Avon Lake Climbs to Ohio’s Top 5 for Safety

Avon Lake has moved up the safety ladder, landing in Ohio’s fifth safest spot for 2026. This jump from tenth place last year shows the city is improving its standing among the state’s safest communities. The yearly ranking uses FBI crime data, adjusted for population, to compare towns and cities. Even though the city’s violent crime rate rose a touch—from 0. 1 incidents per thousand people in 2025 to 0. 2 in 2026—it still sits well below the 2024 figure of 0. 7. The increase is small, and the overall trend remains encouraging.Property crime has taken a big hit in Avon Lake. The rate fell to 2. 9 incidents per thousand residents in 2026, down from 4. 2 the previous year and 4. 4 in 2024. This marks the lowest level in three years, showing residents and officials are making progress. Across Ohio, crime is a little lower than the national average. The state’s violent crime rate sits at 4. 29 per thousand people versus 4. 43 nationwide, while property crime is 21. 72 compared to 22. 89 across the country. The 2026 list is the twelfth SafeWise report on nationwide crime trends. It highlights that most of Ohio’s safest cities—about 80%—are suburbs around Cleveland, underscoring the region’s strong safety profile.