Reading, MA Crime Statistics For 2025

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2025-10-24

Crime Rate In Reading, MA Summary

Crime in Reading research summary. HomeSnacks has been using Saturday Night Science to report crime data in Reading over the past eight years using the FBI Crime Explorer. Based on the most recently available data released on October 17, 2023, we found the following about crime in Reading:

  • There were 148 total crimes committed in Reading in the last reporting year.
  • On a rate basis, there were 572.1 total crimes per 100K people in Reading.
  • The overall crime rate in Reading is -73.01% below the national average.
  • Reading ranks #145 safest out of 322 cities in Massachusetts.
  • Reading ranks #2,557 safest out of 9,896 cities in the United States.

Because the crime rate is so low in America, we use "per 100,000 people" to make the number a bit easier to compare across locations visually. It's mathematically the same as per capita comparisons and isn't meant to convey that 100,000+ people live in a location.

Additional research about crime in Massachusetts

Reading Vs Massachusetts And National Crime Rates

According to the most recent data from the FBI, the total crime rate in Reading is 572.1 per 100,000 people. That's -73.01% lower than the national rate of 2,119.2 per 100,000 people and -59.91% lower than the Massachusetts total crime rate of 1,426.8 per 100,000 people.

Statistic Count
Raw
Reading
/ 100k People
Massachusetts
/ 100k People
National
/ 100k People
Total Crimes Per 100K 148 572.1 1,426.8 2,119.2
Murder 0 0.0 1.8 5.0
Robbery 0 0.0 36.0 61.0
Aggravated Assault 6 23.2 249.3 256.0
Violent Crime 10 38.7 314.7 359.0
Burglary 20 77.3 130.3 229.0
Larceny 113 436.8 876.3 1,272.0
Car Theft 5 19.3 105.5 259.0
Property Crime 138 533.4 1,112.1 1,760.0

Reading Crime Compared To Massachusetts Averages

Each category of crime indexed to the worst per capita in Massachusetts.
Data Source -- FBI UCR 2024.

Violent Crime Rates In Reading

10
Violent Crimes
38.7
Violent Crimes / 100k People
-89.23%
Below The National Average
  • There were 10 violent crimes in Reading in the last reporting year.
  • The violent crime rate in Reading is 38.7 per 100,000 people.
  • You have a 1 in 2,587.1 chance of being the victim of a violent crime in Reading each year. That compares to a 1 in 317.8 chance statewide.
  • That's -89.23% lower than the national rate of 359.0 per 100,000 people.
  • And -87.72% lower than the Massachusetts violent crime rate of 314.7 per 100,000 people.

Property Crime Rates In Reading

138
Property Crimes
533.4
Property Crimes / 100k People
-69.69%
Below The National Average
  • There were 138 property crimes in Reading in the last reporting year.
  • The property crime rate in Reading is 533.4 per 100,000 people.
  • You have a 1 in 187.5 chance of being the victim of a property crime in Reading each year. That compares to a 1 in 0.0 chance nationally.
  • That's -69.69% lower than the national rate of 1,760.0 per 100,000 people.
  • And -52.04% lower than the Massachusetts property crime rate of 1,112.1 per 100,000 people.

Crime In Cities Around Reading

City Population Count
Raw
Total Crime
/ 100k People
Property Crime
/ 100k People
Violent Crime
/ 100k People
Newton, MA 89,935 583 648.2 599.3 48.9
Brookline, MA 64,122 638 995.0 895.2 99.8
Arlington, MA 46,956 230 489.8 434.4 55.4
Woburn, MA 42,716 488 1,142.4 927.1 215.4
Lexington, MA 34,350 133 387.2 334.8 52.4
Needham, MA 32,779 229 698.6 646.8 51.9
Wellesley, MA 31,973 170 531.7 484.8 46.9
Melrose, MA 29,784 158 530.5 429.8 100.7
Saugus, MA 29,180 482 1,651.8 1,401.6 250.2
Wakefield, MA 28,594 167 584.0 409.2 174.9

Reading SnackAbility

6
/10
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
9/10
Housing
9
Affordability
8
Diversity
6
Safety
9
Amenities
9
Education
9.5
Commute
4
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