Crime & Safety in Waltham, MA
Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data
Crime Overview
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)Violent Crime Rate
2.52
per 1,000 residents
-44% vs national
Property Crime Rate
6.99
per 1,000 residents
-68% vs national
Total Crimes
623
2024
Violent Clearance
81%
cases solved
+91% vs national
Property Clearance
19%
cases solved
vs Similar Cities
-25%
vs 50K-100K avg
-25% vs 50K-100K
YoY Change
+0.5%
violent crime rate
worsening vs 2023
How Waltham Compares
Source: FBI (2024)Waltham vs Similar Cities
Source: FBI (2024)Compared to cities with 50,000 - 100,000 residents. Waltham 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)Waltham police solve 100% of murder cases but only 11% 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 | 1 | 0.02 | 100.0% |
| Rape | Violent | 12 | 0.18 | 25.0% |
| Robbery | Violent | 15 | 0.23 | 60.0% |
| Aggravated Assault | Violent | 137 | 2.09 | 88.3% |
| Burglary | Property | 82 | 1.25 | 43.9% |
| Larceny/Theft | Property | 340 | 5.19 | 14.1% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | Property | 36 | 0.55 | 11.1% |
Waltham, MA reported 165 violent crimes and 458 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 2.52 per 1,000 residents is 43.8% below the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 81% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 340 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 5.8% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (50,000 - 100,000 population), Waltham's violent crime rate is 25% lower. Violent crime has been trending upward.
Crime History
Source: FBI| Year | Violent | Property | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 165 | 458 | 2.52 | 6.99 |
| 2023 | 160 | 534 | 2.51 | 8.37 |
| 2022 | 96 | 351 | 1.51 | 5.53 |
| 2021 | 75 | 295 | 1.20 | 4.71 |
| 2020 | 85 | 385 | 1.36 | 6.18 |
| 2019 | 102 | 512 | 1.63 | 8.16 |
| 2018 | 117 | 561 | 1.87 | 8.95 |
| 2017 | 98 | 609 | 1.55 | 9.60 |
| 2016 | 99 | 688 | 1.56 | 10.82 |
| 2015 | 112 | 713 | 1.76 | 11.21 |