Virginia’s Prince William County is known for its fast growth and large size. It has more than 470,000 people living in it, and the median family income is more than $100,000.
However, the amount of safety and peace varies from neighborhood to neighborhood. This story is mostly about the five Prince William County neighborhoods that CrimeGrade.org says are the safest.
| Neighborhood | Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents) | Property Crimes (2020) | Violent Crimes (2020) |
| Dale City | 63 | 4,602 | 353 |
| Woodbridge | 59 | 3,178 | 224 |
| Manassas | 46 | 1,489 | 121 |
| Dumfries | 45 | 333 | 38 |
| Occoquan | 44 | 43 | 4 |
Dale City
Dale City is a suburban village in the eastern part of Prince William County, close to the border with Fairfax County. It has about 73,000 people living in single-family homes and townhouses. Unfortunately, Dale City has the worst crime rate in the county, with 62.97 crimes per 1,000 people living there. In this area, property crimes like burglary, theft, and car theft are more likely to happen.
Dale City had 4,602 property crimes recorded in 2020 alone, which is a shocking 20% of all property crimes in the county. Also, violent crimes like robbery, assault, and rape happen there a lot. In 2020, 353 cases were recorded, which is 18% of all violent crimes in the county.
Read More News: Discover the 5 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods in Vermilion County, Illinois!
Woodbridge
Located in the eastern part of Prince William County, close to Fairfax County, Woodbridge is a suburban town with about 54,000 people who mostly live in flats and condos. Woodbridge has the second highest crime rate in the county, with 58.94 crimes per 1,000 people living there.
Criminal activity in the area includes both property crimes and dangerous crimes. Robberies happen a lot. In 2020, there were 224 robberies in Woodbridge, which was a big 28% of all robberies in the county.
Manassas
Manassas is an urban area with about 40,000 people who mostly live in single-family houses and apartments. It is in the western part of Prince William County, close to Manassas Park City. Manassas has the third highest crime rate in the county, with 46.36 crimes per 1,000 people living there. Manassas had 1,489 property crimes in 2019, the most recent year for which data was available. This was 6% of all property crimes in the county.
The Dumfries
Dumfries is a suburban area with about 5,000 people who mostly live in single-family homes and apartments. It is in the eastern part of Prince William County, close to the border with Stafford County. Dumfries has 44.59 crimes per 1,000 people, making it the fourth most dangerous city in the county.
In 2020, 111 motor car thefts happened in Dumfries, which was 12% of all thefts in the county. Of course, Dumfries also has to deal with violent crimes like robbery, attack, and rape, which were reported 38 times in 2020.
The Occoquan
Occoquan is a historic town in the eastern part of Prince William County, close to the border with Fairfax County. It has about 1,000 people who mostly live in single-family homes and townhouses. 43.87 crimes per 1,000 people live in the town, which is fifth in the county for crime rates. In 2020, 43 thefts were recorded in the town, which was 4% of all thefts in the county.
In 2020, four cases of robbery, assault, and rape were recorded in Occoquan. This is a relatively low but still noticeable rate of violent crimes. On the other hand, Prince William County has a lot of safe and quiet areas, like Nokesville, Haymarket, and Gainesville, that have a good quality of life and a low crime rate.
Read More News: Discover the 5 Most Dangerous Neighborhoods in Fairfax County, Virginia!
Final Words
Even though Prince William County has seen a lot of economic and population growth, the safety of its residents changes a lot from one neighborhood to the next. The five places in the county with the highest crime rates are Dale City, Woodbridge, Manassas, Dumfries, and Occoquan.
These areas deal with property and violent crimes in different ways. Dale City stands out because it has an alarmingly high crime rate overall and a lot of property crimes, which are the biggest safety worries.
At the same time, Woodbridge has problems with robberies, Manassas has problems with property crimes in general, Dumfries has problems with violent crime and theft of motor vehicles, and Occoquan has a high rate of theft and a smaller but still present rate of violent crime. To successfully fix these problems and make sure everyone is safe, Prince William County needs to put in place crime prevention plans that are specific to each neighborhood’s needs.