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Crime Rate in Wilmington, DE (2025)

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

20/100
FCritical risk

Crime Index

Population: 73,773
Data year: 2025 · FBI Crime Data Explorer
#1 most dangerous of 1 city in Delaware
100% of population covered by reporting agencies · updated July 8, 2026

Is Wilmington safe?

For 2025, Wilmington scores 20/100 on our FBI-based Crime Index — a grade F (critical risk), which means it reports more crime than the typical US city. Its violent-crime rate of 1,152 per 100k is 3.7× the US average, and homicide stands out most: 20 reported in 2025, 6.6× the national rate. Reported crime is down 21% since 2021. It ranks #1 most dangerous of 1 city in Delaware.

Violent crime
1,152/100k
3.7× US avg
3.3× DE avg
Property crime
2,894/100k
1.9× US avg
1.8× DE avg
Homicide
27.1/100k
6.6× US avg
6.7× DE avg
Total reported
4,046/100k
2.2× US avg
2.1× DE avg
3%

Safer than 3% of the 759 US cities we track

1 in 87

Annual odds of a reported violent crime per resident

1 in 35

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 Wilmington

Reported crime in Wilmington is down 21% since 2021.
5,3994,5753,750202120222023202420255,1034,046
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
›
6.6× US
27.1
20 total
Rape
0.2× US
8.1
6 total
Robbery
›
5.6× US
268
198 total
Aggravated assault
›
3.7× US
849
626 total

Property crime

Burglary
2.7× US
497
367 total
Larceny-theft
1.6× US
1,803
1,330 total
Motor vehicle theft
›
3.1× US
590
435 total
Arson
0.4× US
4.1
3 total

Rates shown are per 100,000 residents.

Homicide rate

27.11per 100k

Homicide anchors the Crime Index — see methodology.

+558% higher than the national homicide rate of 4.12 per 100k.

How Wilmington compares

Wilmington against the Delaware and US averages for 2025.

MetricWilmingtonDelawareUnited States
Crime Index (higher = safer)20F71C73C
Violent crime /100k1,152349315
Property crime /100k2,8941,5721,487
Homicide /100k27.14.14.1
Total reported /100k4,0461,9201,802

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

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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 →

Frequently asked questions

Is Wilmington safe?
Wilmington has a Crime Index of 20 out of 100 (grade F — critical risk) for 2025, based on FBI-reported violent and property crime rates relative to other US cities. That ranks it #1 of 1 city in Delaware 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 "F" grade mean?
A "Critical risk" grade means Wilmington's severity-weighted crime rate falls in the 0–29 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 Wilmington?
The most frequently reported offense in Wilmington for 2025 was larceny-theft, with 1,330 reported incidents. See the full breakdown by offense above for how violent and property crime compare to the US average.
Is crime in Wilmington getting better or worse?
Reported crime in Wilmington is down 21% since 2021, so the trend is improving. Year-to-year figures can shift with FBI reporting changes, not just real crime.
What are the odds of being a victim of crime in Wilmington?
Based on 2025 reported rates, Wilmington residents face roughly a 1 in 87 annual chance of a violent crime and about 1 in 35 for a property crime, calculated city-wide. Your individual risk varies widely by neighborhood, time of day, and circumstances.
How does Wilmington compare to other US cities?
Wilmington is safer than 3% of the 759 US cities we track for 2025, ranked by Crime Index. Its violent-crime rate is 3.3× the Delaware average and its property-crime rate is 1.8× the Delaware 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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