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Crime Rate in Tempe, AZ (2025)

The FBI-based Crime Index for Tempe, built from FBI Crime Data Explorer reports for 2025. Scores run 0–100 (higher = safer).

59/100
DElevated risk

Crime Index

Population: 191,348
Data year: 2025 · FBI Crime Data Explorer
#2 most dangerous of 20 cities in Arizona
100% of population covered by reporting agencies · updated July 8, 2026

Is Tempe safe?

For 2025, Tempe scores 59/100 on our FBI-based Crime Index — a grade D (elevated risk), which means it reports more crime than the typical US city. Its violent-crime rate of 419 per 100k is +33% vs the US average, and larceny-theft stands out most: 4,250 reported in 2025, 2.0× the national rate. It ranks #2 most dangerous of 20 cities in Arizona.

Violent crime
419/100k
+33% vs US avg
+13% vs AZ avg
Property crime
2,698/100k
1.8× US avg
1.8× AZ avg
Homicide
5.2/100k
+27% vs US avg
+10% vs AZ avg
Total reported
3,117/100k
1.7× US avg
1.7× AZ avg
25%

Safer than 25% of the 759 US cities we track

1 in 239

Annual odds of a reported violent crime per resident

1 in 37

Annual odds of a reported property crime per resident

Odds are the reported 2025 rate expressed per resident, city-wide — your actual risk varies by neighborhood, time, and situation.

Crime trend in Tempe

6,3513,17502021202220232024202515.23,117
Reported crime per 100,000 residents · hover a year for detail

Reported crime by offense

Each bar is scaled to the US average for that offense — the dashed line marks 1×. Bars past it run above the national norm; hover a row for detail.

Violent crime

Homicideanchor
+27% US
5.2
10 total
Rape
2.0× US
71.1
136 total
Robbery
+23% US
59.1
113 total
Aggravated assault
+24% US
283
542 total

Property crime

Burglary
+40% US
261
499 total
Larceny-theft
2.0× US
2,221
4,250 total
Motor vehicle theft
+10% US
211
404 total
Arson
0.6× US
5.2
10 total

Rates shown are per 100,000 residents.

Homicide rate

5.23per 100k

Homicide anchors the Crime Index — see methodology.

+27% higher than the national homicide rate of 4.12 per 100k.

How Tempe compares

Tempe against the Arizona and US averages for 2025.

MetricTempeArizonaUnited States
Crime Index (higher = safer)59D70C73C
Violent crime /100k419372315
Property crime /100k2,6981,4961,487
Homicide /100k5.24.84.1
Total reported /100k3,1171,8681,802

Grade shown per index band (88–100 = A … 0–29 = F). Rates are reported offenses per 100,000 residents.

Tempe is elevated risk — take action

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No area has zero risk

A high Crime Index score means lower reported crime relative to other US cities — it is not a guarantee of safety. Reported crime is not the same as actual crime. Research on the gap between crime that occurs and crime that gets reported to police — often called the "dark figure" of crime — estimates that roughly 40% of violent crime and about a third of property crime go unreported each year. Every index built on official statistics, including this one, necessarily undercounts real crime. That gap is exactly why homicide — the offense with the smallest dark figure — anchors the calculation instead of a more commonly reported but less reliable category like theft.

Scores on this page reflect FBI-reported data for 2025. See the full methodology →

Compare Tempe to other Arizona cities

Ranked by Crime Index — closest to Tempe.

Avondale66 CGlendale61 CFlagstaff60 CPhoenix50 D

Head-to-head comparisons

Tempe vs GlendaleTempe vs FlagstaffTempe vs Phoenix

Frequently asked questions

Is Tempe safe?
Tempe has a Crime Index of 59 out of 100 (grade D — elevated risk) for 2025, based on FBI-reported violent and property crime rates relative to other US cities. That ranks it #19 of 20 cities in Arizona by reported crime. Reported crime is not the same as actual crime. Research on the gap between crime that occurs and crime that gets reported to police — often called the "dark figure" of crime — estimates that roughly 40% of violent crime and about a third of property crime go unreported each year. Every index built on official statistics, including this one, necessarily undercounts real crime. That gap is exactly why homicide — the offense with the smallest dark figure — anchors the calculation instead of a more commonly reported but less reliable category like theft.
What does a "D" grade mean?
A "Elevated risk" grade means Tempe's severity-weighted crime rate falls in the 45–59 range on the Crime Index, out of a national distribution of every city we track for 2025. Grades are calibrated against the national distribution of every area we track for the same data year — they describe an area's relative standing, not an absolute promise. A "Very safe" grade means an area sits among the lowest-crime places in the country with usable data, not that nothing ever happens there.
What is the most common crime in Tempe?
The most frequently reported offense in Tempe for 2025 was larceny-theft, with 4,250 reported incidents. See the full breakdown by offense above for how violent and property crime compare to the US average.
Is crime in Tempe getting better or worse?
There isn't enough multi-year data to state a reliable trend for Tempe.
What are the odds of being a victim of crime in Tempe?
Based on 2025 reported rates, Tempe residents face roughly a 1 in 239 annual chance of a violent crime and about 1 in 37 for a property crime, calculated city-wide. Your individual risk varies widely by neighborhood, time of day, and circumstances.
How does Tempe compare to other US cities?
Tempe is safer than 25% of the 759 US cities we track for 2025, ranked by Crime Index. Its violent-crime rate is +13% vs the Arizona average and its property-crime rate is 1.8× the Arizona average.
Does reported crime equal real crime?
No. National research on the dark figure of crime estimates that roughly 40% of violent crime and about a third of property crime are never reported to police, so any index built on official statistics — including this one — measures a floor on real crime, not a ceiling. That's part of why the index leans most heavily on homicide, the category with the smallest reporting gap.
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