Is Delray Beach Safe?
My customers ask this question A LOT. So I did a deep dive into this topic. You’ll be shocked what I found.
When talking about safety in any city there are a lot of categories to consider: Violent Crime, Property Crime / Theft, identity, Drugs, Arson, Burglary to name a few.
So, I canvassed the internet to see what sources say. I was quite shocked. Delray Beach get bad numbers. We almost Flunked!
But I also found conflicting information, too, as you’ll see.
It may not rank well in the data but having lived here for almost seven years I can say it’s just as peaceful or lovely or dangerous as most places I’ve lived.
So, let’s answer the important question together – Is Delray Beach Safe?
The 1st data point comes from CrimeGrade – you can see their website here. https://crimegrade.org/safest-places-in-delray-beach-fl/.
This heat map shows Violent crime, property crime and an overall crime rating (watch the video above). Where the text says Delray Beach you can see it’s mostly greens and oranges. That means crime is low. It’s not until you go about 3-5 miles west where you see reds. Red means lots of crime. But out west is where we have most of our retirement communities, country clubs, golf courses and gated communities. Doesn’t that seem odd? I mean, this is the gated community part of Delray. Something doesn’t look right.
So based on this site data, Delray Beach gets a low score. It got a D+. That is Horrible… but it’s also not accurate.
Had you looked at just this map, you’d base your decision on what you saw and would want to move east of I95 and stay clear of communities out west.
(Speaking of east of I95, take a look at a neighborhood video I did showcasing The West Settlers District. It’s an up-and-coming area in the heart of Delray. You may love it!)
Now let’s say you browse the internet and find Neighborhood Scout – www.neighborhoodscout.com/. Here’s what they report…
As you can see at the bottom of this Neighborhood Scout Heat Map, darker blue is higher crime and lighter blue is less crime. Well, this is a 180-degree opposite from what CrimeGrade reports. On this map the dark blue colors are east of I95 while the light blue areas are out west. That’s where Crime Grade reports just the opposite.
This is upside down… and not accurate. So what’s the real story here?
Well, if you looked at these sites to determine “Is Delray Beach Safe?”… you’d be scratching your head
Let me give you my 2 cents…
The downtown area (east of I95) is more commercial than residential. This is where a high population of condos have been built, where restaurants, businesses, retail, commercial develop is located. So, I can see how the Neighborhood Scout data shows higher crime in this area. In this area you’ll also find rehabilitation homes strewn throughout the city. Delray has seen a reduction of these over the last 10 years. And with more development comes more displacement, too.
I can tell you one thing – my wife, daughter and I moved here in mid-2015. We love our downtown existence – No crime whatsoever.
Now, let’s look at one last chart.
In this one it shows Gulf Steam, Highland Beach, Boynton Beach, Briny Breezes, Ocean Ridge and Boca Raton. Look at their scores. Nothing higher than a C+. And these communities are well-respected. Some are luxury, or high-end areas.
I’m flabbergasted by what I see. It’s my opinion this data and reporting is somehow misleading. I mean, these areas are affluent, have good schools and regularly stay out of the limelight. Something is amiss here.
So let me conclude with a few thoughts:
- Delray Beach has had a long history of rehabilitation homes. It’s part of our history. But things have been changing over the last decade, and the number of these is reducing.
- No matter where you live, you’ll see good and not so good. It’s how you live that’s the ultimate measure of these statistics.
- Our 6+ years living in Delray Beach has been crime free. Event-free. Peaceful. Void of issues.
In the opinion of my wife, daughter, and I, we give Delray a B++. And this comes from three people who’ve lived on the west coast, and in Costa Rica – where we were told is “too dangerous.” When we answer “Is Delray Beach Safe?… it’s a resounding, YES!
So, Is Delray Beach Safe? Delray is fabulous! Don’t get caught up in websites that tell diametrically opposed stories about crime. I prefer to get facts straight. One way is to live in a community long enough so I can tell the REAL story about what’s going on.
If you’re thinking of moving to or living in Delray Beach… let me help you navigate through safety issues with confidence and ease. I know you’ll love it here just like we do.
