Safety index · Ward 7, Washington, D.C. · data through August 2026
Is Penn Branch safe?
Penn Branch sits at the safer end of Washington, D.C. by reported crime. Its SafeRoute safety index is 81 out of 100 — 23 points above the citywide median of 58, ranking 15th of 132 D.C. neighborhoods — based on 81 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 Penn Branch against other neighborhoods here, and cannot be read against a score in another city.
Most of what's reported here is property-related — other theft alone is 47% of reports — rather than violence against strangers, though the full mix below is worth a look.
Incidents spread across the day here — roughly 26% of severity-weighted reports come in the evening (6 p.m.–midnight) and 20% overnight.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Other theft | 38 · 47% | |
| Vehicle crime | 34 · 42% | |
| Violent crime | 3 · 4% | |
| Burglary | 4 · 5% | |
| Robbery | 2 · 2% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in Penn Branch 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
- Fairfax Village81/100 · Low risk
- Fort Davis Park87/100 · Low risk
- Dupont Park63/100 · Moderate
- Twining68/100 · Moderate
- Hillcrest57/100 · Moderate
Common questions
Is Penn Branch safe at night?
Low risk overall (safety index 81/100). About 45% of severity-weighted incidents in Penn Branch 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 Penn Branch?
Other theft — 38 of 81 incidents (47%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center over the 8 months to August 2026.
How is the Penn Branch 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.