Reported crime in Seattle has declined overall since 2018, but the trend has varied significantly by neighborhood, according to a Seattle Times analysis of Seattle Police Department data.
The city’s downtown commercial core experienced the largest decline, with nearly 2,000 fewer violent and property crimes reported in 2025 than in 2018, a reduction of almost 50%. The Chinatown International District also recorded 642 fewer reported offenses over the same period.
Other neighborhoods saw increases. Capitol Hill had the largest increase in reported violent and property crimes, with 780 more offenses in 2025 than in 2018. First Hill reported 568 more and South Lake Union/Cascade reported 457 more. Belltown also saw an increase in violent crime, including a series of fatal shootings over Labor Day weekend.
The analysis notes that several factors may have contributed to downtown’s decline, including concentrated police resources, sanitation efforts, outreach programs and economic revitalization initiatives. Some community members, police officials and experts have raised the possibility that crime may shift between neighborhoods in response to changes in policing and other conditions.
Despite differences among neighborhoods, Seattle’s overall crime picture has improved. Reported offenses citywide were 16% lower in 2025 than in 2018 and 11% below the pandemic-era peak. The city also recorded no homicides during June 2026, the first June without a homicide since 1970.
The findings highlight the differing public safety trends across Seattle neighborhoods and the challenges of determining which factors are driving those changes.
