Is Waltham, MA, a Safe Place to Live? A Look at Crime Rates and Stats

Tucked nine miles west of downtown Boston along the Charles River, Waltham mixes gritty industrial history with shiny biotech labs, leafy suburban blocks, and hard-to-beat commuter-rail access.

If you’re eyeing homes for sale in Waltham, MA, the first question tends to be the obvious one: Is Waltham a safe place to live?

Let’s dig into the crime data, map patterns, and day-to-day vibe so you’ll know before moving whether this city really is the great place to live and work that many locals claim.

The most recent FBI-fed analysis (2023 release) clocks total crime in Waltham at 11.49 incidents per 1,000 residents. Break that down and you get violent crime at 2.51 and property crime at 8.98 per 1,000, or roughly one incident every 87 residents per year.

Put another way, your chance of becoming a victim of violent crime in Waltham sits near 1 in 398, while property-crime odds hover around 1 in 111—comfortably distant from big-city risk levels without pretending danger never happens.

Waltham’s numbers track closely with Middlesex County at large.

County data shows a violent-crime rate of 2.80 per 1,000 and overall patterns that cluster highest in the dense, inner-belt suburbs and lowest in the central-western reaches.

If you’re comparing cities of similar size in Massachusetts, Waltham’s totals sit right in the middle of the county pack—neither a high-crime outlier nor the single safest dot on the map.

National FBI figures for 2022–2023 land at 3.81 violent crimes and 19.54 property crimes per 1,000 residents.

That means Waltham posts about 34 percent fewer violent crimes and 54 percent fewer property crimes than the national average.

Although the city sees more calls than ultra-low-crime peers like nearby Newton, the rate of crime in Waltham is still lower than the national average by a comfortable margin.

Police filed 579 property-crime reports last year: 93 burglaries, 451 larcenies, and 35 motor-vehicle thefts.

At 8.98 incidents per 1,000 residents, property crime in Waltham is less than half the U.S. norm and roughly on par with other inner-ring suburbs that balance urban activity with suburban living.

Most thefts happen around busy commercial corridors—think parked cars on Moody Street—not in the quieter cul-de-sacs of Warrendale or Lakeview. 

The city logged 162 violent incidents—aggravated assaults, robberies, rapes, and an occasional homicide—translating to 2.51 per 1,000 residents.

For perspective, that’s about 38 percent lower than the national violent-crime benchmark and similar to Middlesex County’s overall trend.

While headlines sometimes amplify isolated events, the detailed crime rates reinforce that violent crime in Waltham remains comparatively scarce for a city of 65,000 people. 

Arsons, drug offenses, and vandalism stay in the double-digit range, and hate-crime totals are even smaller, according to state reporting dashboards.

The Waltham Police Department credits neighborhood watch groups and a visible bike-patrol program for keeping miscellaneous offenses from piling up. 

Historical curves show encouraging movement: property-crime rates have fallen roughly 25 percent since 2010, and the violent-crime line nudged downward about 5 percent despite population growth and fresh nightlife along Moody Street.

Though 2022 saw a brief uptick (mirroring many Greater Boston communities), the ten-year trajectory still bends lower. 

Interactive layers from CrimeGrade color most of Waltham a reassuring green, with scattered yellow in downtown and a few red blocks where bars, commuter lots, and retail plazas cluster.

Zoom out and you’ll see Waltham’s map looks far calmer than inner-Boston neighborhoods, yet livelier than sleepy Route 128 bedroom towns—a classic suburban middle ground. 

Data points to late-night petty theft and occasional assaults around Moody Street/Central Square, especially after bars close.

The Waltham crime map also marks small spikes near the Route 20/Prospect Street junction, mostly shoplifting and car break-ins.

Residential zones north of the Charles River—Piety Corner, North Waltham, and the Warrendale back streets—see little more than the odd porch-pirate incident. 

Crime-risk analytics rank North Waltham, Warrendale, Lakeview, and Piety Corner in the 90th percentile or better statewide, making them some of the safest places to live in Greater Boston.

North Waltham alone scores an A+ safety grade, safer than 95 percent of U.S. neighborhoods, according to CrimeGrade.

Buyers pay a bit more for that peace of mind, but many commuters see it as a fair trade-off for quick hops to Route 128 tech campuses and downtown Boston. 

Stacking Waltham against nearby cities tells a straightforward story.

Cambridge’s overall crime rate is 14 percent higher than the national average—triple Waltham’s property-crime volume—while its violent-crime risk is roughly one in 199 residents.

Newton posts gold-standard stats with violent crime at 0.65 per 1,000, but its median home price dwarfs Waltham’s.

Watertown sits between the two, logging about 13 property crimes per 1,000.

Bottom line: Waltham holds its own in the safer half of Greater Boston, offering lower crime than bustling Cambridge but giving up a little ground to ultra-low-crime Newton. 

Add violent and property categories, and the overall crime rate equates to about 1 in 87 residents per year. That’s less than the national average, though, as always, individual behavior—locking doors, avoiding unlit lots—shifts real-world odds. 

In plain numbers: Waltham crime rates remain below national benchmarks, with violent incidents rare and property offenses trending downward.

The city’s balanced mix of police patrols, neighborhood associations, and security-camera grants keeps momentum heading the right way.

Whether you rent near Brandeis University or own a Victorian by the Charles River, basic precautions help.

Lock vehicles, install motion lights, and sign up for the Waltham PD’s email alerts. The department hosts quarterly safety forums—show up, meet officers, and learn which blocks might need extra eyes.

City officials plan to expand license-plate reader coverage on major arteries and roll out mental-health co-response units—two moves shown to curb both property theft and violent confrontations in peer cities.

Analysts expect Waltham's crime rates to hold steady or inch lower over the next five years, especially as new residents invest in home security and streetscape lighting projects.

Waltham is a safe, vibrant, and convenient place to live.

Its overall crime rate sits lower than the national average, violent incidents are uncommon, and long-term trends point downward.

Add in reputable schools in Waltham, growing job opportunities along the Route 128 biotech corridor, and a scenic stretch of the Charles River, and Waltham consistently positions itself as one of the safest, most balanced cities in Greater Boston—a compelling choice for anyone planning a move to Waltham or simply exploring what life around Waltham might look like.

Yes. Violent crime runs roughly 34 percent lower and property crime about 54 percent lower than national norms, placing Waltham firmly on the safer side of comparable U.S. cities. 

Crime-map analytics crown North Waltham, Warrendale, Lakeview, Eastview Park/Bentley University, and Piety Corner as the city’s top safety bets. 

The cost of living in Waltham sits about 40 percent higher than the national average, largely driven by housing demand in neighborhoods with solid schools and a track record of safety.

Higher real-estate prices often correlate with lower crime because residents—and the city—invest more in security and community amenities. 

MBTA commuter-rail stations here are well-lit and patrolled; serious late-night incidents are rare. Most riders report feeling secure even on the last inbound train from downtown Boston, though standard urban awareness (stick to lit areas, keep valuables tucked away) still applies.