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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.



New Bedford, MA crime analytics

Source & Methodology

Analytics built by:   Location, Inc.

Raw data sources:   18,000 local law enforcement agencies in the U.S.

Date(s) & Update Frequency:   Reflects 2024 calendar year; released from FBI in October 2025 (latest available). Updated annually. Where is 2025 data?

Methodology:   Our nationwide meta-analysis overcomes the issues inherent in any crime database, including non-reporting and reporting errors. This is possible by associating the 9.4 million reported crimes in the U.S, including over 2 million geocoded point locations…. Read more about Scout's Crime Data

The crime rate in New Bedford is considerably higher than the national average across all communities in America from the largest to the smallest, although at 17 crimes per one thousand residents, it is not among the communities with the very highest crime rate. The chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in New Bedford is 1 in 58. Based on FBI crime data, New Bedford is not one of the safest communities in America. Relative to Massachusetts, New Bedford has a crime rate that is higher than 90% of the state's cities and towns of all sizes.

However, compared to other communities of similar population size, New Bedford has a crime rate that is noticeably lower than the average. This means that for comparably sized cities all across America, New Bedford is actually safer than most according to NeighborhoodScout's exclusive analysis of FBI crime data.

Now let us turn to take a look at how New Bedford does for violent crimes specifically, and then how it does for property crimes. This is important because the overall crime rate can be further illuminated by understanding if violent crime or property crimes (or both) are the major contributors to the general rate of crime in New Bedford.

From our analysis, we discovered that violent crime in New Bedford occurs at a rate higher than in most communities of all population sizes in America. The chance that a person will become a victim of a violent crime in New Bedford; such as armed robbery, aggravated assault, rape or murder; is 1 in 277. This equates to a rate of 4 per one thousand inhabitants.

NeighborhoodScout's analysis also reveals that New Bedford's rate for property crime is 14 per one thousand population. This makes New Bedford a place where there is an above average chance of becoming a victim of a property crime, when compared to all other communities in America of all population sizes. Property crimes are motor vehicle theft, arson, larceny, and burglary. Your chance of becoming a victim of any of these crimes in New Bedford is one in 73.

Importantly, we found that New Bedford has one of the highest rates of motor vehicle theft in the nation according to our analysis of FBI crime data. This is compared to communities of all sizes, from the smallest to the largest. In fact, your chance of getting your car stolen if you live in New Bedford is one in 405.

New Bedford Crime Data

total Crime Index

21

(100 is safest)


Safer than 21% of U.S. cities.

New Bedford Annual Crimes

  Violent Property Total

Number of Crimes

366

1,393

1,759

Crime Rate
(per 1,000 residents)

3.61

13.75

17.36

Violent Crime

Violent Crime Comparison (per 1,000 residents)

20 15 10 5 0
3.61
3.15
National Median: 4
    New Bedford
    Massachusetts

Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Violent Crime

1 in 277

in New Bedford

1 in 318

in Massachusetts

New Bedford Violent Crimes

Population: 101,318
Murder Rape Robbery Assault
Report Total 7 45 80 234
Rate per 1,000 0.07 0.44 0.79 2.31

United States Violent Crimes

Population: 340,110,988
Murder Rape Robbery Assault
Report Total 16,935 127,527 205,952 870,931
Rate per 1,000 0.05 0.38 0.61 2.56

Property Crime

Property Crime Comparison (per 1,000 residents)

100 75 50 25 0
13.75
11.12
National Median: 18
    New Bedford
    Massachusetts

Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Property Crime

1 in 73

in New Bedford

1 in 90

in Massachusetts

Property Crimes

Population: 101,318
burglary theft motor vehicle theft
Report Total 189 954 250
Rate per 1,000 1.87 9.42 2.47

United States Property Crimes

Population: 340,110,988
burglary theft motor vehicle theft
Report Total 779,542 4,326,531 880,327
Rate per 1,000 2.29 12.72 2.59

New Bedford Crimes Per Square Mile

200 150 100 50 0
87
20
National Median: 24.5
    New Bedford
    Massachusetts