Des Plaines, IL vs Downers Grove, IL: Crime Rate Comparison (2025)
A side-by-side look at reported crime in Des Plaines and Downers Grove, on the FBI-based Crime Index (0–100, higher = safer) for 2025.
Downers Grove is the safer city
Downers Grove scores 90/100 (grade A) versus 89/100 (grade A) for Des Plaines — a 1-point gap. Des Plaines's violent-crime rate is +34% vs Downers Grove. Across the 8 offense categories, Downers Grove has the lower rate in 3.
Des Plaines, IL
Crime Index
- Population
- 58,435
- Violent / 100k
- 106
- Property / 100k
- 777
- In Illinois
- #10 of 29
Downers Grove, IL
SaferCrime Index
- Population
- 50,647
- Violent / 100k
- 79
- Property / 100k
- 766
- In Illinois
- #8 of 29
Crime rates head-to-head
| Metric | Des Plaines | Downers Grove | US average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Index (higher = safer) | 89A | 90A | 73C |
| Violent crime /100k | 106 | 79 | 315 |
| Property crime /100k | 777 | 766 | 1,487 |
| Homicide /100k | 0 | 2 | 4.1 |
| Total reported /100k | 883 | 845 | 1,802 |
Grade shown per index band (88–100 = A … 0–29 = F). Rates are reported offenses per 100,000 residents.
By offense
Rate per 100,000 residents — the lower (safer) city is highlighted.
| Offense | Des Plaines | Downers Grove |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 0 | 2 |
| Rape | 22.2 | 11.8 |
| Robbery | 13.7 | 13.8 |
| Aggravated assault | 70.2 | 51.3 |
| Burglary | 68.5 | 82.9 |
| Larceny-theft | 602 | 614 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 103 | 57.3 |
| Arson | 3.4 | 11.8 |
Crime trends
Des Plaines
Downers Grove
Frequently asked questions
Is Des Plaines or Downers Grove safer?
Which has more violent crime, Des Plaines or Downers Grove?
What are the odds of violent crime in Des Plaines vs Downers Grove?
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 →
Protecting yourself in Des Plaines & Downers Grove
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