20 Safest Virginia Cities 2019 Ranked Using Crime, Survey Data

VIRGINIA — The home security website Safewise has released its rankings of the 20 safest cities in Virginia, topped by Bridgewater in Rockingham County northwest of Charlottesville. Virginia has a violent crime rate statewide of 3.14 incidents per 1,000, compared to the national rate of 4.49. Virginia also did well in regard to property crime. The national rate is 27.11, and Virginia reported 25.67 property crimes per 1,000, the home security website said.

It’s not just small towns that have a crime low rate. The oceanfront city of Virginia Beach with more than 450,000 residents and an onslaught of spring breakers every year had just 1.38 violent crimes per 1,000. That doesn't include last week's mass shooting at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center where 12 employees of the city's public works and public utilities departments and one contractor were killed, and several others were injured. The shooting is believed to be the worst in the United States this year and the deadliest in the city's history.

Several cities in Northern Virginia were among those listed as safest. Property crime and digital security tied for the biggest security concerns in Virginia, with 63 percent of survey respondents naming them a top concern. Twenty percent of those surveyed said they had experienced a digital security issue, while 15 percent experienced a property crime in the past year.

Overall, Virginia's property crime rate of 19.35 was lower than five other cities on the list with smaller populations.

SEE ALSO: 11 Virginia Beach Employees, Contractor Killed In Shooting

According to the rankings, the top 20 safest cities in Virginia are:

1. Bridgewater
2. Berryville
3. Vienna
4. Blacksburg
5. Tazewll
6. Falls Church
7. Salem
8. Dumfries
9. Purcellville
10. Broadway
11. Strasburg
12. Big Stone Gap
13. Altavista
14. Manassas Park
15. Lexington
16. Norton
17. Warrenton
18. Fairfax City
19. Wytheville
20. Virginia Beach

Learn how SafeWise identified the safest cities on its methodology page.