What Are the Safest Neighborhoods in Harrisburg?

August 19, 2025 | Personal Injury

Safety is a top concern for individuals and families who are deciding where to live. In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, crime rates vary by neighborhood. Several neighborhoods are consistently ranked among the safest, while a few areas have reputations for being more dangerous.

This article will explore Harrisburg’s safety profile and how neighborhood conditions can affect personal injury risk.

Is Harrisburg, PA, Safe?

Like all urban areas, Harrisburg has safer and less safe areas. Overall, the crime rate is 31.23 per 1,000 residents, among the highest in the United States compared to communities of all sizes. This means your chance of becoming a victim of any crime is 1 in 32, higher than 95 percent of other communities in Pennsylvania.

Levels of both violent and property crime drive these stats. Violent crimes such as assault, robbery, and murder are less common in Harrisburg. Property crimes like theft, vandalism, and vehicle burglaries are more common. 

You are more likely to experience a property crime (1 in 49) than a violent crime (1 in 93). Harrisburg also has one of the country’s highest rates of motor vehicle theft (1 in 147 chance).

Top-Rated Safe Neighborhoods

This chart helps show how safe different Harrisburg neighborhoods are. We ranked them by the number of crimes that happened there last year.

Neighborhood	Violent Crime	Property Crime	All Crimes	Drug/Alcohol/Vehicle	Total Risk Score	Safety Rank
Uptown Harrisburg	0	0	0	0	0	1.0
Midtown Harrisburg	1	2	2	1	6	5.0
Downtown / Capitol District	2	2	2	2	8	8.0
Allison Hill	2	1	2	2	7	6.0
Cameron St Corridor	2	1	2	2	7	6.0
Bellevue Park / Reservoir Park	0	0	0	0	0	1.0
Paxton St / I-83 Area	1	1	1	1	4	4.0
City Island / Riverfront Park	0	0	0	0	0	1.0

Based on these ratings, we can assess which communities are safer than others.

Safest Areas in Harrisburg

Some of the safest areas in Harrisburg with low crime rates in all categories include:

• Uptown Harrisburg (north of Maclay St, west of Cameron St): This area is primarily residential, and crime that does occur is typically isolated and low-intensity.
• City Island & Riverfront Park Area: This is a recreational space with low recorded crime. While not primarily residential, adjacent areas along Front Street north of Forster are considered relatively safe.
• Bellevue Park & Reservoir Park Area: Crime is rare in these green-space neighborhoods.

While these areas are considered the safest, Midtown and the Capitol District are acceptable, but with necessary precautions for moderate property crime rates. The Allison Hill (central and east) area, the downtown transit hub, and the Cameron Street corridor are the least safe, with higher crime rates.

Remember that the city’s crime watch data dictates these ratings, and safety involves various factors.

What Makes a Neighborhood Safe?

Several factors contribute to a neighborhood’s safety rating:

• Active community involvement – Neighborhood watch programs and engaged residents deter crime
• Access to resources – Proximity to police stations, healthcare, and education services improves long-term well-being
• Street lights and visibility – Well-lit streets reduce the opportunity for criminal activity
• Low vacant property rates – Areas with fewer abandoned buildings have less crime

Harrisburg is taking several steps to make the city safer overall. Safety also depends on having safe infrastructure, which the city is actively trying to improve. For instance, the mayor’s Vision Zero initiative aims to eliminate traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries across the city within a decade. Keep all of these factors in mind when choosing a neighborhood.

How Safety Connects to Personal Injury Risk

Safer neighborhoods tend to see fewer car accidents, pedestrian accidents, and other injury-related incidents. Lower traffic volumes in residential zones and well-lit crosswalks can decrease the risk of accidents.

High-risk areas may be more prone to violent crimes like traffic violence, robbery, and assault. Dangerous neighborhoods may also exhibit trends like less responsible pet ownership, which could increase your risk of suffering a dog bite. 

Tips for Staying Safe Anywhere in Harrisburg

Harrisburg has many very safe neighborhoods. 

You can be safe anywhere in the city if you take personal safety precautions, such as:

• If you are riding a bicycle, use bike lanes and stay alert
• Lock doors and windows of your home and vehicle
• Stay off your phone and avoid distractions when crossing streets
• Know how to contact local emergency services
• Report suspicious activity to authorities

These simple strategies can help keep you and your family safe no matter where you live.

Contact the Harrisburg Personal Injury Lawyers at Marzzacco Niven & Associates for a Free Consultation

While Harrisburg is safe, like all urban areas, it has neighborhoods with varying risk levels. If you’ve been injured in Harrisburg, you might have legal options.

The Marzzacco Niven & Associates team is ready to help you. For more information, contact us today to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Harrisburg personal injury attorney.

Marzzacco Niven & Associates – Harrisburg Office
945 East Park Drive, Suite 103 Harrisburg, PA 17111
(717) 231-1640