Forbes Magazine just released a list of 10 Safest Places to Live in the U.S. Considerations for the rankings were based on: workplace accidents, crime rates, traffic accidents and weather catastrophes. Denver was ranked #10 as one of the safest places to live, tying with Cleveland.
Of the four factors studied, crime seems to be the top concern for Denver home buyer’s – whether moving locally or from outside of Colorado. Almost universally, buyers ask “Is this Denver neighborhood safe?”
Real estate agents are prohibited from speaking to safety or the crime rate in a neighborhood. Here are a few useful on-line resources for buyers to explore Denver or central/southern suburban crime rates by county:
Denver neighborhood crime stats for 2009 – provides a convenient list of crime statistics by individual Denver neighborhoods.
Search Araphoe County Sherriff’s Department crime mapping to get details on everything from robbery to theft in a particular area. This one does require you to click on a disclaimer agreement prior to searching for crime statistics.
Search Douglas County crime statistics reports -who now uses a fabulous tool I previously discussed: Denver Crime: Does Your Police Department Subscribe to This Service? It allows you to type in property address and pulls up local crime data on a map.
When in doubt visit the local police or sheriff’s department to determine the neighborhoods crime rates before your real estate agent submits an offer.
See Denver and the remaining top 10 Safest Places to Live in the US here: Forbes Magazine.
Michelle A. Potter
Denver Realtor
RE/MAX Professionals
303-489-4035
