Crime Data & Safety Grades

Safety grades are based on percentile ranking of total crime incidents across all zip codes in Chicago. Zip codes in the lowest 20% of crime receive an A grade (Very Safe), 20-40% get a B (Moderately Safe), 40-60% get a C (Average), 60-80% get a D (Below Average), and the top 20% get an F (High Crime). This provides a relative comparison within the city.

Safety varies significantly across Chicago neighborhoods. Some zip codes earn an A grade with very low crime rates, while others are rated F. The safest areas typically have 5-10x fewer incidents than the highest-crime areas. Use our safety grades and zip-level breakdowns to evaluate specific neighborhoods before signing a lease.

The safest neighborhoods are listed in the "Safest Neighborhoods" section above, ranked by lowest total crime count. These areas receive an A safety grade. Visit our dedicated Safest Neighborhoods page for a comprehensive ranked list with detailed crime breakdowns for each zip code.

The highest-crime neighborhoods are listed in the "Highest Crime Areas" section above. These zip codes receive an F safety grade based on having the highest total crime counts in the city. Click any zip code to see what types of crime are most common in that area.

Crimes are categorized into three groups: violent crimes (assault, robbery, murder, rape, kidnapping, arson), property crimes (burglary, larceny, theft, auto theft, criminal mischief, forgery), and quality-of-life offenses (everything else, including noise complaints, disorderly conduct, and public disturbance).

Crime data is sourced from CPD and refreshed monthly. The data covers the most recent 2-year period. Year-over-year trends compare the most recent 12-month period to the same period one year prior.

The YoY trend compares total reported crimes in the most recent 12 months to the same 12-month window one year earlier. A negative percentage (shown in green) means crime is declining in that zip code. A positive percentage (shown in red) means crime is increasing.

A Safety Grade of A means that zip code is in the safest 20% of all Chicago zip codes by total crime count. It does not mean zero crime — it means relatively less crime compared to the rest of the city. Grade A neighborhoods typically have significantly lower violent crime rates and fewer property crimes per capita.

Yes. Use the search box in the crime ranking table to filter by neighborhood name, zip code, or borough/area. The search is instant and works client-side — no page reload needed. You can also sort by any column (total crimes, violent crimes, YoY change) by clicking the column headers.

Safety grades are calculated relative to each city independently, so an A grade in Chicago means safest within Chicago specifically. We track crime data across NYC, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and Miami. You can switch cities using the city selector in the navigation bar to compare safety grades across metros.