Independent New Hampshire Journalism · Northfield, NHCorrection and update, Sept. 19, 2026, 3:05 p.m. EDT: An earlier version of this article said Manchester's violent crime rate was 11.4% above the national average and its property crime rate 27.4% above it, that Manchester recorded 1,061 violent crimes in 2019, and that Manchester police reported 472 violent and 2,854 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2022. In fact, FBI Crime Data Explorer figures show Manchester recorded 688 violent offenses in 2019, and its 2025 rates of 323.3 violent and 1,538.5 property offenses per 100,000 residents were in line with the FBI's national rates of 327.6 and 1,534.8. The Manchester Police Department's 2022 report counts 484 violent and 2,890 property crimes, not rates per 100,000. We replaced the comparison figures with 2025 FBI data and named the data year, corrected the 2019 count, removed an infographic and an unavailable video that did not match the data, and corrected a link description.
When you first look into Manchester, NH crime statistics, the numbers can be jarring, especially when compared to the rest of the state. While crime rates are higher than in more rural areas, it's crucial to examine the full context, particularly how the city's safety profile compares to national averages.
Understanding this context is key to accurately interpreting public safety in New Hampshire's largest city.
A Realistic Look at Manchester's Safety Profile
To get a real sense of public safety in Manchester, one must look beyond raw numbers and compare them to appropriate benchmarks. As the state's primary urban hub, its crime statistics will naturally be higher than those in New Hampshire's more rural communities—a common dynamic in any largely rural state.
The important thing is to analyze the data in its proper context.
The figures in this guide come from the FBI's Crime Data Explorer and cover calendar year 2025, the most recent full year the FBI has published. Manchester rates are offenses reported by the Manchester Police Department per 100,000 residents. National rates are the FBI's 2025 estimates.
Comparing Manchester to State and National Averages
Manchester's crime rate is well above the New Hampshire average. In 2025 the city recorded about 1,862 violent and property offenses per 100,000 residents, roughly double the statewide rate of about 947, according to FBI Crime Data Explorer figures. New Hampshire's violent crime rate that year, about 119 per 100,000 residents, was far below the national rate of 327.6.
Against the national average, the picture changes. In 2025 Manchester's rates were close to the national rates:
- Violent crime: 323.3 per 100,000 residents in Manchester, 327.6 nationally.
- Property crime: 1,538.5 per 100,000 residents in Manchester, 1,534.8 nationally.
Property crime makes up most of Manchester's total. Serious violent incidents do happen, such as the case in which a Manchester man was arrested in a shooting and arson case, but the 2025 data do not show violent offenses running above the national rate.
Manchester Crime Compared With State and National Rates, 2025
| Crime Type | Manchester (per 100,000) | New Hampshire (per 100,000) | United States (per 100,000) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime | 323.3 | 119.1 | 327.6 |
| Property Crime | 1,538.5 | 827.9 | 1,534.8 |
(Sources: FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2025 offenses reported by the Manchester Police Department (377 violent, 1,794 property; population 116,606) and by New Hampshire agencies (1,685 violent, 11,717 property; population 1,415,342); FBI, "UCR Summary of Reported Crimes in the Nation, 2025" for national estimates.)
Measured against the nation, Manchester's 2025 rates sit at the national average rather than above it.
Ultimately, the Manchester NH crime statistics paint a picture of a city with safety challenges common to many urban areas, rather than a place that is exceptionally dangerous when measured against its national peers.
Breaking Down Violent vs. Property Crime Rates
When examining crime statistics for Manchester, it’s crucial to separate what people fear most from what actually happens most often. Lumping violent and property crimes together fails to provide a clear story of public safety.
The nature of these two crime categories is worlds apart. While violent crimes like assault and robbery are deeply concerning, they are not the most frequent incidents. Property crimes—such as theft and burglary—make up the vast majority of police reports in the city. Understanding this distinction is the first step to seeing the safety landscape clearly.
The Real Numbers Behind the Rates
The Manchester Police Department publishes its own year-end counts. Its 2022 crime statistics report lists 484 violent crimes and 2,890 property crimes for the year. FBI figures for 2025 show 377 violent offenses and 1,794 property offenses in the city.
That means property crime occurs about five times as often as violent crime. The department's crime statistics page posts its yearly reports. This data tells a critical story: a resident's chances of dealing with a property crime are significantly higher than becoming a victim of a violent one.
Manchester's 2025 violent crime rate of 323.3 per 100,000 residents was slightly below the national rate of 327.6. Put another way, the city recorded about one violent offense for every 309 residents that year.
This context is vital. The numbers do not paint a picture of widespread, random violence. FBI data show Manchester recorded two murders in 2025, a rate of about 1.7 per 100,000 residents, below the FBI's national rate of 4.1. Aggravated assault accounts for most of the city's violent crime: in the police department's 2022 report, it made up 355 of the 484 violent crimes.
What This Means for Manchester Residents
So, what's the practical takeaway from all this? The data strongly suggests that day-to-day preventative measures should focus on securing one's car, home, and personal belongings. While staying aware of your surroundings is always wise, the statistical odds of a violent encounter are low.
For folks living in the city, this means prioritizing a few key areas:
- Vehicle Security: A significant portion of property crime stats comes from car break-ins. Simple habits like locking doors and never leaving valuables in plain sight are incredibly effective.
- Home Protection: Ensure doors and windows are secure. For those who want more peace of mind, a home security system can be a powerful deterrent against potential burglaries.
- Personal Awareness: In crowded public places, opportunistic thefts like purse-snatching or pickpocketing can happen. Simply being mindful of your belongings can make all the difference.
By understanding that property crime is the primary driver of Manchester's crime statistics, you can take targeted, practical steps to stay safe without living in constant fear of violent crime.
Putting Manchester's Crime Trends in Context
To really get a handle on Manchester's crime numbers, you have to zoom out. Looking at the city's data in a vacuum is misleading; it's the comparison to the rest of New Hampshire—and other American cities—that tells the real story.
New Hampshire is, by almost any measure, one of the safest states in America. That simple fact immediately casts Manchester, its biggest city, as an outlier. It's a classic urban-rural dynamic: cities have more people, more businesses, and a wider range of socioeconomic conditions, which almost always leads to different crime patterns than those found in small towns. This isn't unique to Manchester; it's a characteristic of most urban centers.
A Tale of Two New Hampshires
The split between Manchester and the rest of the Granite State is stark, especially when viewed historically. For the last half-century, New Hampshire's overall crime rate has remained well below the national average. Over that same time, Manchester's rate has consistently been higher than the state's smaller towns and rural areas.
Consider this: FBI data from 2019 showed Manchester (with a population over 110,000) had 688 violent crimes. Meanwhile, the town of Winchester (population around 4,200) had just eight. Statewide totals going back decades are compiled in this table of New Hampshire crime figures from 1960 to 2019.
This doesn't mean Manchester is a dangerous place. It just means it operates on a different scale where the sheer volume of people and daily activity creates more opportunity for crime. For a deeper dive into the statewide picture, our guide on general New Hampshire crime statistics provides valuable context.
The key takeaway is that Manchester's crime statistics should be measured against other cities of a similar size, not just against the quiet towns that define much of New Hampshire. When viewed this way, its safety profile becomes much more aligned with national urban averages.
When you understand these nuances, the manchester nh crime statistics start to make a lot more sense. You can move past the raw numbers and see the more complex reality of public safety in an urban center that happens to be in a very rural, very safe state.
How to Find and Use Local Crime Data Yourself
Ready to dig into the manchester nh crime statistics yourself? The best way to get a real feel for what's happening in your neighborhood—or any part of the city—is to go straight to the source.
The Manchester Police Department makes its data available to the public, primarily through its Crime Analysis Unit (CAU). This is the team responsible for tracking crime patterns, pinpointing hotspots, and helping the department determine where to focus patrols.
Using statistical analysis and crime mapping, the CAU directs police resources where they’re most needed. The department's crime statistics page says monthly numbers for the current year are posted around the 20th of the following month. You can read about the Crime Analysis Unit's work on the city's official site.
Navigating Online Crime Maps
One of the most useful resources you'll find is the online crime map. These interactive tools let you see reported incidents right down to the street level, which is far more helpful than just looking at city-wide numbers.
The police department's Crime Analysis page links to a public crime map. The page says the Crime Analysis Unit uses crime mapping to identify hot spots and direct patrols to them.
To really get the most out of these maps, here are a few tips:
- Adjust the Date Range: Don’t just look at the last year. Check the last week or month to spot any recent upticks or new patterns.
- Filter by Crime Type: If you're worried about car break-ins or burglaries, you can isolate those specific offenses to see where they're happening most.
- Zoom In: This is the most important part. Get granular. Look at your own neighborhood, the area around your workplace, or the local school district.
This level of detail empowers you to make decisions based on what’s actually happening now, not just on general feelings about safety. It's a practical way to check the real-world risk in any part of Manchester.
Knowing how to find and interpret this data is a great way to stay informed. If you're interested in the bigger picture of how local law enforcement fits into the state's legal framework, you can read about the work of the Attorney General's Office in New Hampshire and see how it all connects.
Making the Numbers Actionable: Personal and Home Safety
Looking at the manchester nh crime statistics is one thing, but turning that awareness into daily habits is what really keeps you safe. Since the data clearly shows property crime makes up the bulk of local incidents, focusing on securing your home and vehicle gives you the most bang for your buck.
These aren't paranoid precautions. They're simple, smart routines designed to discourage the kind of opportunistic crime that drives the local numbers.
Fortifying Your Home and Vehicle
Frankly, most property crime is preventable. Small, consistent adjustments to how you lock up your car and home can make a massive difference, especially when you know it's the most common threat in the city.
Vehicle Vigilance: A huge slice of local theft involves cars. It sounds obvious, but always lock your doors, even if you’re just running into a store for a minute. And never, ever leave valuables like a wallet, phone, or laptop sitting in plain sight. Tuck them away or take them with you.
Layered Home Security: Your first line of defense is solid locks on every door and window, especially on the ground floor. For another layer of deterrence, consider installing motion-activated floodlights or even a visible security camera. Often, just the sight of a security system is enough to make a thief move on.
Property crime makes up more than 80 percent of the violent and property offenses Manchester reports. Prioritizing home and vehicle security addresses the most common threat residents face.
Smart Habits in Public
Once you step outside your door, situational awareness becomes your best tool, particularly in commercial hubs and downtown. Simply being present and mindful of your surroundings is a powerful deterrent.
When you're shopping on a busy street like Elm, for instance, keep your bag zipped and close to your body. Try to avoid walking with your head down, buried in your phone—it makes you an easier target.
If you’re out after dark, common sense rules. Stick to well-lit streets and walk with a friend if you can. These aren't extreme measures; they're just practical steps that fit the reality of any city. By weaving these habits into your daily life, you can navigate Manchester with more confidence and peace of mind.
Your Questions About Crime in Manchester
After digging into the Manchester NH crime statistics, you’re probably left with a few practical questions. The numbers tell one story, but what does it all mean for daily life? Let's connect the dots between the data and what you might actually experience in the city.
Here are some direct answers to the most common questions we hear about public safety in Manchester.
Is Downtown Manchester Safe at Night?
Like any city core, downtown Manchester requires situational awareness after dark. While it is not overrun with violent crime, the high concentration of bars and restaurants means an increase in incidents is more likely, especially on weekend nights. Stick to well-lit main drags like Elm Street and avoid cutting through dark alleys or side streets.
The best advice is classic for a reason: travel in a group if you can and stay aware of who and what is around you. Before you even head out, it’s always a smart move to check the city's online crime maps for any recent hotspots in the specific areas you plan to visit.
Which Manchester Neighborhoods Have the Lowest Crime Rates?
Generally, crime rates tend to decrease the farther one gets from the downtown core, particularly for property crimes. Residents often point to neighborhoods like the North End, Green Acres, and Goffe's Falls as some of the safer parts of the city. These areas typically have a stronger community feel and are less dense.
But crime can be hyperlocal—sometimes changing dramatically from one block to the next.
The best way to judge a specific neighborhood isn't by reputation alone. Use the interactive crime mapping tools from the Manchester Police Department. That's where you'll find the most accurate, street-level data to see what’s really going on, free from generalizations.
How Does Manchester's Crime Rate Compare to Boston or Portland?
Next to a major metro area like Boston, Manchester’s overall volume of crime is significantly lower. A more apples-to-apples comparison is the rate of crime per 100,000 people. On that scale, Manchester’s numbers for certain offenses—especially property crime—can look surprisingly similar to those in other New England cities like Portland, Maine.
Every city has its own unique mix of factors driving its crime profile. Direct comparisons are most useful when you’re looking at specific types of crime, like car thefts or burglaries, instead of relying on a single "overall" number that can easily be misleading.
Is Crime in Manchester Getting Better or Worse?
Manchester, like most cities, sees its crime trends ebb and flow from one year to the next. FBI Crime Data Explorer figures show Manchester's reported violent offenses fell from 688 in 2019 to 377 in 2025, and property offenses fell from 2,695 to 1,794 over the same years.
For the most granular look, the Manchester Police Department's annual reports are the best source. They provide a detailed breakdown of local trends, showing you exactly what’s happening year-over-year.
For ongoing, in-depth coverage of community safety and justice issues across New Hampshire, trust Granite State Report to keep you informed. Visit us at https://granitestatereport.com.
Corrections: Granite State Report corrects verified errors promptly and appends a dated note identifying what changed and when. The corrections policy and the corrections register are public, and correction notes are never removed.
