Crime by type
Seattle Crime by Type
A category-by-category view of what drives Seattle's crime totals and where each tends to surface.
Overview
What drives crime in Seattle
Seattle's offense mix is dominated by property crime, but the categories don't move together. Car prowls and theft are nearly citywide, while the more serious violent offenses stay anchored to a handful of downtown and arterial areas.
By category
Rates and odds by crime type
Estimated annual rate per 100,000 residents and your everyday odds, with risk level relative to the U.S. average.
| Offense | Per 100k/yr | Annual odds | vs. U.S. | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theft / Larceny | 1,788 | 1 in 56 | +28% | Moderate |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 394 | 1 in 254 | +24% | Moderate |
| Aggravated Assault | 329 | 1 in 304 | +23% | Moderate |
| Burglary | 252 | 1 in 397 | -7% | Average |
| Robbery | 72 | 1 in 1,394 | -3% | Average |
| Rape | 29 | 1 in 3,400 | -12% | Average |
| Homicide | 6 | 1 in 17,228 | +16% | Average |
Drill down
What's actually reported in Seattle
The most common specific offenses behind each category, from reported incident descriptions.
Motor Vehicle Theft 8,230 reports
Theft from Vehicle 8,173 reports
Theft 7,874 reports
Burglary 7,583 reports
Assault 7,213 reports
Other 5,946 reports
Detail
Crime types in Seattle, explained
Motor Vehicle Theft
Car prowls and auto theft are a defining Seattle problem, with break-ins common in downtown garages, park-and-ride lots, and on-street parking across many neighborhoods. Visible bags or electronics are a frequent trigger.
Theft / Larceny
Theft, including persistent retail shoplifting downtown and around busy commercial cores, is the largest single category and runs well above national levels.
Burglary
Home and business break-ins are spread unevenly, rising along commercial arterials and in areas with more ground-floor access while staying low in the quieter north-end neighborhoods.
Aggravated Assault
Aggravated assaults cluster sharply along Third Avenue, parts of the Chinatown-International District, and the Aurora Avenue corridor rather than across residential Seattle.
Robbery
Robberies concentrate downtown, near transit centers, and along a few arterials, with risk highest after dark.
Homicide
Homicide is rare relative to the city's population and stays tightly concentrated in specific downtown and arterial hot spots.