Lowell, MA vs New Bedford, MA: Crime Rate Comparison (2025)
A side-by-side look at reported crime in Lowell and New Bedford, on the FBI-based Crime Index (0–100, higher = safer) for 2025.
New Bedford is the safer city
New Bedford scores 71/100 (grade C) versus 65/100 (grade C) for Lowell — a 6-point gap. Lowell's violent-crime rate is +47% vs New Bedford. Across the 8 offense categories, New Bedford has the lower rate in 2.
Lowell, MA
Crime Index
- Population
- 121,283
- Violent / 100k
- 505
- Property / 100k
- 1,391
- In Massachusetts
- #20 of 26
New Bedford, MA
SaferCrime Index
- Population
- 101,139
- Violent / 100k
- 343
- Property / 100k
- 1,558
- In Massachusetts
- #18 of 26
Crime rates head-to-head
| Metric | Lowell | New Bedford | US average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Index (higher = safer) | 65C | 71C | 73C |
| Violent crime /100k | 505 | 343 | 315 |
| Property crime /100k | 1,391 | 1,558 | 1,487 |
| Homicide /100k | 1.7 | 4 | 4.1 |
| Total reported /100k | 1,896 | 1,901 | 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 | Lowell | New Bedford |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 1.6 | 4 |
| Rape | 17.3 | 50.4 |
| Robbery | 70.9 | 67.2 |
| Aggravated assault | 415 | 221 |
| Burglary | 139 | 195 |
| Larceny-theft | 1,050 | 1,097 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 195 | 257 |
| Arson | 6.6 | 9.9 |
Crime trends
Lowell
New Bedford
Frequently asked questions
Is Lowell or New Bedford safer?
Which has more violent crime, Lowell or New Bedford?
What are the odds of violent crime in Lowell vs New Bedford?
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 Lowell & New Bedford
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