Is Towson a Safe Place to Live? A Look at Towson, MD Crime Rates & Statistics

Thinking of touring those homes for sale in Towson, MD and wondering whether you’ll feel comfortable walking the dog after dark? You’re not alone. Towson sits just inside the Baltimore Beltway—close enough to catch an Orioles game, far enough to keep its own suburban vibe. Safety questions pop up every time a buyer compares Towson to other places to live in Maryland, so let’s unpack the crime data without the marketing gloss.

Understanding Crime in Towson

Start with the big picture. NeighborhoodScout pegs the overall crime rate in Towson at about 25.3 incidents per 1,000 residents—higher than the national average and higher than many smaller suburbs, but nowhere near Baltimore’s numbers.

Your chance of being a victim of crime here is roughly 1 in 39. That single headline hides an important split between violent and property crime, so let’s dive deeper.

Key Statistics for 2025

Fresh 2025 stats show violent crime holding at 2.5 incidents per 1,000 residents and property crime rising to roughly 22.8 incidents per 1,000. Put differently, Towson crime rates lean heavily toward theft, burglary, and vehicle break‑ins, while robberies or assaults remain relatively rare for a suburb this close to a major city.

Baltimore County officials also reported just 11 homicides county‑wide through mid‑2024, a 31 percent drop year‑over‑year—momentum local law enforcement is hoping to sustain into 2025 and beyond.

Comparing Towson Crime Rates to Maryland State Averages

Stack those numbers next to the state line, and it’s a mixed bag. Maryland’s violent crime average sits at 4.26 per 1,000 residents and property crime at 20.7 per 1,000. 

So Towson runs safer than the Maryland violent‑crime norm, but slightly higher on property offenses. For would‑be residents, that means the everyday risk of robbery or assault is lower than much of the state, yet you still need to lock the bike and hide the laptop.

Types of Crime in Towson

Violent crime in Towson mostly shows up as the occasional robbery around Towson Town Center or an assault tied to nightlife near Towson University. With a 1‑in‑394 chance of being a violent‑crime victim, Towson feels less threatening than Baltimore (1‑in‑63) and roughly on par with midsized U.S. college towns. 

Police attribute the relatively low violent numbers to quick response times and a visible partnership between campus security and Baltimore County Police.

Property Crime Trends

Property crime is where Towson posts those higher crime stats. NeighborhoodScout logs 23 property crimes per 1,000 residents, most often theft from vehicles, porch package grabs, and the odd burglary in quieter streets where houses sit back under big trees. 

The busiest theft hotspots are the mall parking decks, side streets feeding York Road, and student apartments just off Towson University. Local resident Facebook groups buzz about catalytic‑converter thefts more than muggings.

Incidents Reported in 2025

Through November 2025, Baltimore County’s dashboard shows roughly 1,950 Part I property offenses and 220 Part I violent offenses inside Towson’s patrol district, mirroring last year’s totals. Theft counts spike during December’s shopping rush and again in May when students move out—patterns the county tackles with extra patrols and license‑plate readers near Towson town center.

Safety and Living in Towson

Assessing the Safest Neighborhoods in Towson

Living in Town, MD, means the crime risk isn’t uniform. Data maps place the south side—think Ruxton, Stoneleigh, Brookview Farms—solidly in the “green” zone, where the chance of being a victim of crime drops to 1 in 37 or better. (CrimeGrade)

These pockets benefit from active civic associations, tight‑knit neighbors, and longer response times for would‑be thieves escaping winding lanes. North‑side neighborhoods like Towson Park show higher crime rates for Towson, pushing into the orange on crime‑grade charts.

Comparison with Nearby Cities with Similar Populations

How do you compare Towson to nearby spots? Baltimore’s violent‑crime rate hovers around 15.9 incidents per 1,000 residents, six times Towson’s. Property crime there climbs above 43 per 1,000. 

Lutherville‑Timonium posts roughly 15 total crimes per 1,000, making it feel less safe only if you crave nightlife. Parkville lands somewhere in between. In other words, Towson isn’t the least risky suburb, but it offers more dining, jobs, and public transit than the quietest enclaves.

Factors Influencing Safety in the Area

Three forces shape public safety here: Towson University’s 20,000‑plus student body, Baltimore County’s concentrated law enforcement presence, and steady redevelopment around Towson town center. Students swell foot traffic (good for deterrence) but also fuel late‑night calls. County police place a precinct just off Bosley Avenue, giving Towson more patrol cars per square mile than many suburbs. Finally, new apartments and bars draw crowds—and police adjust patrol patterns each fall.

Victim of Crime in Towson

Chance of Being a Victim

Drill down to odds. The rate of crime in Towson translates to a 1‑in‑44 shot of property crime and a 1‑in‑394 shot of violent crime during a typical year—numbers that look higher crime on Reddit but still below city cores in the Mid‑Atlantic. 

Staying aware of surroundings, locking windows, and using porch cams remain the best first‑line defenses.

Resources for Victims of Crime

If you do become a victim of crime, Baltimore County’s Victim & Witness Assistance Unit offers court support, updates on case status, and coordination with prosecutors (410‑887‑6600). 

The Maryland Crime Victims Resource Center runs a statewide hotline (1‑877‑VICTIM‑1) for legal advice, compensation claims, and counseling referrals.

Support Services Available in Towson

Closer to campus, Towson University’s ROAR Center and on‑campus Public Safety office keep a 24‑hour dispatch and daily crime log for students and nearby residents. 

Community groups like Ruxton‑Riderwood‑Lake Roland Area Improvement Association host town‑watch patrols and Ring‑camera sharing portals that feed footage directly to county detectives.

Conclusion and Future Outlook

Predicted Crime Trends and Stats for 2026

Analysts at Baltimore County expect overall Towson crime to inch down another 3 percent in 2026, mainly on the back of falling robbery and theft numbers as more parking lots install high‑resolution cameras. A flattening student enrollment at Towson University should also cool late‑night incident counts.

Community Initiatives for Crime Reduction

County leaders point to pilot programs that link at‑risk teens with job mentors and expand the Group Violence Reduction Strategy that helped Baltimore record its lowest homicide total in over a decade. 

Meanwhile, the Public Safety Dashboard pushes fresh stats online each month so residents can track trouble spots and lobby for reallocating patrols.

So, is Towson one of the Safest Places to live in Maryland?

Proximity to Baltimore jobs, walkable retail at Towson town center, and those classic brick colonials mean Towson remains one of the more balanced places to live in Maryland. Stay savvy, stay plugged into local alerts, and you can enjoy big-city access with small-town familiarity while shopping for that perfect home.

Bottom line, the stats paint a nuanced picture. If you zoom in on block‑level crime data, you'll notice Towson’s heat map cools dramatically once you move a street or two off York Road. Talk to any long‑time resident and they’ll tell you the same story: keep the porch light on, lock the car, but don’t let the headlines scare you away.

If you compare Towson to similar college‑anchored suburbs in the Mid‑Atlantic—say Newark, DE or College Park, MD—Towson crime rates hold up well. Public safety efforts go beyond law enforcement: Towson University’s escort service runs past midnight, local churches sponsor Ring‑camera giveaways, and the county funds after‑school programs that target theft and robbery spikes. Sprinkling these everyday safeguards on top of the improvements outlined earlier means the rate of crime in Towson should keep drifting downward. 

That’s good news if you’re scouting places to live where civic pride still outweighs fear and where a ten‑minute walk gets you to craft beer, a bookshop, and the light rail without feeling less safe along the way.