How It Works

The scoring methodology

SafeScore translates raw federal data into a single 0–100 safety score for any US address. Here is exactly what goes in, how the math works at a high level, and what the number means.

The Number

What the score represents

A SafeScore is a composite index — a single number that summarizes the relative safety profile of a specific address compared to addresses across the United States. Higher is safer. A score of 75 means this address scores safer than approximately 75% of all US addresses on the measured categories.

Risk Categories

The 11 categories

01

Violent Crime

Rates of assault, robbery, homicide, and rape within the surrounding area, sourced from FBI NIBRS/UCR data.

02

Property Crime

Rates of burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson in the surrounding area, from FBI NIBRS/UCR.

03

Drug Activity

Drug offense rates at the zip code and county level from FBI UCR arrest data.

04

Sex Offender Proximity

Count and proximity of registered sex offenders within a defined radius of the address, from NSOPW aggregated state registry data.

05

Road & Traffic Safety

Crash fatality rates on nearby roadways from NHTSA FARS data, adjusted for traffic volume.

06

Storm Risk

Historical storm event frequency and severity (tornadoes, hail, severe thunderstorms, hurricanes) from NOAA Storm Events Database.

07

Fire Risk

Wildfire risk level based on proximity to high-risk fire zones and historical fire perimeter data from FEMA and USFS.

08

Flood Risk

Flood zone designation and flood insurance loss history from FEMA NFIP data.

09

Seismic Risk

Probabilistic ground-shaking hazard from USGS National Seismic Hazard Model.

10

Environmental Hazards

EPA EJScreen environmental justice indicators including proximity to Superfund sites, toxic release facilities, and air quality metrics.

11

Public Health

County-level health outcome indicators including disease burden, healthcare access, and life expectancy from CDC and HHS data.

The Math

How scores are calculated

Each category is scored individually on a 0–100 scale based on how the address compares to all US addresses in that category.

The composite SafeScore combines all active category scores into a single index. Scoring weights are proprietary and are not published.

The direction is consistent: in every category, higher is always safer.

Interpretation

Score thresholds

0 – 40
High / Critical Risk
This address scores in the bottom 40% nationally. Significant risk factors are present in one or more categories.
41 – 59
Elevated Risk
Moderate risk. Some categories show above-average risk factors.
60 – 100
Low / Moderate Risk
This address scores above the national median. Risk factors are present but at lower-than-average levels.

Scope

What the score does NOT include

SafeScore does not factor in any of the following. The score reflects documented, published federal data only.

  • Subjective neighborhood perception
  • Social media sentiment
  • Real estate values
  • School ratings
  • Demographic data
  • Income levels
  • Non-governmental data sources

Precision

Geographic precision

Scores are calculated at the address level where source data permits. Where federal data is only available at the census tract, zip code, or county level, SafeScore uses the finest available geographic resolution and notes the precision level alongside the score.

Corrections

Dispute or question a score

If you believe a score is incorrect or a data source has been recently updated, contact us at safescore@getsafescore.com. We review data ingestion issues within 3 business days.