Safety index · University District, Seattle · data through July 2026
Is University Heights safe?
University Heights records a high level of reported crime for Seattle. Its SafeRoute safety index is 24 out of 100 — 33 points below the citywide median of 57, ranking 81st of 94 Seattle neighborhoods — based on 1,173 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 30% of reports — rather than violence against strangers, though the full mix below is worth a look.
Incidents spread across the day here — roughly 29% of severity-weighted reports come in the evening (6 p.m.–midnight) and 26% overnight.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Vehicle crime | 353 · 30% | |
| Burglary | 184 · 16% | |
| Violent crime | 105 · 9% | |
| Other theft | 227 · 19% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 119 · 10% | |
| Robbery | 27 · 2% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in University Heights 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 District23/100 · High risk
- Ravenna62/100 · Moderate
- Roosevelt40/100 · Elevated
- University of Washington45/100 · Elevated
- Wallingford44/100 · Elevated
Common questions
Is University Heights safe at night?
High risk overall (safety index 24/100). About 55% of severity-weighted incidents in University Heights 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 Heights?
Vehicle crime — 353 of 1,173 incidents (30%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center through July 2026.
How is the University Heights 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.