Safety index · University Southwest, Philadelphia · data through September 2026
Is University City safe?
University City shows a typical level of reported crime for Philadelphia. Its SafeRoute safety index is 60 out of 100 — 6 points above the citywide median of 54, ranking 62nd of 151 Philadelphia neighborhoods — based on 1,152 incidents reported to the Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia — a typical Philadelphia neighborhood sits near 54. It ranks University City 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 48% of reports — rather than violence against strangers, though the full mix below is worth a look.
Reported incidents here skew to daytime and evening hours — only about 13% of severity-weighted reports fall overnight (midnight–6 a.m.).
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Other theft | 556 · 48% | |
| Violent crime | 205 · 18% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 74 · 6% | |
| Vehicle crime | 129 · 11% | |
| Other | 81 · 7% | |
| Public order | 34 · 3% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in University City 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. Compare the routes, share your walk, and check in when you arrive. Free, no account.
Get SafeRoute on the App StoreNearby areas
- Powelton51/100 · Moderate
- Fitler Square52/100 · Moderate
- Woodland Terrace64/100 · Moderate
- West Powelton43/100 · Elevated
- Spruce Hill54/100 · Moderate
Common questions
Is University City safe at night?
Moderate overall (safety index 60/100). About 43% of severity-weighted incidents in University City 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 University City?
Other theft — 556 of 1,152 incidents (48%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center over the 8 months to September 2026.
How is the University City safety index calculated?
SafeRoute weights each incident reported to the Philadelphia Police Department 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 Philadelphia, so scores compare neighborhoods to each other and cannot be read against another city's.