The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In Washington


The most dangerous places in Washington are Fife and Tacoma for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

Most dangerous cities in Washington research summary. We analyzed the most recent FBI crime data using Saturday Night Science to determine the most dangerous cities in Washington.

We examined the violent and property crime per capita statistics for every place with over 5,000 residents. In total, we analyzed 121 Washington cities. Here are the results of our analysis:

  • The most dangerous city in Washington is Fife based on the most recent FBI crime data.

  • The violent crime rate in Washington is 1,559 per 100k people.

  • The property crime rate in Washington is 12,146 per 100k people.

  • The safest city in Washington is Colville.

  • Washington is the 18th most dangerous state in the United States.

Most Dangerous Cities In Washington Map


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Table | Methodology | FAQs | References


There are more dangerous things in Washington than taking an elevator to the top of the Space Needle or getting caught on the Puget Sound during a storm.

The most dangerous cities in Washington are not as safe as they should be.

Why did we produce this list? We’re trying to help you make an informed decision on where to live in Washington State. We used Saturday Night Science to compare the violent and property crimes per capita in the 121 cities with a population of 5,000.

To see the location of these Washington cities with higher than average crime rates, review the following research.

The Most Dangerous Cities In Washington For 2024

  1. Fife
  2. Tacoma
  3. Tukwila
  4. Toppenish
  5. Seattle
  6. Spokane
  7. Lakewood
  8. Vancouver
  9. SeaTac
  10. Federal Way

What city is the most dangerous place to live in Washington for 2024? According to the FBI data, the most dangerous place to live in Washington is Fife.

If you are still looking for your town, head to the bottom for a complete list of cities in Washington State.

For more Washington reading, check out:

The 10 Most Dangerous Places To Live In Washington For 2024

Fife, WA

Source: Wikipedia User SounderBruce | CC BY-SA 4.0

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 10,900
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,559 (Second most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 12,146 (Second most dangerous)
Murders: 1
More on Fife: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Up now is the city of Fife, a Tacoma suburb with a hefty crime problem. You’ll have to guard your winnings closely after a big night at the local casino because Fife had the second highest property crime rate in Washington.

On top of all the burglaries and larcenies going down in Fife, there’s also a lot of violent crime. The city of 10,900 experienced 1 murders in 2022, reflecting the 24th highest murder rate statewide.

In other words, if you’re looking to move to one of Tacoma’s best suburbs, steer clear of Fife.

Tacoma, WA

Source: Wikipedia User FlickreviewR 2 | CC BY-SA 2.0

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 219,027
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,609 (Most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 8,539 (Fourth most dangerous)
Murders: 41
More on Tacoma: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Tacoma was rated as one of the country’s “most walkable cities” in 2006, but we think the local population might disagree, given all the crime that goes down here. In fact, you’d have to be downright defiant to go walking by yourself at Point Defiance Park.

That’s because Tacoma had the highest violent crime rate in Washington, with residents facing 1 in 62 shot of being the victim of an attack in 2022. Violent crime is nearly three times as high in Tacoma as the rest of the country.

So keep your guard up in the City of Destiny, or you might be destined for a violent encounter.

Tukwila, WA

Source: Wikipedia User Joe Mabel | GFDL

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 21,473
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 773 (Sixth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 19,992 (Most dangerous)
Murders: 3
More on Tukwila: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

For the second year running, Tukwila sees itself our list of Washington’s most dangerous places to live. It’s not hard to see why, either; Tukwila had an overall crime rate nearly seven times higher than the national average — yikes.

Residents of Tukwila had a 1 in 5 chance of being the victim of a property crime in 2022. That includes a whopping 895 car thefts and 321 burglaries.

Violent crime isn’t much better in Tukwila, the city with the 3highest rate of rape cases in Washington. So while you can enjoy a day out at Crystal Springs Park, you’d be well-advised to bring a buddy and get home before dark.

With such high crime numbers, it’s no wonder that Tukwila also topped our list of Seattle’s worst suburbs.

Toppenish, WA

Source: Wikipedia User Jared DeJong | CC BY 2.0

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 8,717
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 871 (Third most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 7,445 (Sixth most dangerous)
Murders: 2
More on Toppenish: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Located within the Yakama Indian Reservation, Toppenish comes in as Washington’s fourth most dangerous place to call home.

Toppenish’s low population inflates the impact of each crime, so much so that having just 2 murder in 2022 was enough to give the city the second highest murder rate in the state.

The burglary rate in Toppenish was also the third highest in Washington. Other types of property crime are also prevalent, but if you see buildings with spray paint on them, it’s probably not graffiti — Toppenish is the City of Murals, after all.

Seattle, WA

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 729,691
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 838 (Fifth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 5,720 (15th most dangerous)
Murders: 54
More on Seattle: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

From the top of Seattle’s Space Needle, the city might look quite peaceful, but there’s a whole lot of crime going down in Washington’s biggest city.

Seattle’s not the sort of place you want to leave your home’s doors unlocked, considering it had the sixth highest burglary rate in Washington. Same goes for your car, what with the 6,942 car thefts recorded in 2022.

On top of that, violent crime ranked as the fifth highest statewide, with one rape, four robberies, and seven aggravated assaults a day, on average. Oh, and two murders a month, for good measure.

Spokane, WA

Source: Wikipedia User Mark Wagner (User:Carnildo) | CC BY 2.5

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 229,292
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 672 (Seventh most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 5,736 (14th most dangerous)
Murders: 18
More on Spokane: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Washington’s 2nd most populous city, Spokane, is also its sixth most dangerous. To be fair, Spokane is a big city with plenty of safe neighborhoods, it’s just that some areas still have a lot of work to do.

Residents of Spokane had a 1 in 17 chance of having their belongings stolen or damaged in 2022, so it’s a good idea to check you still have all your valuables after a day out at Riverfront Park.

There were also 1,541 violent crimes reported for the year, so do keep your guard up in Spokane. On the bright side, Spokane fell a few positions on this list from last year, so hopefully, things continue to improve.

Lakewood, WA

Source: Wikipedia User Kgrr | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 63,044
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 839 (Fourth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 5,205 (21st most dangerous)
Murders: 4
More on Lakewood: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Located on the southwestern edge of Tacoma, Lakewood comes in as Washington’s seventh most dangerous city.

There were 996 car thefts in Lakewood over the year, one of the higher rates on this list. We just hope nobody tries to pull a grand theft auto at America’s Car Museum.

Violent crime is the bigger problem in Lakewood, though. Residents had a 1 in 119 chance of being the victim of an assault, murder, rape, or robbery in 2022.

Vancouver, WA

Source: Wikipedia User Drown Soda | CC BY-SA 4.0

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 193,273
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 635 (Ninth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 5,576 (16th most dangerous)
Murders: 14
More on Vancouver: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Vancouver, located in Clark County, is the eighth most dangerous place to live in the state. With a population of 193,273, Vancouver has experienced concerning crime statistics. The city reported 1,229 violent crimes. Additionally, property crimes reached 10,777, including 1,351 burglaries. These figures indicate a high crime rate and pose safety concerns for residents.

Seatac, WA

Source: Wikipedia User SounderBruce from Seattle, United States | CC BY-SA 2.0

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 30,203
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 632 (Tenth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 5,208 (20th most dangerous)
Murders: 2
More on Seatac: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

SeaTac gets its name directly from the airport that dominates the area, known as the Seattle–Tacoma International Airport. Live around here and you’ll have to get used to loud takeoffs and landings, as well as airport traffic. Plus, the community has an unfortunate crime problem. Robberies and car thefts are particularly common.

However, life in SeaTac isn’t all jet fumes and car jackings. You can also head over to the Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden or enjoy a picnic at Angle Lake Park.

Federal Way, WA

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 97,094
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 549 (14th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 5,251 (19th most dangerous)
Murders: 8
More on Federal Way: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Located in King County, Federal Way is a city that originated as a logging settlement in the early 20th century. Found between Seattle and Tacoma, it was officially incorporated in 1990. However, by 2024, Federal Way has earned a dubious distinction as the tenth most dangerous place to live in Washington.

The city has a high crime rate, with 549/100k instances of violent crimes and 5,251/100k cases of property crimes per capita. These unsettling statistics contribute to the city’s overall high crime index, making it a challenging place for its 97,094 residents to feel safe.

Crime By City In Washington

Rank City Population Total Crimes Per 100K Violent Crimes Per 100K Property Crimes Per 100K Murders
1 Fife 10,900 13,706 1,559 12,146 1
2 Tacoma 219,027 10,149 1,609 8,539 41
3 Tukwila 21,473 20,765 773 19,992 3
4 Toppenish 8,717 8,317 871 7,445 2
5 Seattle 729,691 6,558 838 5,720 54
6 Spokane 229,292 6,408 672 5,736 18
7 Lakewood 63,044 6,044 839 5,205 4
8 Vancouver 193,273 6,211 635 5,576 14
9 SeaTac 30,203 5,840 632 5,208 2
10 Federal Way 97,094 5,801 549 5,251 8
11 Moses Lake 25,709 5,962 521 5,441 2
12 Port Orchard 16,351 6,280 440 5,840 0
13 Puyallup 42,580 7,649 380 7,268 1
14 Union Gap 6,514 8,243 368 7,875 3
15 Burlington 10,187 11,779 333 11,445 2
16 Bellingham 93,014 6,919 406 6,512 2
17 Clarkston 7,267 5,311 577 4,733 0
18 Auburn 84,279 5,641 499 5,142 13
19 Kent 133,066 5,987 459 5,528 9
20 Kennewick 85,058 5,134 477 4,656 8
21 Olympia 56,214 4,724 521 4,203 2
22 Lynnwood 42,764 6,241 329 5,911 5
23 Port Angeles 20,290 4,455 670 3,785 1
24 Chehalis 7,870 7,141 304 6,836 0
25 Kelso 12,723 5,077 408 4,668 2
26 Everett 110,694 4,793 442 4,350 12
27 Bremerton 44,256 4,675 474 4,200 1
28 Burien 50,159 4,609 496 4,112 2
29 Renton 103,619 4,997 368 4,628 7
30 Centralia 18,993 5,459 331 5,128 2
31 Aberdeen 17,338 4,608 438 4,170 0
32 Longview 37,768 4,834 349 4,485 0
33 Shelton 11,102 3,990 594 3,395 2
34 Sunnyside 16,300 4,202 478 3,723 1
35 Milton 9,113 4,378 438 3,939 0
36 Gig Harbor 12,301 6,308 243 6,064 0
37 Yakima 96,267 3,755 611 3,143 12
38 Spokane Valley 108,076 4,395 333 4,061 3
39 Covington 20,686 4,442 323 4,118 0
40 Sumner 10,681 6,020 224 5,795 1
41 Airway Heights 10,803 4,369 323 4,045 1
42 Ephrata 8,465 5,316 236 5,079 0
43 Poulsbo 11,814 4,062 321 3,741 0
44 Walla Walla 33,899 3,430 371 3,059 2
45 Richland 63,081 4,023 312 3,711 5
46 Grandview 10,901 3,825 302 3,522 0
47 Des Moines 32,541 3,795 304 3,490 3
48 Arlington 20,176 3,177 332 2,844 0
49 Sequim 8,439 3,910 236 3,673 0
50 Pasco 79,899 3,140 317 2,822 2

Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous cities in Washington for 2024?

Every year the FBI release two crime datasets on cities in Washington. First a preliminary dataset limited to the biggest cities in Washington, followed by a more detailed release at the end of the year.

For our analysis, we focused on the 2022 data, specifically the 2022 Crime In The United States Report for Washington.

So what criteria did we use? Have a look:

  • Violent Crimes Per Capita
  • Property Crimes Per Capita

In order to make the analysis as apples to apples as possible, we only considered Washington cities over 5,000 in population. That left us with 121 cities in Washington.

We then ranked each city from 1 to 121 for the two criteria with a #1 ranking being the most dangerous for the particular criteria.

Next, we averaged the two rankings into one “Dangerous Index”.

Finally, we ranked every city on the “Dangerous Index” with the lowest index being the most dangerous in Washington — Fife. Any ties went to the smaller city.

This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. It is our tenth time ranking the most dangerous places to live in Washington and is updated for 2024.

Most Dangerous Places To Live In Washington FAQs

Yes, Washington is a dangerous state as it ranks as the #18 most dangerous state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in Washington ranks 35th most dangerous in the United States — 20.58% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Evergreen State ranks fourth most dangerous in the United States — 39.81% worse than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022.

Yes, Seattle is a dangerous city. Seattle ranks as the #12 most dangerous out of 328 major cities over 100,000 people in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. Keep in mind that are always safe and dangerous parts of any city, so even though Seattle might be considered dangerous you still need to be aware of where you are. For example, Hawthorne Hills is the safest in Seattle, while Belltown is considered dangerous by many based on recent crime stats.

Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Seattle ranks 6highest in America — 51.4% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 12th highest in the United States — 109.65% worse than US average property crime rate. Note the latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022 and that no city in America is ‘dangerous’. Despite the uptick in murders, it’s nothing like you’d see in Tijuana or Caracas where the murder rate is 2x any American city.

Graphing The Most Dangerous And Safest Places In Washington

Most Dangerous Cities In Washington Graph

Click To Enlarge

Summary: Locking It All Up In Washington

So what is the most dangerous city in Washington? After analyzing 121 cities in Washington, Fife takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in Washington based on the most recently reported FBI data — 2022.

The latest FBI crime data shows that Fife ranks as the most dangerous city in Washington for 2024.

The most dangerous cities in Washington are .

We want to point out again that there’s still safes places in Fife and that this isn’t a comment on the people that live there. So please don’t beat us up.

What city is the most dangerous place to live in Washington for 2024? According to the FBI data, the most dangerous place to live in Washington is Fife.

If you are still looking for your town, head to the bottom for a complete list of cities in Washington State.

Learn more about the safest places in Washington.

If you’re looking for something more national, check out the most dangerous cities in America or the most dangerous states in America.

Here are the safest cities in Washington:

  1. Stanwood (Pop. 9,132)
  2. Steilacoom (Pop. 6,690)
  3. Pullman (Pop. 32,848)
  4. Kenmore (Pop. 23,107)
  5. Camas (Pop. 27,653)
  6. Oak Harbor (Pop. 24,858)
  7. Sammamish (Pop. 65,738)
  8. Black Diamond (Pop. 7,021)
  9. Duvall (Pop. 8,778)
  10. Colville (Pop. 5,026)

For more Washington reading, check out:

References

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.

2 thoughts on “The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In Washington

  1. Since this comparison is fairly recently published I’m curious as to the fact that you do not reference the know issue of high incidence of unreported crime occurring in Seattle. This is a very significant issue that even the crime loving mayor has said she is guilty of. When windows are broken, buildings vandalized, cars broken into, even people who are victims of minor assault on the street do not bother to report the crimes. Why? Two reasons, it’s a VERY difficult process in the city of Seattle that takes ages, AND nothing ever comes of it because even if the police find the perpetrator they do not make arrests, and even when they try to arrest someone the courts let them off. So the residents just give up and don’t waste their time.

    Since this IS a known issue of likely great proportions in Seattle that should be a note about Seattle’s ranking. And I would like to know how that compares to other dangerous cities on this list. For instance, Spokane is ranked as worse for crime, but IF Spokane’s residents report EVERY SINGLE crime efficiently and regularly, then those numbers are an accurate view of the crime rate there. Seattle ranks lower, i.e. safer, but that is not likely the case since we know a lot of crime in the city is going unreported.

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