Safest Cities in Virginia For 2023  

When it comes to low crime rates, certain cities in Virginia win the top prize. The state already is one of the best to live in the United States, and having low crime rates makes it even more attractive. Of course, you can’t prevent crime everywhere, and some regions seem to have a higher concentration of property crime and violent crime than others. To see which ones are the safest, keep on reading.

The big picture on Virginia safety

 First, when we’re talking about safety, we’re referring to measured property crime and violent crime rates. Your property crime includes theft, burglary, and motor theft. Violent crimes would be those that cause injury to a person, such as homicide, arson, or domestic violence. These rates are measured per 1000 persons, so saying a city had a crime rate of one means that it measured one incident of crime per 1000 people living there.

Understand that these numbers are based on reporting jurisdictions. Not every law enforcement authority in Virginia reports their figures to the FBI crime database.

As we look year-over-year at Virginia, its violent crime rate did increase by 10% from 2022. However, it’s still below the national average of four incidents per 1,000 persons. Virginia’s violent crime rate stood at 2.3, making it one of the lowest violent crime rates in the South Atlantic states. 

Virginia reported 14.8 average incidents for property crime, again below the national average of 19.3. That places the state among the top ten of the 41 reporting states regarding low crime rates and safety measures.

As a further indicator of how safe it is to live in Virginia, 18 of its top 20 safest cities had property crime rates that were below the state and national rates. 

It’s not a complete slam-dunk rosy picture. Larceny thefts are much higher in Virginia than in other states. The state also had twenty mass shooting incidents in 2022; mass shootings are those that involve five or more persons. And about one out of four residents reported some package theft in the last 12 months.

Ranking the Safest Cities in Virginia 

Looking at the crime rates measure, Safewise found that 62 cities met the criteria to be considered rankable for 2023. Remember, these are the cities that did report their crime rates to the FBI. Other jurisdictions could still have low crime rates and not appear on the list. 

One common factor in the top ten listed here is that most have populations under 20,000. And only three of them had a reported homicide out of the 566 reported statewide.

The safest cities also fell into two primary geographical clusters: Northern Virginia outside the inner DC metro and western Virginia in the beautiful mountain and Appalachian region.

Bridgewater

For the second year in a row, Bridgewater earned top marks, having the lowest violent and property crime rates in Virginia. It reported a violent crime rate of 0.2 and a property crime rate of 2.6 for 2023.

The beautiful small town has just over 6,000 residents. Find it in Northern Virginia as part of the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. Similar to other valley towns, it has a small college, a Charter Day celebration, and many historic buildings. The North River winds through town.

Purcellville

Moving up into the second place position, Purcellville reported a violent crime rate of 0.4 and a property crime rate of 4.2. It had just over 8,500 residents and could be considered a wealthier town. The household median income was $140,000.

Purcellville is tucked into the northwest corner of Virginia, in the Loudon Valley. This is Virginia wine country. The town is a jumping-off point for touring the wineries and breweries across the region. Downtown charms with its historic buildings, like the former grain mill-now-restaurant, while farms and hiking trails await in the countryside.

Lexington

Lexington moved up on the list, with its violent crime rate dropping down to 0.4. However, its property crime rate increased from 6.1 to 7.5 in 2023. 

This county seat had just over 7,000 residents. It may be a small Shenandoah Valley town, but it has a more eclectic and youthful vibe thanks to the two colleges in town: Virginia Military Institute and Washington and Lee University. Numerous historic sites and buildings abound, some with Civil War-era significance. 

Vienna

Vienna made big moves, partly thanks to a significant drop in property crime. It had 45% fewer property crimes than in 2022, reported at 7.1. Violent crime was reported at 0.6, the same as the prior year.

This town of about 17,000 residents is one of the closer ones to the DC metro of the safest cities in Virginia. Residents live 15 miles west of Washington. Part of Fairfax County, it’s next to I-66 and the Dulles Access Road. The location means it has a higher cost of living. Besides high safety marks, it benefits from a highly rated school system.

Blacksburg

The largest city in the top ten has a population of over 44,000 residents. It dropped from 4th to 5th, mostly because the other cities had better overall safety rates. Its property crime rate declined in 2023 to 6.2. Violent crime did increase incrementally from 0.7 to 0.8.

Blacksburg is deep between the Blue Ridge and Alleghanies in the Virginia mountain region. Perhaps its most significant draw is Virginia Tech, which is a major economic and demographic draw. Besides low crime rates, it has a rich art, culture, and food scene. Residents gain these perks with a reasonable cost of living, creating a high quality of life.

Poquoson

Beautiful Poquoson is a geographical outlier on the top ten list. Located at the end of a Hampton Roads peninsula, Poquoson’s violent crime and property crime rates dropped for 2023. Violent crime was 1.4, while property crime was 3.9. The town has just over 12,000 residents and is highly residential.

The entire eastern tip is Plum Tree Island National Wildlife Refugee. Residents here enjoy beautiful views of salt marshes and bays from their backyard or driving around. While living here feels out of the way, it’s close to top employers like NASA, military bases, and a shipyard. Not only does it consistently have a low crime rate, but its schools are highly rated. 

Dumfries

Tiny Dumfries is another city in the greater Northern Virginia region. Both its violent crime and property crime rates actually increased in 2023, but they remain well below state and national rates. Incidents of property averaged 9.9 for 2023. The town has 6,200 residents.

The town could be considered part of greater DC, as it sits next to I-95 on Quantico Creek. Quantico Base and the National Cemetry are just outside the city borders. Across I-95 are the Cabin Branch Historic District and the Prince William Forest Park, giving residents excellent access to outdoor recreation. 

Bedford

Small-town Bedford has that tight-knit community feeling where neighbors watch out for each other. That might be one of the reasons why its property crime rate was 8.6. The violent crime rate did increase from 0.8 to 1.1 in 2023.

This south-central town is between Roanoke and Lynchburg in south-central Virginia. It’s highly agricultural but has some distinctions, such as being home to the National D-Day Memorial. Downtown is an epicenter for Blue Ridge folk artists and town events. 

Buena Vista

Similar to many of the towns in the top ten safest cities in Virginia, Buena Vista has around 6,000 residents. It had low violent and property crime incidence, 1.6 and 6.6, respectively.

A Blue Ridge mountain town, find Buena Vista nestled in a valley along the Maury River south of Lexington and I-81. Mountains overlook the town from the east, with stunning overlooks and access to the Blue Ridge Parkway. 

Strasburg

Rounding out the top ten for 2023, Strasburg reported a 1.2 violent crime rate and an 8.7 property crime rate. It rose about five spots from 2022 thanks to a decline in both crime rates.

Strasburg is another Shenandoah Valley town, this time on the river’s North Fork and Cedar Creek. Even though only about 7,000 people live here, Strasburg is one of the larger Shenandoah Valley towns. It is known for its artistic traditions, antique emporium, and revitalizing downtown. People use the town as a jumping-off point for winter sports, hiking, spelunking, and more.

Living Safely in Virginia

If living in a safe environment is your top priority, these Virginia towns are a good place to start. Your real estate agent can fill you in on crime rates for any local community you may be considering. And remember, crime rates are just one piece of the puzzle in finding your perfect home in Virginia.