Crime & Safety in New Bedford, MA
Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data
Crime Overview
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)Violent Crime Rate
3.53
per 1,000 residents
-21% vs national
Property Crime Rate
13.59
per 1,000 residents
-37% vs national
Total Crimes
1,755
2024
Violent Clearance
26%
cases solved
-38% vs national
Property Clearance
4%
cases solved
vs Similar Cities
-22%
vs 100K-250K avg
-22% vs 100K-250K
YoY Change
-29.9%
violent crime rate
improving vs 2023
How New Bedford Compares
Source: FBI (2024)New Bedford vs Similar Cities
Source: FBI (2024)Compared to cities with 100,000 - 250,000 residents. New Bedford is highlighted in green.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Property Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Murder Rate (per 1,000)
Violent Crime Clearance Rate
Crime Rate Trends
Source: FBICrime Composition
Source: FBI (2024)Violent Crime Breakdown
Property Crime Breakdown
Crime Clearance (Solve) Rates
Source: FBI (2024)New Bedford police solve 57% of murder cases but only 2% of motor vehicle theft cases. The national violent crime clearance rate is 42%.
Weapon Used in Violent Crime
Source: FBI (2024)Crime Breakdown
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)| Crime Type | Category | Count | Rate per 1K | Clearance % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murder | Violent | 7 | 0.07 | 57.1% |
| Rape | Violent | 45 | 0.44 | 8.9% |
| Robbery | Violent | 80 | 0.78 | 22.5% |
| Aggravated Assault | Violent | 230 | 2.24 | 30.0% |
| Burglary | Property | 189 | 1.84 | 8.5% |
| Larceny/Theft | Property | 954 | 9.31 | 3.6% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | Property | 250 | 2.44 | 2.0% |
New Bedford, MA reported 362 violent crimes and 1,393 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 3.53 per 1,000 residents is 21.2% below the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 26% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 954 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 30.4% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (100,000 - 250,000 population), New Bedford's violent crime rate is 22% lower. Violent crime has been trending downward.
Crime History
Source: FBI| Year | Violent | Property | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 362 | 1,393 | 3.53 | 13.59 |
| 2023 | 508 | 1,566 | 5.04 | 15.52 |
| 2022 | 635 | 1,582 | 6.26 | 15.60 |
| 2021 | 617 | 1,650 | 6.40 | 17.13 |
| 2020 | 595 | 1,681 | 6.27 | 17.72 |
| 2019 | 628 | 2,127 | 6.64 | 22.48 |
| 2018 | 603 | 2,426 | 6.34 | 25.51 |
| 2017 | 634 | 2,717 | 6.67 | 28.57 |
| 2016 | 808 | 2,927 | 8.55 | 30.97 |
| 2015 | 1,048 | 3,133 | 11.05 | 33.04 |