Safety index · North, Philadelphia · data through August 2026
Is Upper Kensington safe?
Upper Kensington records a high level of reported crime for Philadelphia. Its SafeRoute safety index is 24 out of 100 — 31 points below the citywide median of 55, ranking 151st of 151 Philadelphia neighborhoods — based on 4,512 incidents reported to the Philadelphia Police within 1 km of the neighborhood center (data through August 2026).
The largest reported category here is violent crime (15% of reports) — worth taking seriously when walking at night; the full mix is broken down below.
Reported incidents here skew to daytime and evening hours — only about 7% of severity-weighted reports fall overnight (midnight–6 a.m.).
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Violent crime | 655 · 15% | |
| Public order | 957 · 21% | |
| Other | 1,407 · 31% | |
| Drugs | 415 · 9% | |
| Other theft | 410 · 9% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 189 · 4% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in Upper Kensington 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
- McGuire33/100 · Elevated
- Fairhill39/100 · Elevated
- East Kensington40/100 · Elevated
- Hunting Park44/100 · Elevated
- Franklinville37/100 · Elevated
Common questions
Is Upper Kensington safe at night?
High risk overall (safety index 24/100). About 32% of severity-weighted incidents in Upper Kensington 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 Upper Kensington?
Violent crime — 655 of 4,512 incidents (15%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center through August 2026.
How is the Upper Kensington 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.