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Indicator: Perceived Neighborhood Safety

Data and Data Discussion provided by Communities Count

Figure 1: Average Level of Perceived Safety

Figure 2: Average Level of Perceived Safety, by Age Income and Education

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Upstream Indicators
  •   Income Distribution --- In the two decades between 1979 and 2007, income has shifted from the four lower income groups to the highest income group.   (view data graph)
  •   Social Support --- There are no significant differences in average social support level by region and no significant changes between 1999 and 2007. However, there was a downward turn in Seattle and South King County from 2004 to 2007.   (view data graph)
  •   Walkability Index --- In 2005, King County finished a major study called “Land Use, Transportation, Air Quality and Health” (which led to the current program HealthScape), that measured how specific land use and transportation actions affect air quality, mobility, congestion, and public health. No trend data are yet available.   (view data graph)
  •   Land Use Mix --- The data for this indicator was taken from a snapshot study of King County.  
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Downstream Indicators
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Related Goals

A sense of safety will allow citizens to feel satisfied with their place of residence or work and will allow them to develop a strong sense of place and belonging. This feeling is necessary to create livable neighborhoods and communities.

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Sustainability Snapshot:

A sustainable society requires cooperation and trust at basic levels. Feeling safe and secure at home, work, and in the community is an essential prerequisite for sustaining a high quality of life. Perceived neighborhood safety is important not only to our physical and psychological health, but also to the success of local businesses and the vitality of our communities.

Sustainability Trend:

The average level of perceived neighborhood safety among King County residents in 2007 was not significantly different from 2001. Levels of perceived safety are not equal among regions or different populations.

Data Discussion

The Indicator Defined

Average Level of Perceived Neighborhood Safety among King County Residents by Region, Race, Education, Gender, and Income

Data Interpretation/Evaluation

King County adults were asked 6 questions about how they worry about specific safety threats, including their physical safety in the their neighborhood and their home, their children's physical safety in their neighborhood and at school, and about the risk of being robbed/having their home broken into or being physically attacked. These questions were added into a perceived safety scale with a possible score between 6 (low) and 30 (high).

In 2007, the average score in King County was 23.5. South Region showed a significantly lower perception of safety than the other Regions. From 2001 to 2007, only residents of Seattle reported an increase in feeling safer in their neighborhoods. In 2007, only 5% of King County adults said that they worried about being physically attacked by someone they did not know whereas 18% said they worried about children’s safety in the neighborhood.

People ages 65 and older reported feeling greater safety in their neighborhoods than people ages 25-44. People with incomes of $50,000 or more had higher perceptions of neighborhood safety than people with incomes between $15,000 and $24,999. People with a college education felt safer than those with less education. The perception of neighborhood safety did not vary by gender or race/ethnicity.

Data Source and Limitations

The safe neighborhood measures are from the King County Community Health Survey, 2001, 2004 and 2007, which adapted questions on stressors and worries from the Eastside Village Healthy Worker Community Health Survey (Amy Schultz et al., University of Michigan). This telephone survey of adults living in King County was conducted in Spanish as well as English for the first time in 2007. The limitations of

an English-and-Spanish-only telephone survey include the following: a) people who do not have a land line telephone or who do not speak English or Spanish are excluded, and b) people who have less education and lower incomes are underrepresented.

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