Safety index · Downtown, Seattle · data through July 2026
Is First Hill safe?
First Hill records a high level of reported crime for Seattle. Its SafeRoute safety index is 10 out of 100 — 47 points below the citywide median of 57, ranking 91st of 94 Seattle neighborhoods — based on 3,269 incidents reported to the SPD within 1 km of the neighborhood center (data through July 2026).
The largest reported category here is violent crime (12% of reports) — worth taking seriously when walking at night; the full mix is broken down below.
Incidents spread across the day here — roughly 30% of severity-weighted reports come in the evening (6 p.m.–midnight) and 28% overnight.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Violent crime | 389 · 12% | |
| Burglary | 436 · 13% | |
| Vehicle crime | 742 · 23% | |
| Other theft | 648 · 20% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 350 · 11% | |
| Other | 243 · 7% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in First Hill 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
- Yesler Terrace10/100 · High risk
- Central Business District9/100 · High risk
- Minor23/100 · High risk
- Denny Triangle9/100 · High risk
- International District12/100 · High risk
Common questions
Is First Hill safe at night?
High risk overall (safety index 10/100). About 58% of severity-weighted incidents in First Hill 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 First Hill?
Violent crime — 389 of 3,269 incidents (12%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center through July 2026.
How is the First Hill safety index calculated?
SafeRoute weights each incident reported to the Seattle 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.