Harrisonburg, VA vs Virginia Beach, VA: Crime Rate Comparison (2025)
A side-by-side look at reported crime in Harrisonburg and Virginia Beach, on the FBI-based Crime Index (0–100, higher = safer) for 2025.
Virginia Beach is the safer city
Virginia Beach scores 85/100 (grade B) versus 79/100 (grade B) for Harrisonburg — a 6-point gap. Harrisonburg's violent-crime rate is 2.2× Virginia Beach. Across the 8 offense categories, Virginia Beach has the lower rate in 3.
Harrisonburg, VA
Crime Index
- Population
- 51,165
- Violent / 100k
- 213
- Property / 100k
- 1,394
- In Virginia
- #3 of 12
Virginia Beach, VA
SaferCrime Index
- Population
- 454,805
- Violent / 100k
- 97
- Property / 100k
- 1,477
- In Virginia
- #1 of 12
Crime rates head-to-head
| Metric | Harrisonburg | Virginia Beach | US average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Index (higher = safer) | 79B | 85B | 73C |
| Violent crime /100k | 213 | 97 | 315 |
| Property crime /100k | 1,394 | 1,477 | 1,487 |
| Homicide /100k | 0 | 3.3 | 4.1 |
| Total reported /100k | 1,607 | 1,574 | 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 | Harrisonburg | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 0 | 3.3 |
| Rape | 39.1 | 16.3 |
| Robbery | 21.5 | 30.8 |
| Aggravated assault | 152 | 46.6 |
| Burglary | 107 | 61.3 |
| Larceny-theft | 1,239 | 1,308 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 45 | 101 |
| Arson | 2 | 7 |
Crime trends
Harrisonburg
Virginia Beach
Frequently asked questions
Is Harrisonburg or Virginia Beach safer?
Which has more violent crime, Harrisonburg or Virginia Beach?
What are the odds of violent crime in Harrisonburg vs Virginia Beach?
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 Harrisonburg & Virginia Beach
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