Safety index · Ward 8, Washington, D.C. · data through September 2026
Is Washington Highlands safe?
Washington Highlands shows a typical level of reported crime for Washington, D.C.. Its SafeRoute safety index is 52 out of 100 — 6 points below the citywide median of 58, ranking 78th of 132 D.C. neighborhoods — based on 255 incidents reported to the DC Metropolitan Police within 1 km of the neighborhood center over the 8 months to September 2026.
DATA THROUGH SEPTEMBER 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 Washington Highlands against other neighborhoods here, and cannot be read against a score in another city.
The largest reported category here is violent crime (20% of reports) — worth taking seriously when walking at night; the full mix is broken down below.
Incidents spread across the day here — roughly 31% of severity-weighted reports come in the evening (6 p.m.–midnight) and 20% overnight.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Violent crime | 51 · 20% | |
| Vehicle crime | 83 · 33% | |
| Other theft | 81 · 32% | |
| Robbery | 24 · 9% | |
| Burglary | 15 · 6% | |
| Sexual offences | 1 · 0% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in Washington Highlands 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
- Congress Heights54/100 · Moderate
- Bellevue55/100 · Moderate
- Douglass50/100 · Moderate
- Shipley52/100 · Moderate
- Fort Stanton49/100 · Elevated
Common questions
Is Washington Highlands safe at night?
Moderate overall (safety index 52/100). About 51% of severity-weighted incidents in Washington Highlands are reported between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. At night, prefer lit, busier streets — a block or two of detour often avoids the clusters on the map above.
What is the most common crime in Washington Highlands?
Violent crime — 51 of 255 incidents (20%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center over the 8 months to September 2026.
How is the Washington Highlands 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.