How to Evaluate a Neighborhood’s Safety Before Moving In

Gearing up for a move to a new part of the world is an exciting journey, albeit one that comes with a lot of planning. From finding your new home to evaluating the different schools, restaurants, nightlife, and more in an area, there’s no shortage of factors to consider. However, the last thing you want is to accidentally choose a neighborhood that’s unsafe and leads to the foundation of personal injury through negligent neighbors. Avoiding this is best done by following key tips, which help you to evaluate the overall safety of the neighborhood you are looking at living in:  1.  Research Crime Statistics First and foremost, you should take advantage of tools like the FBI crime database, NeighborhoodScout, and local police reports. This will give you up-to-date information on what’s been occurring in your prospective neighborhood. Specifically, focus on comparing crime rates for violent crimes vs. property crimes. While both are serious, violent crime should certainly ring some louder alarm bells than property crime.  Additionally, try to avoid looking at things on a one-off basis. Instead, look at things as trends over time. This will offer more insight into the long-term livability of an area. After all, there may have been a smaller period of time where crime was on the rise due to external factors, rather than the neighborhood itself, so taking a long-term stance will help sift through this.  2.  Check Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Beyond crime statistics, you should also take a look at accident data and traffic patterns. This is especially true if you have children or commute frequently. Factors like speed limits, crosswalks, and pedestrian-friendly infrastructures should be what you’re looking for in particular. Use apps or city resources to check up on accident hotspots and then visit the areas for yourself, if possible, to see what the causes may have been. As you drive around, also make note of any crosswalks. In addition to this, take the time to make note of how pedestrians act. Many people jaywalking and disregarding the rules of the road could be indicative of a bad neighborhood which is something to keep in mind.  3.  Visit the Neighborhood at Different Times of Day Far too often, when evaluating a neighborhood, people only go at one point in the day. While something can seem nice in the daytime, nighttime could be a completely different story. To avoid this, ensure that you visit the neighborhood at least once during all main hours of the day. Keep an eye out on specific factors such as street lighting, noise levels, and the overall environment that you are seeing. If during the daytime things seem active, consider asking residents what their thoughts are on the neighborhood. Try to target your questions towards those who are closest to your own living situation, such as those with kids if you have kids yourself. This will allow you to gain hands-on insight into what the neighborhood might truly be like.   4.  Look at Community Engagement and Amenities  Similar to the prior point, remember that a well-maintained neighborhood with active community groups is often safer than one without. As you explore your prospective new neighborhood, keep an eye out for things like neighborhood watch programs, Nextdoor groups, or any type of HOA involvement. If there are public spaces in the neighborhood, such as parks or recreational areas, pop in and see if they are well-kept. Also, make note of whether or not the areas look as if they are frequently used, as this can indicate an active vs. non-active neighborhood.  5.  Evaluate Emergency Services and Response Times  While nobody wants to think about a potential emergency happening when they evaluate a new neighborhood, it is something that needs to be considered. To think about this, drive to the local police station, fire department, and hospital to see how long it takes to get to each. While emergency services can certainly beat you in a real scenario, it will give you a good indication, proximity-wise.  You can also look up average response times based on public reports from the police or firefighters. This is helpful if you are trying to figure out what to expect from these professionals in a real emergency. 6.  Assess School Safety and Ratings Regardless of whether or not you have kids, assessing the school district near a neighborhood you are looking at can actually give a good indication of whether the community is stable and safe. Poor school ratings, including safety ratings and security measures, can be indicative of a neighborhood that is not on the up-and-up. Look up incident reports for all the local schools to try and see if there are common themes that you can follow.  7.  Consider the Property Itself Naturally, the property itself should be a major indicator of what type of neighborhood you might be living in. Make note of the street conditions, the number of lights, whether there are gates into the neighborhood, and any visible security measures that may be around. Some neighborhoods employ security officers whereas others are just open to the public, so evaluate what type of neighborhood you actually want. Also be sure to look into various home security options and neighborhood crime prevention features that may be available.  Keep yourself safe in your new neighborhood Nobody wants to move into a new home just to find out that the area they chose to live is awful from a safety perspective. That’s why you need to take plenty of time to evaluate any and all areas you potentially will be living in. Avoid renting or buying a home sight unseen and, instead, get your boots on the ground to see for yourself what the neighborhood has to offer. This will allow you the opportunity to speak to current residents so that you are sure you know what you are purchasing when moving to a new home. Making the right choice when moving is all about proper preparation, and doing so will ensure you love your new location for years to come.