Is Burien, WA Safe? What Buyers Actually Want to Know

You found a house in Burien the price makes sense, the location works but when you searched "is Burien WA safe" and the results probably made you pause.

Before you cross it off your list, here is the part most buyers miss.

What the crime data actually says

According to FBI data for 2024, Burien has a total crime rate of 3,819 per 100,000 residents. That is above the national average. On paper, that places Burien lower than many Washington cities when people look at safety rankings.

Those numbers are real. This is not an argument that crime is not a factor in Burien, it is.

But headline rankings leave out the part that actually matters to buyers.

The part that surprises most buyers

Burien's violent crime rate is 425 per 100,000 residents. The national average is 473. So on violent crime alone, Burien comes in below the national average.

Aggravated assault is one example. Burien is at 192 per 100,000, compared to 330 nationally. That is 42% lower than the U.S. average.

That usually catches buyers off guard, because the overall rankings make Burien sound worse than that.

The bigger issue is property crime, especially car theft. That is what pushes the city's total crime rate higher. Larceny and burglary are also elevated. So the violent crime and property crime pictures are not telling the same story.

The trend matters for buyers

If you are thinking long term, direction matters.

Burien's total crime rate peaked at 5,280 per 100,000 in 2021. It has dropped every year since. From 2023 to 2024 alone, total crime fell 10.7%, and violent crime fell 7.5%.

That does not solve every concern overnight, but it does show movement in the right direction.

Total crime per 100,000 residents. Source: FBI UCR data.

How Burien compares to nearby cities

This is where a lot of crime pages fall short. They show a raw number and stop there.

Burien is not in the same category as Tukwila. It is also not dramatically out of line with places like Renton or Des Moines. That matters, because buyers often hear Renton described as a reasonable value option without the same level of hesitation.

The safest parts of Burien

Not every part of Burien carries the same level of risk. NeighborhoodScout points to Gregory Heights, Burien City Center West, Mount View, and Seahurst/Inglesea as some of the safer parts of the city.

Seahurst stands out for a reason. It feels quieter, more residential, and more tucked away from the busier parts of town. Streets near Seahurst Park and Three Tree Point attract buyers who want a waterfront feel without being in the middle of a heavy commercial corridor.

In general, more incidents tend to cluster near commercial strips and arterial roads. That pattern is not unusual. You see it in plenty of mid-size Northwest cities.

What buyers actually worry about vs. what the data shows

The practical takeaway is simple. Lock your car. Do not leave anything visible inside. Those are basic habits, but they matter more here because the property crime numbers are real. At the same time, the violent crime side of the story is not what many rankings make people assume.

The honest answer for buyers

Burien is not the safest city in King County. That part is true.

But it is also not the kind of place the rankings often make it sound like.

If safety is your number one priority above everything else, there are quieter options. Newcastle, Mercer Island, and Kirkland all come with lower crime rates, and usually higher price points too.

If you want a waterfront community with real neighborhood character, quick access to Seattle, and pricing that still feels more realistic than many nearby areas, Burien deserves a real look. The car theft numbers are worth taking seriously. But calling Burien a dangerous place to live oversimplifies what the data actually shows.