
If you're considering a move to Ohio, we've done the hard work of locating the safest places to live in The Buckeye State. We've sifted through FBI crime data, examining 239 cities with populations exceeding 5,000, to compile a comprehensive list of the safest places in Ohio for 2025.
Specifically, we analyzed the FBI's crime statistics on violent and property crimes per capita for every place in Ohio. And at this point, we're quite the experts on ranking safe cities; it's the tenth time we've ranked the safest places in Ohio.
Whether you're a young professional searching for a secure urban oasis, a family looking for a safe and nurturing environment, or a retiree seeking tranquility, Ohio has it all. Cities like Dublin offer a blend of safety and prosperity, while the vibrant Columbus provides a lively atmosphere focusing on security.
So, if you're eager to discover more about the safest havens in Ohio, grab a bowl of Cincinnati chili and join us as we explore the most secure places to call home in the Heart of It All.
What is the safest place in Ohio? Broadview Heights is the safest place to live in Ohio.
Read on to learn how Broadview Heights brought home the gold and more about the ten safest cities in Ohio. If you don't see your city in the top ten, scroll to the bottom for a complete table of every place in Ohio.
For more reading on safe places to live in and around Ohio, check out:
Population: 19,709
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 5 (seventh safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 101 (safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Broadview Heights: Data | Real Estate
The safest place to live in Ohio for 2025 goes to Broadview Heights. A cleveland suburb, this year is the second time Broadview Heights reported their data to the FBI. Usually you'd think a city would have something to hide by not reporting, but they should have been all over this from day one.
The city of some 20,000 people has the safest property crime rate in the state and the seventh safest violent crime rate.
That means that you can leave the door unlocked at your house when you take a stroll down to main street.
Population: 5,754
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 17 (12th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 243 (sixth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Grafton: Data | Real Estate
Grafton might be home to a few prisons, but it's unlikely you'll see any of the village's residents in the clink. While there were a couple of violent crimes in 2024, things are under control here for the most part.
Residents would rather spend their time making furry friends at the local Our Little World Alpacas farm than go in on a crime. In fact, Grafton's property crime rate ranks as the sixth safest lowest in Ohio and the overall crime rate is roughly 80% below the national average.
Grafton is situated about 30 miles southwest of Cleveland.
Population: 5,082
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 19 (14th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 157 (fourth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Whitehouse: Data | Real Estate
Population: 28,085
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 14 (tenth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 270 (ninth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Genoa: Data | Real Estate
Population: 8,638
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (third safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 312 (18th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Olmsted Falls: Data | Real Estate
Oh my gosh, Olmsted Falls makes another appearance in our rankings of the safest cities in Ohio.
This is the sixth time we've done these rankings and we see Olmsted Falls every year -- it's becoming basically a tradition of sorts to see them somewhere in the top ten.
This year violent crime was up a tick, but property crime stayed low to secure its spot as the fifth safest in Ohio.
Olmsted Falls is located, like most cities on the list, outside of Cleveland in Cuyahoga County. So it seems that Cuyahoga would take the mantle if we ranked the safest counties in Ohio. Hmm. that's not a bad idea.
Population: 26,167
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 19 (13th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 290 (11th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Avon Lake: Data | Real Estate
Population: 14,045
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 7 (eighth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 306 (16th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Brecksville: Data | Real Estate
Population: 9,400
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (third safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 372 (24th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Madeira: Data | Real Estate
Population: 14,535
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 34 (24th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 199 (fifth safest)
Murders: 1
Murders Per 100k: 6
More on Olmsted: Real Estate
Population: 19,792
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 20 (15th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 298 (15th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Mayfield Heights: Data | Real Estate
While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in Ohio are the safest, we wanted to rely on something other than speculation and opinion. Instead, we looked at the hard numbers from the FBI's most recent crime report in Ohio.
Specifically, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, which summarizes the number of property and violent crimes in each city annually. We used two criteria:
For example, there were 21 crimes committed in Broadview Heights, with a reported population of 19,709. That means the number of crimes per capita is 0.0011, which translates into a 1 in 938 chance of being the victim of a crime.
We only looked at Ohio cities that have populations of more than 5,000. This filter left us with 239 of the biggest cities in Ohio to rank.
We ranked each city for each criterion from 1 to 239 where 1 in any particular category is the safest.
Next, we averaged each place's two criteria to create a Safety Index. We crowned the place with the lowest overall Safety Score, "The Safest Place In Ohio," with any ties going to the bigger city.
The safest city in Ohio, based on our criteria, is Broadview Heights. The most dangerous city in Ohio? Cleveland, where residents had a 1 in 16 chance of being the victim of a crime.
This article has been update for 2025. This report marks our tenth time ranking the safest places to live in Ohio. All the data comes from the FBI's Crime In The USA 2024 report.
Looking at the data, you can tell that Broadview Heights is as safe as they come in Ohio, according to science and data.
But as most Ohio residents would agree, almost every place here has its safe and not safe parts. So just make sure you're informed ahead of time.
The safest places in Ohio are .
Here's a look at the most dangerous cities in Ohio according to the data:
| Rank | City | Population | Violent Crimes Per 100k | Property Crimes Per 100k | Murders Per 100k | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Broadview Heights, OH | 19,709 | 5 | 101 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Grafton, OH | 5,754 | 17 | 243 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Whitehouse, OH | 5,082 | 19 | 157 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Genoa, OH | 28,085 | 14 | 270 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Olmsted Falls, OH | 8,638 | 0 | 312 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Avon Lake, OH | 26,167 | 19 | 290 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Brecksville, OH | 14,045 | 7 | 306 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Madeira, OH | 9,400 | 0 | 372 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Olmsted, OH | 14,535 | 34 | 199 | 6 | 1 |
| 10 | Mayfield Heights, OH | 19,792 | 20 | 298 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Highland Heights, OH | 8,554 | 0 | 444 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Aurora, OH | 17,869 | 16 | 380 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Chardon, OH | 5,238 | 0 | 458 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Berea, OH | 17,886 | 22 | 374 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Parma Heights, OH | 20,484 | 29 | 331 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Lawrence, OH | 8,193 | 48 | 268 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Pepper Pike, OH | 6,883 | 0 | 537 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Rocky River, OH | 21,256 | 23 | 418 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Hinckley, OH | 8,176 | 48 | 293 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Perrysburg, OH | 25,302 | 27 | 446 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Clearcreek, OH | 19,749 | 35 | 405 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Montville, OH | 13,415 | 59 | 268 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Bay, OH | 15,838 | 50 | 328 | 6 | 1 |
| 24 | Hudson, OH | 22,932 | 34 | 475 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Poland, OH | 12,019 | 49 | 357 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Canfield, OH | 7,588 | 52 | 342 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Bellbrook, OH | 7,439 | 40 | 457 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Willowick, OH | 14,089 | 63 | 291 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Mason, OH | 35,923 | 36 | 528 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Trenton, OH | 13,995 | 85 | 157 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Columbiana, OH | 6,819 | 73 | 307 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Westlake, OH | 34,189 | 29 | 649 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Brunswick, OH | 34,952 | 65 | 383 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Vermilion, OH | 10,722 | 46 | 559 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Norwalk, OH | 17,164 | 40 | 611 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | Springboro, OH | 19,591 | 45 | 602 | 5 | 1 |
| 37 | Cortland, OH | 7,051 | 56 | 482 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Huron, OH | 6,613 | 90 | 272 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Montgomery, OH | 10,784 | 37 | 658 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Mentor-On-The-Lake, OH | 7,070 | 42 | 636 | 0 | 0 |
| 41 | Twinsburg, OH | 19,500 | 56 | 553 | 0 | 0 |
| 42 | Brook Park, OH | 18,054 | 55 | 576 | 0 | 0 |
| 43 | New Franklin, OH | 13,763 | 87 | 319 | 0 | 0 |
| 44 | Bedford, OH | 12,761 | 62 | 540 | 0 | 0 |
| 45 | Upper Arlington, OH | 35,410 | 28 | 799 | 0 | 0 |
| 46 | Powell, OH | 14,572 | 20 | 898 | 0 | 0 |
| 47 | Loveland, OH | 13,108 | 83 | 419 | 0 | 0 |
| 48 | Bainbridge, OH | 12,921 | 0 | 1,006 | 0 | 0 |
| 49 | Orrville, OH | 8,409 | 107 | 297 | 0 | 0 |
| 50 | Bryan, OH | 8,571 | 58 | 746 | 0 | 0 |
| 51 | Sylvania, OH | 19,034 | 63 | 740 | 0 | 0 |
| 52 | Solon, OH | 23,736 | 54 | 800 | 0 | 0 |
| 53 | St. Clair, OH | 7,592 | 52 | 895 | 0 | 0 |
| 54 | Delphos, OH | 7,045 | 85 | 624 | 0 | 0 |
| 55 | Milford, OH | 6,404 | 46 | 936 | 0 | 0 |
| 56 | Beaver, OH | 6,659 | 75 | 735 | 0 | 0 |
| 57 | Centerville, OH | 26,281 | 38 | 1,008 | 0 | 0 |
| 58 | Celina, OH | 10,870 | 45 | 975 | 0 | 0 |
| 59 | Wyoming, OH | 8,643 | 92 | 601 | 0 | 0 |
| 60 | Champion, OH | 9,303 | 75 | 752 | 0 | 0 |
| 61 | Brookville, OH | 5,894 | 67 | 882 | 0 | 0 |
| 62 | Shawnee, OH | 12,438 | 96 | 643 | 0 | 0 |
| 63 | Avon, OH | 25,562 | 74 | 895 | 0 | 0 |
| 64 | Belpre, OH | 6,580 | 106 | 577 | 0 | 0 |
| 65 | New Philadelphia, OH | 17,362 | 115 | 512 | 0 | 0 |
| 66 | Bowling Green, OH | 30,287 | 69 | 957 | 0 | 0 |
| 67 | Richmond Heights, OH | 10,509 | 76 | 903 | 9 | 1 |
| 68 | Louisville, OH | 9,761 | 92 | 758 | 0 | 0 |
| 69 | North Olmsted, OH | 31,532 | 63 | 998 | 3 | 1 |
| 70 | Seven Hills, OH | 11,526 | 86 | 884 | 0 | 0 |
| 71 | North Canton, OH | 17,577 | 56 | 1,092 | 0 | 0 |
| 72 | Medina, OH | 25,827 | 100 | 770 | 0 | 0 |
| 73 | Blendon, OH | 7,802 | 76 | 986 | 0 | 0 |
| 74 | Germantown, OH | 5,810 | 103 | 774 | 0 | 0 |
| 75 | Harrison, OH | 13,559 | 110 | 737 | 0 | 0 |
| 76 | Parma, OH | 78,967 | 119 | 710 | 0 | 0 |
| 77 | Bellefontaine, OH | 14,061 | 106 | 789 | 0 | 0 |
| 78 | Athens, OH | 25,104 | 95 | 963 | 0 | 0 |
| 79 | Ross, OH | 8,897 | 157 | 438 | 0 | 0 |
| 80 | Waterville, OH | 5,998 | 133 | 583 | 0 | 0 |
| 81 | Deer Park, OH | 5,309 | 113 | 753 | 0 | 0 |
| 82 | London, OH | 10,623 | 122 | 724 | 9 | 1 |
| 83 | Kettering, OH | 56,562 | 42 | 1,501 | 0 | 0 |
| 84 | Dublin, OH | 48,784 | 108 | 916 | 0 | 0 |
| 85 | Union, OH | 6,977 | 85 | 1,117 | 0 | 0 |
| 86 | Strongsville, OH | 45,600 | 72 | 1,282 | 0 | 0 |
| 87 | Willoughby, OH | 24,261 | 107 | 931 | 0 | 0 |
| 88 | Pierce, OH | 15,431 | 103 | 972 | 0 | 0 |
| 89 | Canal Fulton, OH | 5,339 | 131 | 730 | 0 | 0 |
| 90 | Tallmadge, OH | 18,287 | 109 | 951 | 0 | 0 |
| 91 | Wickliffe, OH | 12,600 | 126 | 769 | 0 | 0 |
| 92 | Wapakoneta, OH | 9,731 | 92 | 1,099 | 0 | 0 |
| 93 | Howland, OH | 17,051 | 87 | 1,149 | 0 | 0 |
| 94 | Marysville, OH | 29,393 | 98 | 1,081 | 0 | 0 |
| 95 | American, OH | 12,432 | 24 | 1,874 | 0 | 0 |
| 96 | Clayton, OH | 13,195 | 90 | 1,151 | 0 | 0 |
| 97 | Toronto, OH | 5,155 | 290 | 116 | 0 | 0 |
| 98 | Hillsboro, OH | 6,660 | 75 | 1,321 | 0 | 0 |
| 99 | Dover, OH | 12,917 | 154 | 627 | 0 | 0 |
| 100 | Sheffield Lake, OH | 8,969 | 211 | 445 | 0 | 0 |
Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.
He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.
If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.
You can find out more about him on LinkedIn.
We founded HomeSnacks to provide insights your real estate agent would neglect to mention.
By presenting data from presentable sources and utlizing Saturday Night Science, we provide detailed insights into cities and neighborhoods.
Learn more about Nick and Chris.

HomeSnacks is based in Durham, NC.
We aim to deliver bite-sized pieces of infotainment about where you live.
We use data, analytics, and a sense of humor to determine quality of life for places across the nation.