Is Otago Safe? Safest & Least Safe Suburbs

Otago's safest suburb is Quail Rise (safety score 98/100, 8.1 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year). The least safe is Dunedin Central (1/100, 439.3 per 1,000). 61 of 120 ranked Otago suburbs score 70 or higher.

How the safety score works

Safest suburbs in Otago

1.Quail Rise 98/100 · 8.1 per 1k
2.Abbotsford 98/100 · 6.6 per 1k
3.Earnscleugh 98/100 · 5 per 1k
4.Wānaka West 98/100 · 5.2 per 1k
5.Macandrew Bay-Company Bay 97/100 · 7.2 per 1k
6.Dunstan-Galloway 97/100 · 5.6 per 1k
7.Roseneath-Sawyers Bay 97/100 · 5.3 per 1k
8.Mosgiel East 96/100 · 4.8 per 1k
9.Brighton 96/100 · 6.3 per 1k
10.Shotover Country 96/100 · 7.9 per 1k

Top 20 safest suburbs in Otago →

Least safe suburbs in Otago

1.Dunedin Central 1/100 · 439.3 per 1k
2.Queenstown Central 1/100 · 350.7 per 1k
3.Wānaka Central 3/100 · 278.5 per 1k
4.Campus West 3/100 · 219.4 per 1k
5.Frankton 4/100 · 233.1 per 1k
6.Kaikorai-Bradford 10/100 · 120.3 per 1k
7.Fernhill 12/100 · 46.8 per 1k
8.Halfway Bush 13/100 · 41.6 per 1k
9.Outer Wakatipu 15/100 · 73.4 per 1k
10.North East Valley Knox 18/100 · 82.4 per 1k

Town centres and retail hubs rank low because theft is recorded where it happens, not where offenders live.

Otago safety FAQ

Is Otago safe?

What is the safest suburb in Otago?

Quail Rise, with a safety score of 98/100. The next safest are Abbotsford, Earnscleugh, Wānaka West.

Which suburbs in Otago have the most crime?

Dunedin Central (439.3 per 1,000), Queenstown Central (350.7 per 1,000), Wānaka Central (278.5 per 1,000). Town centres and retail hubs rank low because shoplifting and other theft is recorded where it happens.

How are Otago suburbs ranked?

By SafeSuburbs Safety Score, which weights each NZ Police recorded victimisation by harm (NZ Crime Harm Index) per 1,000 residents (2023 Census). Areas with fewer than 500 residents, with no crime records matched to them yet, or whose Police records stop partway through the period (usually a redrawn boundary) are listed but not ranked.