#1Townsend
New Castle County · 2,985 people6.56 weighted crimes per 1,000 a year·violent 0.7, property 3.8
Townsend, #1 on this list · Photo: Smallbones · CC BY-SA 3.0Delaware rankings · Safety
Safest towns in Delaware
Townsend reports the least crime per resident of Delaware’s 22 towns with crime figures for 2023–2025; 3 of the 22 grade A− or better on safety nationally.
Crimes reported by each town’s own police, 2023–2025, per 1,000 residents, violent crimes counted four times. The same measure as the Safety grade. How grades work
#1A
#2Clayton
Kent County · 4,527 people8.27 weighted crimes per 1,000 a year·violent 1.1, property 3.8
#3Ocean View
Sussex County · 3,107 people9.23 weighted crimes per 1,000 a year·violent 1.0, property 5.3
All 22 towns
Weighted crimes per 1,000 residents a year, lowest first, to two decimals (the sort uses the exact rate, so there are no rounding ties). Grade = the national Safety grade.
22 towns ranked. Not here? See towns without their own figures.
#TownWeighted rateViolentPropertyGrade
Per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025. Last on the list: Dover, 88.72. The rate counts crimes reported to police, not how safe any one street feels.
Not ranked
15 towns without figures of their own
These towns of 2,500+ are not on the list because there are no police figures for them alone for all of 2023–2025, from the FBI or the state. In 2025 the FBI’s tables list State Police figures for 3 of Delaware’s counties and county sheriff figures for 1; those cover many towns at once and can’t be split by town, so they aren’t ranked here. Their other grades stand; the overall grade uses the rest.
- Bear New Castle County · 22,370 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Brookside New Castle County · 15,115 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Claymont New Castle County · 8,786 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Dover Base Housing Kent County · 2,962 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Edgemoor New Castle County · 6,349 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Glasgow New Castle County · 15,546 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Greenville New Castle County · 3,713 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Highland Acres Kent County · 3,752 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Hockessin New Castle County · 13,439 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- North Star New Castle County · 7,834 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Pike Creek New Castle County · 7,129 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Pike Creek Valley New Castle County · 12,431 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Rising Sun-Lebanon Kent County · 4,163 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Riverview Kent County · 2,596 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
- Wilmington Manor New Castle County · 8,214 people: no figures of its own in the FBI’s tables for 2023–2025.
Quick answers
Questions people ask
Which is the safest town in Delaware?
Townsend (New Castle County) reports the least crime per resident: 6.56 weighted crimes per 1,000 a year over 2023–2025 (0.69 violent and 3.79 property crimes per 1,000), from its police department’s reports to the FBI. Clayton (8.27) and Ocean View (9.23) follow.
How are these towns ranked?
By crimes reported by each town’s police per 1,000 residents over three years (FBI figures, or the state’s own where the FBI table lacks a year), with violent crimes counted four times as heavily as property crimes. It is the same measure as the Safety grade on each town’s page. How grades work.
Why isn’t my town on this list?
The list needs 2,500+ residents and the town’s own police figures for all three years. 15 Delaware towns of 2,500+ lack them; they are listed above with the reason. Smaller towns have a Safety grade on their page but no rank.
Go deeper
All Delaware rankings →More Delaware lists
Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.
Best places to live37 towns · #1 TownsendBest small towns26 towns · #1 TownsendMost affordable towns37 towns · #1 Wilmington ManorTowns with the best schools37 towns · #1 Lewes and MiltonHealthiest towns37 towns · #1 North StarBest towns for jobs & income37 towns · #1 Pike CreekMost walkable towns37 towns · #1 WilmingtonTowns with the lowest natural-hazard risk37 towns · #1 Wilmington ManorBest towns for the outdoors37 towns · #1 LewesMost historic towns37 towns · #1 New CastleTowns with the most civic life22 towns · #1 LewesTowns with the least snow37 towns · #1 LaurelDescribed, no lettersSnowiest towns37 towns · #1 BearDescribed, no lettersTowns with the mildest winters34 towns · #1 Ocean ViewDescribed, no lettersTowns with the hottest summers34 towns · #1 SeafordDescribed, no lettersTowns with the coolest summers34 towns · #1 Ocean ViewDescribed, no lettersTowns with the highest incomes37 towns · #1 HockessinDescribed, no lettersTowns with the lowest property taxes36 towns · #1 HarringtonDescribed, no lettersFastest-growing towns21 towns · #1 MilfordDescribed, no letters
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