Crime in Mercer Island, Washington

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Mercer Island, however, property crimes account for about 98% of all offenses.

Despite accounting for a higher than average share of total offenses, property crime is less prevalent in Mercer Island than it is nationwide. There were 371 property crimes in Mercer Island in 2019, or 1,405 for every 100,000 residents. Meanwhile, the national property crime rate is 2,110 incidents per 100,000 people.

Larceny

Larceny is by far the most common type of property crime in the U.S. It is also the most commonly committed type of property crime in Mercer Island. There were 287 larcenies reported in Mercer Island in 2019, or 1,087 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 64 break-ins reported in Mercer Island in 2019, or 242 for every 100,000 residents. For reference, there were 341 reported burglaries for every 100,000 people nationwide in 2019.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Across the United States, the annual motor vehicle theft rate is 220 for every 100,000 people. In Mercer Island, meanwhile, there were 20 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 76 for every 100,000 people.

Violent crime

Violent crime accounts for a relatively small share of crimes nationwide. These offenses, which are generally more egregious than property crimes, account for about 15% of the nearly 8.2 million offenses reported across the U.S. in 2019. In Mercer Island, however, violent offenses account for a much smaller 2% share of all reported crime.

At 30 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Mercer Island is well below the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Mercer Island reported a total of 8 violent crimes in 2019.

Aggravated Assault

Aggravated assault is by far the most common type of violent crime reported in the U.S. It is also the most commonly reported violent offense in Mercer Island. There were 4 aggravated assaults reported in Mercer Island in 2019, or 15 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is far higher, standing at 250 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.

Robbery

Robbery is the second most common type of violent crime in America. There was just one robbery reported in Mercer Island in 2019, a rate of 4 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 2 rapes reported in Mercer Island in 2019, or 8 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There was one homicide reported in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Mercer Island is 3.8 for every 100,000 people, lower than the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.