Safety index · Ward 3, Washington, D.C. · data through August 2026
Is Palisades safe?
Palisades sits at the safer end of Washington, D.C. by reported crime. Its SafeRoute safety index is 93 out of 100 — 35 points above the citywide median of 58, ranking 5th of 132 D.C. neighborhoods — based on 28 incidents reported to the DC Metropolitan Police within 1 km of the neighborhood center over the 8 months to August 2026.
DATA THROUGH AUGUST 2026 · 8 MONTHS OF DATA
The 0–100 scale is calibrated to Washington, D.C. — a typical Washington, D.C. neighborhood sits near 58. It ranks Palisades against other neighborhoods here, and cannot be read against a score in another city.
Most of what's reported here is property-related — vehicle crime alone is 71% of reports — rather than violence against strangers, though the full mix below is worth a look.
Incidents spread across the day here — roughly 22% of severity-weighted reports come in the evening (6 p.m.–midnight) and 15% overnight.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Vehicle crime | 20 · 71% | |
| Other theft | 5 · 18% | |
| Violent crime | 1 · 4% | |
| Robbery | 1 · 4% | |
| Burglary | 1 · 4% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in Palisades at night?
SafeRoute scores every walking route against the same live crime data on this page — and shows how much of each route runs on lit streets. Pick the safer way, share your walk, and check in when you arrive. Free, no account.
Get SafeRoute on the App StoreNearby areas
- Spring Valley91/100 · Low risk
- Wesley Heights87/100 · Low risk
- Foxhall Crescents91/100 · Low risk
- Cathedral Heights72/100 · Moderate
- American University Park73/100 · Moderate
Common questions
Is Palisades safe at night?
Low risk overall (safety index 93/100). About 37% of severity-weighted incidents in Palisades are reported between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Reported crime is low for Washington, D.C., but stick to lit, busier streets late.
What is the most common crime in Palisades?
Vehicle crime — 20 of 28 incidents (71%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center over the 8 months to August 2026.
How is the Palisades safety index calculated?
SafeRoute weights each incident reported to the DC Metropolitan Police by severity (violence weighs more than shoplifting), sums the last available period within 1 km of the neighborhood center, and normalizes against citywide crime rates onto a 0–100 scale — higher is safer. It describes reported crime only; it is not a guarantee of safety. The scale is calibrated within Washington, D.C., so scores compare neighborhoods to each other and cannot be read against another city's.