Is Philadelphia Safe for Women? Crime Rate in Philadelphia

Philadelphia is a large city and large cities have high crime rates. It is critical to stay in the safe areas: center city, South Philly, China town, fish town. West Philly is generally good if you stay around the college town area. Avoid north Philadelphia if you can.

Philadelphia is very safe if you stay in Center City. If you are a tourist, do not try to walk from Center City to Fishtown or from Center City to South Philadelphia (where the sports complex is). You may end up in an unsafe neighborhood. Crime wise, you may be mugged, but are unlikely to be the victim of rape or murder. Stay alert and travel with others at night when possible. The buses are safer than the subways. Ubers and Lyfts are generally very safe.

Like any major city, safety varies by neighborhood. It’s important to be aware of your surroundings and trust your instincts. Most areas are generally safe, vibrant, and well patrolled but it can be easy to stray too far and wonder into a bad neighborhood. Go to Philly’s Reddit or discord for more advice!

Philadelphia has parts that are safer than others. It is important to keep an eye on your surroundings and avoid areas such as Kensington. Center City and Rittenhouse are beautiful and fairly safe areas.

It really depends on where you are. Philadelphia has a lot of inequality, so the highest risk is always property theft--tourists should make sure their phones, money and wallets are secure when sightseeing or on public transit. Pickpocketing is certainly an issue, so don't tempt fate. As for personal safety, listen carefully to what you're told about what places to avoid traveling alone in after dark (the big risk, again, is mugging). Regarding other safety concerns, use the same precautions you would in any big city. Philadelphians can be great, but we also have a lot of poverty and a lot of disenfranchised, struggling people, so visitors should be careful about flaunting their wealth, especially if they alaoncomeacross

I live in West Philadelphia, an area accessible by a mix of modes of transport. Walking is generally safe but I would not recommend public transit later than about 10 pm. The only outright crime I have experienced here is having my car broken into.

Philly is safe when you’re in the right areas and in the right times. Always best to go out in groups! Public transportation can be a pain during rush hour due to middle school and elementary school kids.

It’s like any other city, just keep your wits about you and keep walking. Be aware of your surroundings, I wouldn’t talk to strangers unless necessary. As a woman I’d be extra cautious after dark in certain areas.

Philadelphia is an amazing city. With that said we have crime, that can mostly be avoided with a “I’m from here and know where I’m going and what I am doing” attitude. When I walk alone at night I feel much safer if I have pepper spray on me. When walking with another woman, I feel pretty safe. Depending on what area of the city you are in things can feel safer or less safe, just like any other city.

Group travel

I traveled with two of my friends to Philadelphia last year And it was the first time we did couch surfing And some of the places we went to weren’t that safe but we did not had any bad encounters Since we did couch surfing (and the host was very generous) we did not really have to paid for food I will say that it’s not a city with a lot activities but there’s some of the places and things we did : - got to celebrate St Patrick at a very nice pub (1116 Walnut St) - saw a show at the Wells Fargo Center (3601 S Broad St) - great pizza at OG Pizza (2500 Frankford Ave) - Cute Market : Reading Terminal Market (1136 Arch St) - Independence National Historical Park with the Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell - and for The Rocky’s fan there’s a statue and the stairs (of the Philadelphia Museum of Art ; 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway)

Solo travel

I spent a couple of weeks in Philadelphia during covid. I found the people incredibly friendly, even though we were all keeping our distance. I biked around the city using Indego bikes, which are super affordable by the hour. My favorite Italian food is in Philly.