.38 Roughly stable
Sandwich 20,624 68 3.30 Roughly stable
Southampton 6,140 20 3.26 Mixed
Carlisle 5,282 17 3.22 Mixed
Rochester 5,962 19 3.19 Decreasing
Georgetown 8,574 27 3.15 Roughly stable
West Boylston 7,937 24 3.02 Decreasing
Sudbury 19,667 59 3.00 Increasing
Granby 6,016 18 2.99 Mixed
Sterling 8,354 25 2.99 Roughly stable
Rehoboth 13,458 40 2.97 Decreasing
Medway 13,736 40 2.91 Mixed
Boxborough 5,524 16 2.90 Roughly stable
Templeton 8,410 24 2.85 Decreasing
Ipswich 14,144 40 2.83 Decreasing
Spencer 12,142 33 2.72 Decreasing
Hopkinton 19,748 53 2.68 Increasing
Dighton 8,304 22 2.65 Roughly stable
Hopedale 6,071 16 2.64 Mixed
Stow 7,271 19 2.61 Mixed
Acushnet 10,770 28 2.60 Mixed
Holden 20,397 53 2.60 Increasing
Brewster 10,503 27 2.57 Decreasing
Topsfield 6,634 17 2.56 Increasing
East Bridgewater 14,585 37 2.54 Decreasing
Medfield 13,234 33 2.49 Increasing
Duxbury 16,456 41 2.49 Roughly stable
Sharon 18,803 46 2.45 Decreasing
Shirley 7,015 17 2.42 Decreasing
Manchester-by-the-Sea 5,472 13 2.38 Decreasing
Rutland 9,650 23 2.38 Roughly stable
Hamilton 7,682 18 2.34 Decreasing
Douglas 9,459 22 2.33 Roughly stable
Lincoln 6,938 16 2.31 Decreasing
Southborough 10,577 24 2.27 Decreasing
Merrimac 6,826 15 2.20 Increasing
Hanson 10,762 23 2.14 Mixed
Groton 11,496 24 2.09 Decreasing
Holliston 15,228 31 2.04 Decreasing
Marshfield 26,163 52 1.99 Mixed
Boylston 5,068 10 1.97 Decreasing
Blackstone 9,382 18 1.92 Mixed
Northborough 16,088 30 1.86 Roughly stable
Grafton 20,377 37 1.82 Increasing
Harvard 7,018 12 1.71 Decreasing
Dudley 11,993 19 1.58 Decreasing
Berkley 6,909 10 1.45 Decreasing
Boxford 8,349 12 1.44 Roughly stable
Rockport 7,099 10 1.41 Decreasing
Upton 8,479 11 1.30 Decreasing
Scituate 19,678 24 1.22 Decreasing
Dalton 6,203 6 0.97 Decreasing
Millis 9,270 8 0.86 Decreasing
Norton 19,473 16 0.82 Decreasing
Clinton 15,745 11 0.70 Increasing
Groveland 6,861 3 0.44 Decreasing

Important context

These figures are based on reported selected property offenses and Census population context for validated city candidates. Agency reporting boundaries can differ from municipal boundaries, so the methodology page explains why ambiguous or tiny-denominator rows stay out of automatic publication.

Read methodology