
Pennsylvania calls to mind images of rich history and bustling cities like Pittsburgh and, let's not forget, a commitment to safety that equals the stability of its renowned Liberty Bell. In this guide, we will delve into the safest places to live in Pennsylvania, where a strong focus on security meets the charm of the state's picturesque towns and cities.
So, where does Pennsylvania stand on the national crime scale? We've ranked Pennsylvania as the 16th safest state in America. But you must be curious about the safest place to reside within the Keystone State's borders.
To determine Pennsylvania's safest places, we've relied on the latest FBI Crime data, scrutinizing property and violent crimes per capita.
As we tour the safest places in Pennsylvania, we'll focus on each location's unique appeal and amenities, from the tree-lined boulevards of Philadelphia suburbs to the quintessentially charming squares of small towns. Whether you're a city dweller or prefer the quiet allure of rural landscapes, we have a safe place for you.
What is the safest city in Pennsylvania to live? The safest place in Pennsylvania is Bellefonte based on FBI crime data.
As a suburb of Pittsburgh, this little town's got a lot to offer.
Check where your favorite Pennsylvania city ranked and learn more about how we crunched the numbers for this year's ranking.
For more reading on safe places to live in and around Pennsylvania, check out:
Population: 5,888
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (seventh safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 0 (second safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Bellefonte: Data | Real Estate
A part of the State College Metro Area, Bellefonte ranks as the safest city in Pennsylvania with an especially low rate of violent crime. The borough only had one violent crime in 2024. Don't worry about art thieves pulling a heist at the Bellefonte Museum either, because Bellefonte had the second safest rate of property crime in the state.
Add Bellefonte's solid job and housing market to the mix, and you've got a recipe for a great place to live.
Population: 5,127
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (seventh safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 0 (second safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Luzerne: Data | Real Estate
Out in the middle of nowhere Pennsylvania, in what you could describe as a Scranton suburb, you'll find Luzerne, the second safest place in Pennsylvania for 2025.
It's hard to find a place less violent or more different than Philly, considering Luzerne recorded 0 violent crimes in the last reporting year -- basically, the way life should be.
On top of that, Luzerne had the second safest lowest property crime rate in Pennsylvania. In other words, there's a better chance of a stray Hersey chocolate breaking your window than a burglar.
Population: 8,072
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (seventh safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 37 (sixth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on East Marlborough: Real Estate
Population: 6,907
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (seventh safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 86 (12th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on West Vincent: Real Estate
West Vincent Township, one of the safest cities in Pennsylvania, is located off of Pennsylvania Route 100 and 401. Home to notable figures like naturalist Graceanna Lewis and Supreme Court Justice Owen J. Roberts, the township has a rich history. Low crime rates, with 33 violent crimes per 100k and 305 property crimes per 100k, make it a secure haven for those looking to move to Pennsylvania.
Population: 5,839
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (seventh safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 102 (13th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Pine Creek: Real Estate
Population: 8,818
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (seventh safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 124 (16th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Upper Makefield: Real Estate
Population: 10,598
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (seventh safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 160 (18th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on South Lebanon: Real Estate
Population: 5,487
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (seventh safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 182 (21st safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Centerville: Real Estate
Population: 8,384
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 11 (21st safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 71 (11th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Forest City: Data | Real Estate
Population: 5,642
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 17 (31st safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 17 (fourth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Tulpehocken: Real Estate
While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania.
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 0 crimes committed in Bellefonte, with a reported population of 5,888. That means the number of crimes per capita is 0.0, which translates into a 1 in 12000 chance of being the victim of a crime.
We only looked at Pennsylvania cities that have populations of more than 5,000. This filter left us with 341 of the biggest cities in Pennsylvania to rank.
We ranked each city for each criterion from 1 to 341 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 Pennsylvania," with any ties going to the bigger city.
The safest city in Pennsylvania, based on our criteria, is Bellefonte. The most dangerous city in Pennsylvania? Philadelphia, where residents had a 1 in 18 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 Pennsylvania. All the data comes from the FBI's Crime In The USA 2024 report.
Looking at the data, you can tell that Bellefonte is as safe as they come in Pennsylvania, according to science and data.
But as most Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania are .
Here's a look at the most dangerous cities in Pennsylvania according to the data:
| Rank | City | Population | Violent Crimes Per 100k | Property Crimes Per 100k | Murders Per 100k | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bellefonte, PA | 5,888 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Luzerne, PA | 5,127 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | East Marlborough, PA | 8,072 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | West Vincent, PA | 6,907 | 0 | 86 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Pine Creek, PA | 5,839 | 0 | 102 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Upper Makefield, PA | 8,818 | 0 | 124 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | South Lebanon, PA | 10,598 | 0 | 160 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Centerville, PA | 5,487 | 0 | 182 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Forest City, PA | 8,384 | 11 | 71 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Tulpehocken, PA | 5,642 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Neshannock, PA | 9,614 | 10 | 208 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Upper Uwchlan, PA | 13,625 | 0 | 271 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Fox Chapel, PA | 5,129 | 0 | 292 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | Lower Heidelberg, PA | 6,784 | 14 | 221 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | O'Hara, PA | 8,875 | 22 | 202 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Bedminster, PA | 7,469 | 0 | 374 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | East Fallowfield, PA | 7,944 | 25 | 163 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Hampton, PA | 17,771 | 11 | 348 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Hampden, PA | 35,576 | 22 | 238 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | East Vincent, PA | 7,815 | 12 | 332 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Murrysville, PA | 20,674 | 24 | 232 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Cecil, PA | 15,206 | 26 | 217 | 6 | 1 |
| 23 | Mill Hall, PA | 5,129 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Kennett, PA | 9,455 | 31 | 169 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | Lower Salford, PA | 16,255 | 18 | 362 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Franconia, PA | 13,488 | 14 | 392 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Wright, PA | 5,747 | 17 | 382 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | North Sewickley, PA | 5,414 | 36 | 110 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Lititz, PA | 9,820 | 10 | 437 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Cornwall, PA | 6,813 | 44 | 29 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | West Manheim, PA | 10,755 | 0 | 483 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | South Londonderry, PA | 8,798 | 22 | 352 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Castle Shannon, PA | 8,039 | 24 | 323 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Smith, PA | 5,582 | 0 | 483 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Buckingham, PA | 20,736 | 19 | 400 | 9 | 2 |
| 36 | Millersville, PA | 9,785 | 10 | 470 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | West Earl, PA | 12,547 | 31 | 270 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Selinsgrove, PA | 5,513 | 36 | 253 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Findlay, PA | 6,592 | 15 | 455 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | East Brandywine, PA | 10,410 | 48 | 105 | 0 | 0 |
| 41 | Northampton, PA | 10,414 | 28 | 364 | 0 | 0 |
| 42 | Dallas, PA | 9,265 | 43 | 226 | 0 | 0 |
| 43 | Mount Joy, PA | 8,349 | 23 | 407 | 0 | 0 |
| 44 | Briar Creek, PA | 5,123 | 19 | 468 | 0 | 0 |
| 45 | New Hanover, PA | 13,694 | 36 | 328 | 0 | 0 |
| 46 | East Cocalico, PA | 14,775 | 20 | 487 | 0 | 0 |
| 47 | Chartiers, PA | 9,338 | 21 | 481 | 0 | 0 |
| 48 | Solebury, PA | 8,628 | 11 | 533 | 0 | 0 |
| 49 | Buffalo, PA | 8,228 | 60 | 60 | 0 | 0 |
| 50 | Olyphant, PA | 5,382 | 37 | 371 | 0 | 0 |
| 51 | South Heidelberg, PA | 14,489 | 34 | 393 | 0 | 0 |
| 52 | Sunbury, PA | 9,485 | 52 | 242 | 0 | 0 |
| 53 | Kiskiminetas, PA | 5,700 | 17 | 526 | 0 | 0 |
| 54 | Plum, PA | 26,145 | 61 | 152 | 0 | 0 |
| 55 | Upper Saucon, PA | 17,864 | 22 | 503 | 5 | 1 |
| 56 | South Fayette, PA | 18,472 | 54 | 270 | 0 | 0 |
| 57 | South Park, PA | 13,630 | 36 | 418 | 0 | 0 |
| 58 | Plumstead, PA | 14,391 | 20 | 528 | 0 | 0 |
| 59 | Upper Macungie, PA | 29,196 | 20 | 530 | 0 | 0 |
| 60 | Canonsburg, PA | 9,590 | 62 | 208 | 0 | 0 |
| 61 | Forks, PA | 16,568 | 18 | 567 | 0 | 0 |
| 62 | Robeson, PA | 7,711 | 38 | 427 | 0 | 0 |
| 63 | Beaver, PA | 7,368 | 40 | 407 | 0 | 0 |
| 64 | East Earl, PA | 6,827 | 29 | 498 | 0 | 0 |
| 65 | Amity, PA | 13,428 | 52 | 379 | 0 | 0 |
| 66 | North Strabane, PA | 17,077 | 64 | 263 | 0 | 0 |
| 67 | Upper Southampton, PA | 15,057 | 59 | 318 | 0 | 0 |
| 68 | Franklin Park, PA | 14,871 | 73 | 215 | 0 | 0 |
| 69 | Lower Providence, PA | 25,975 | 26 | 546 | 0 | 0 |
| 70 | Nether Providence, PA | 14,449 | 27 | 539 | 0 | 0 |
| 71 | Whitpain, PA | 20,451 | 14 | 660 | 0 | 0 |
| 72 | New Britain, PA | 12,260 | 32 | 505 | 0 | 0 |
| 73 | East Pikeland, PA | 8,755 | 57 | 376 | 0 | 0 |
| 74 | North Londonderry, PA | 8,965 | 44 | 446 | 0 | 0 |
| 75 | Cranberry, PA | 34,970 | 11 | 700 | 0 | 0 |
| 76 | Brighton, PA | 8,754 | 91 | 57 | 0 | 0 |
| 77 | Upper Gwynedd, PA | 17,273 | 28 | 567 | 0 | 0 |
| 78 | Doylestown, PA | 18,000 | 27 | 577 | 0 | 0 |
| 79 | New Cumberland, PA | 7,560 | 52 | 436 | 0 | 0 |
| 80 | Clarks Summit, PA | 6,569 | 45 | 471 | 0 | 0 |
| 81 | Upper Nazareth, PA | 8,497 | 82 | 235 | 0 | 0 |
| 82 | Palmerton, PA | 5,623 | 17 | 693 | 0 | 0 |
| 83 | Lower Makefield, PA | 33,400 | 29 | 571 | 2 | 1 |
| 84 | Parkesburg, PA | 5,210 | 95 | 57 | 0 | 0 |
| 85 | Lower Burrell, PA | 11,502 | 86 | 234 | 0 | 0 |
| 86 | West Brandywine, PA | 11,756 | 68 | 382 | 0 | 0 |
| 87 | Upper Pottsgrove, PA | 6,323 | 79 | 300 | 0 | 0 |
| 88 | Towamencin, PA | 17,925 | 33 | 591 | 5 | 1 |
| 89 | Willistown, PA | 11,380 | 87 | 246 | 0 | 0 |
| 90 | Upper Allen, PA | 24,279 | 78 | 337 | 0 | 0 |
| 91 | Hopewell, PA | 13,248 | 60 | 460 | 0 | 0 |
| 92 | West Lampeter, PA | 17,320 | 51 | 508 | 0 | 0 |
| 93 | Warrington, PA | 26,355 | 22 | 743 | 0 | 0 |
| 94 | New Holland, PA | 12,898 | 23 | 759 | 0 | 0 |
| 95 | Shaler, PA | 26,801 | 48 | 555 | 3 | 1 |
| 96 | Ferguson, PA | 18,949 | 68 | 448 | 0 | 0 |
| 97 | Hellam, PA | 10,944 | 100 | 283 | 0 | 0 |
| 98 | Easttown, PA | 11,076 | 81 | 424 | 0 | 0 |
| 99 | East Pennsboro, PA | 21,266 | 47 | 616 | 0 | 0 |
| 100 | Valley, PA | 7,965 | 100 | 313 | 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.