Ways to determine neighborhood crime rates before you move

When you're searching for a new home, one very important thing to consider is how safe the neighborhoods are, especially if you're a parent.  When you're moving long-distance and can't spend much time visiting the area before you make the decision, it's difficult to determine what areas are safer than others.

Thankfully, there are a lot of websites available that offer crime rate information.  So whether you already know the area you'll be moving to and just need to narrow it down to the right neighborhood, or you're moving to the area without a clue where to begin, here are some places to start:

The city's official website (look for .gov on the end). Look for links on these sites that are labeled with titles like: relocation, facts, statistics, community data or new residents. They usually lead to crime rate statistics or reports that can help you determine the safest neighborhood.

The city's police department website. You'll often find information that's similar to the city's official site, but you may find more details on crime statistics, facts and graphs. Some will even have Neighborhood Watch information.

The local newspaper.  Whether you look at the print version or the online version, most newspapers will feature a "crime beat" at least once a week where they list 911 calls or arrests in the area. They'll often even go into detail and list the approximate address they took place.  The types of crimes showing up in the crime column may give you an idea of what to expect from the area.

City-data.com.  You'll find more than info on crime rates here. It's a great resource, and it's free.  Click on your new state, then city and you'll find info on the population, home sales, median incomes, unemployment rates and crime rates.  It even goes into detail on crime rates— they're graphed by type and are compared to the U.S. average.  You can instantly see where the higher crime rates are and find out how many full-time law enforcement employees are in the area. You may have to sort through the information because it's so detailed, but it's a great tool for getting details on a neighborhood you're thinking about moving to.

Neighborhoodscout.com. While you need to purchase a subscription to get a full report, you can get some helpful information using the free features of this site.  With a subscription you can see neighborhood crime data, violent crime comparison charts, property crime rate comparisons, and crimes per square mile.  Just enter the city/state you're considering and voila!

Spotcrime.com.  This is a great tool!  Just enter the address, city/state or zip code you're considering moving to and click ’submit'. You'll get a list of area crimes, the address they happened at and the date and time they occurred.  The map showing where the incidents occurred is super cool. If you want, you can even sign up for alerts from this location.  Note that you won't get a comprehensive list of crimes from this site, so you may want to pair it with one of the other suggestions.

Neighborhood watch signs.  I mentioned these earlier, and they can be a good sign of a good neighborhood.  When you're scouting a new neighborhood, keep an eye out for them. Some people feel safer knowing that the neighbors are watching for criminal activity, and potential law-breakers may see these signs and stay away.  The signs don't always mean a safe neighborhood though, so it's a great idea to talk to potential neighbors to get a resident's perspective on the neighborhood.

Once you pick the perfect neighborhood for your family, consider using MoveBuilder to move your belongings there. Getting a moving estimate is easy. Just call 800-968-1276 or enter your move info in the form to the right.