Is Flagstaff Safe? – Lowell Observatory, exploring the Lava River Cave, Orpheum Theater and heck, even Starlight Lanes (if you’re into bowling) are all great attractions in & around Flagstaff. Along with the amazing scenery, hiking and skiing up in the Snowbowl – people come to and move to Flagstaff for a variety of different reasons.

Safety is among those different reasons. Traditionally at least.

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Is Flagstaff Safe?

Recently, in the news at least, it would seem that Flagstaff had a rash of crime. Police shooting, a violent kidnapper nabbed fleeing from down south, our massage parlor debacle. But the reality, statistically, is that Flagstaff crime is on a downward trend.

Flagstaff crime statistics report an overall downward trend in crime based on data from 21 years with violent crime decreasing and property crime decreasing. Based on this trend, the crime rate in Flagstaff for 2022 is expected to be lower than in 2019.

The city violent crime rate for Flagstaff in 2019 was higher than the national violent crime rate average by 28.95% and the city property crime rate in Flagstaff was higher than the national property crime rate average by 49.8%.

In 2019 the city violent crime rate in Flagstaff was higher than the violent crime rate in Arizona by 7.45% and the city property crime rate in Flagstaff was higher than the property crime rate in Arizona by 29.51%.

Is Flagstaff, AZ Safe?

So why is Flagstaff is in the 12th percentile for safety, meaning 88% of cities are safer and 12% of cities are more dangerous. This analysis applies to Flagstaff’s proper boundaries only. See the table on nearby places below for nearby cities. But Arizona, in general, has a higher crime rate that much of the US.

The rate of crime in Flagstaff is 57.19 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. People who live in Flagstaff generally consider the northwest part of the city to be the safest.

Your chance of being a victim of crime in Flagstaff may be as high as 1 in 11 in the north neighborhoods, or as low as 1 in 33 in the northwest part of the city. See the section on interpreting the crime map, however, because comparing rates for crime or any other crime is not as intuitive as it may seem. By a simple count ignoring population, more crimes occur in the southwest parts of Flagstaff, AZ: about 1,814 per year. The southeast part of Flagstaff has fewer cases of crime with only 8 in a typical year.

Interpreting the Crime Maps

When looking at the crime map for Flagstaff, remember that the rate of crime per resident may appear inflated when people visit the area during the day, but do not live there. For example, there are more retail establishments in the central part of the city. Many crimes are committed in retail areas in blocks where few people live. Red areas on the crime rate map do not always indicate danger for Flagstaff residents who live there.

More issues arise with places like airports, parks, and schools. Major airports, of which Flagstaff has 0, always look like high-crime locations due to the large number of people and the low population nearby. Parks and designated recreational areas, of which Flagstaff has 22, have the same problem. Of Flagstaff’s 83,803 residents, few live near recreational areas. Because many people visit, crime rates may appear higher even for safe parks. Ultimately crime happens where people are, whether they live there or not. Before writing off an area as unsafe, look at both the crime rate and total crime maps, then consider nearby destinations that people may be visiting.

Is Flagstaff getting safer or more dangerous? Statistics can be misleading, as can the news reports. Comment below regarding how YOU feel Flagstaff fairs in crime & safety. Is Flagstaff safe?