Is Cincinnati safe, what are the areas to avoid and the dangerous neighborhoods in Cincinnati? These are the questions we ask ourselves when planning a stay in this city of Ohio.
It is true that the big cities of the United States have suffered in recent years from a bad reputation (violence, insecurity, crime). It is therefore legitimate to find out in advance about the areas to avoid in Cincinnati when looking for a place to stay.
So what about Cincinnati, is it a safe city in 2024? What are the areas to avoid in Cincinnati and the most dangerous neighborhoods?
To find out, here is a neighborhood guide with Google Maps. It will help you spot the good and bad neighborhoods of Cincinnati. And at the end of this article, we also reveal the best areas to stay in Cincinnati.
Is Cincinnati safe or dangerous?
Cincinnati is not a very dangerous city as can be Johannesburg ou Mexico City for example. In effect, Cincinnati is not on the list of the most dangerous cities in the USA : Saint Louis, Jackson, Detroit, New Orleans, Baltimore, Memphis, Cleveland, Baton Rouge, Kansas City, Shreveport. Source of this ranking of the 10 most dangerous cities in the United States: Article from forbes.com. This is also confirmed by the statistics of the FBI, worldpopulationreview.com or neighborhoodscout.com.
Regarding its general crime rate, it is noted that it is higher than the national average. However, violent crime and most property crime is concentrated in only a few dangerous neighborhoods (see list below).
It should also be noted that the crime rate is lower than those of metropolises of similar size such as Cleveland, St. Louis, Orlando or New Orleans.
Is Cincinnati safe in 2024?
If Cincinnati is not one of the most dangerous cities, it is not a very safe city either. This is what we see in the ranking Numbeo of the most criminal cities in the United States which positions cities according to their crime index. Indeed for 2024, with a crime index of 47.63, Cincinnati is average.
If we compare with other American cities, Cincinnati would be more criminal than Austin, Flagstaff ou Anaheim and less dangerous than Sound, Baltimore, Chicago, Houston ou Philadelphia.
See the map of the Numbeo.com site:
And at world level in 2024, Cincinnati is less dangerous than Barcelona, Rome, Brussels ou Paris. It is also confirmed on the ranking statista.com where Cincinnati is also not at the top of the most dangerous cities in the world.
Is Cincinnati safe for tourists?
YES tourists can visit Cincinnati without fear. However, as in all major cities, tourists should exercise caution.
In fact, Cincinnati is not a city notorious for crimes against tourists. Granted, there are indeed dangerous neighborhoods in Cincinnati with violence, drug dealing, and gang settling. But the majority of crime is concentrated in areas or neighborhoods that tourists don't typically frequent.
Tourists will therefore have to avoid some less safe or less interesting areas for tourism (see list below). In addition, as everywhere, they will have to exercise caution on tourist sites (pickpockets, scams or phone theft).
Map of neighborhoods
Cincinnati is a city made up of 5 districts which group together more than 80 official or unofficial neighborhoods (see complete list of Cincinnati neighborhoods on Wikipedia).
To better locate the dangerous neighborhoods of Cincinnati but also the best places to stay, here is the map of the main neighborhoods of the city: Google map
Cincinnati's most dangerous neighborhoods in 2024
Summarizing data from numerous online statistics, here are the most dangerous neighborhoods in Cincinnati in 2024:
- South Cumminsville
- South Fairmount
- English Woods
- North Fairmount
- Westwood
- East Price Hill
- Sevensville
- West End
- CUF
Open links to locate Cincinnati's most dangerous neighborhoods on Google Maps.
It should be noted that we qualify as “dangerous” the neighborhoods which have the highest rates per inhabitant of crimes (including violent crimes but also crimes against property).
Cincinnati other areas to avoid
In addition to the dangerous areas of Cincinnati, there is another less criminal area but to be avoided especially at night: Over-the-Rhine (OTR).
A decade ago, OTR was considered the most dangerous neighborhood in Cincinnati. Fortunately, in 2024 crime has decreased considerably in this district. It has become one of the very lively areas of Cincinnati with many trendy restaurants and bars. According to Cincinnati residents, it is safest to stay south of Liberty Street and east of Central Avenue at night.
Is Downtown Cincinnati safe?
Downtown Cincinnati is considered an overall safe area. Downtown Cincinnati is the area around the Central Business District. This is where the majority of tourist attractions are, many restaurants, pubs, entertainment, shops and beautiful skyscrapers!
Even though the Central Business District has a high crime rate, it is actually a high rate of theft and not violent crime. Downtown Cincinnati is therefore not dangerous.
Cincinnati's Safest Neighborhoods
According to statistics, forums and real estate agencies, the safest neighborhoods in Cincinnati are:
- Hyde Park
- Mount Adams
- Oakley
- Mount Lookout
- Clifton
- Linwood
- Central Business District
- East End
These neighborhoods have the lowest per capita crime rates compared to other neighborhoods in the city. They are not necessarily all 100% safe but less dangerous than the others.
Where to stay in a safe neighborhood in Cincinnati?
I couldn't recommend the best or nicest neighborhood in Cincinnati. Indeed, this city has many pretty neighborhoods which all have their own interest, their own identity and very different atmospheres. Some neighborhoods will be liked by some people while they will not be liked by others.
Choosing the best neighborhood in Cincinnati to stay depends on individual tastes or the type of stay planned. However, there are neighborhoods in Cincinnati that are more popular and more fashionable than others that professionals and real estate agencies highlight.
According to them, the best neighborhoods to live in Cincinnati are:
- Hyde Park
- Mount Adams
- East End
- Downtown
- Mount Lookout
- West chester
- Clifton
- College Hill
- Columbia Tusculum
Downtown Cincinnati – Most touristy neighborhood
Cincinnati attracts many tourists for its baseball games, beautiful parks, museums and art galleries, art deco Union Terminal train station and 19th century architectural heritage.
And for those looking for the best place to stay in Cincinnati, know that Downtown is the favorite area for tourists. Indeed, Downtown Cincinnati is the ideal area to enjoy the best tourist attractions in the city:
- Skystar Wheel
- The Banks
- Cincinnati Museum Center
- Fountain Square
- Great American Ballpark
- Ohio River Trail
- Coney Island Amusement Park
- Queen City Square
- Cincinnati Art Museum
Moreover, as we have seen above, Downtown Cincinnati is safe.
Where to stay in Downtown Cincinnati?
Downtown Cincinnati has several neighborhoods:
- Central Business District,
- Over-the-Rhine (OTR),
- pendleton,
- West End.
So, one wonders what is the best place to stay in Downtown Cincinnati?
The ideal location in Downtown Cincinnati to get as close as possible to tourist attractions while remaining in a safe area is to stay north of the Central Business District. So, you are close to the Riverside, major museums and the very lively Over The Rhine district (without staying there).
To stay north of the Central Business District in downtown Cincinnati, I recommend the Kinley Cincinnati Downtown Hotel.
In addition to its ideal location close to the tourist attractions of the city, its services and services are of high quality and highly appreciated by customers in view of the comments and internet reviews!
And if you are looking for a slightly cheaper hotel, the TownePlace Suites by Marriott Cincinnati Downtown is also very well located for a tourist stay.
This article was compiled by summarizing information from the web about insecurity in Cincinnati and is not judgmental or discriminatory. Sources for this article are from business media, forums, news articles, statistics and rankings.