Safety index · University District, Seattle · data through July 2026
Is University District safe?
University District records a high level of reported crime for Seattle. Its SafeRoute safety index is 23 out of 100 — 34 points below the citywide median of 57, ranking 83rd of 94 Seattle neighborhoods — based on 1,229 incidents reported to the SPD within 1 km of the neighborhood center (data through July 2026).
Most of what's reported here is property-related — vehicle crime alone is 31% of reports — rather than violence against strangers, though the full mix below is worth a look.
Incidents spread across the day here — roughly 31% of severity-weighted reports come in the evening (6 p.m.–midnight) and 25% overnight.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Vehicle crime | 384 · 31% | |
| Burglary | 185 · 15% | |
| Other theft | 267 · 22% | |
| Violent crime | 105 · 9% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 138 · 11% | |
| Robbery | 29 · 2% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in University District 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
- University Heights24/100 · High risk
- University of Washington45/100 · Elevated
- Wallingford44/100 · Elevated
- Portage Bay57/100 · Moderate
- Ravenna62/100 · Moderate
Common questions
Is University District safe at night?
High risk overall (safety index 23/100). About 55% of severity-weighted incidents in University District 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 District?
Vehicle crime — 384 of 1,229 incidents (31%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center through July 2026.
How is the University District 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.