What is the crime rate in Shirley, MA?

In 2025, the Shirley Police Department reported 16 violent crimes and 11 property crimes to the FBI.

That is 229 violent and 158 property crimes per 100,000 of the 6,980 residents it serves.

Across Massachusetts the rates were 301 and 1,037.

Nationally they were 330 and 1,552.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Violent per 100,000: 229
Property per 100,000: 158
Violent crimes: 16
Property crimes: 11

Crime reported by the Shirley Police Department, 2023 to 2025

Offenses known to law enforcement, reported to the FBI; rates per 100,000 residents of the area the department serves
Year	Violent crimes	Violent per 100,000	Property crimes	Property per 100,000	Residents served
2023	11	167	18	273	6,595
2024	7	102	19	277	6,857
2025	16	229	11	158	6,980

Violent crimes reported went from 11 in 2023 to 16 in 2025.

Property crimes reported went from 18 in 2023 to 11 in 2025.

In a small town a handful of incidents moves these numbers a long way, so one year’s change says little on its own.

Shirley against Massachusetts and the nation

Crimes per 100,000 residents, 2025
	Violent crime	Property crime
Shirley	229	158
Middlesex County	196	913
Massachusetts	301	1,037
United States	330	1,552

These are rates per resident; they are not adjusted for visitors, commuters or the size of the area, which raise or lower a town’s figures without changing anybody’s risk.

Crime reported in places near Shirley, 2025

Each place’s own police department; rates per 100,000 residents served
Place	Distance	Violent per 100,000	Property per 100,000
Shirley	—	229	158
Ayer	3.4 mi	186	559
Lunenburg	4.1 mi	75	1,039
Groton	4.7 mi	103	224
Harvard	5.5 mi	71	299
Lancaster	6.5 mi	88	274
Pepperell	7.0 mi	185	243
Townsend	7.3 mi	87	325
Leominster	7.5 mi	493	1,154

Neighboring departments count the same offenses the same way, but their areas, populations and visitors differ, so a difference between two towns is a starting point for a question, not an answer.

How to read these numbers

These are offenses known to the police and reported to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program: crimes nobody reported, or that a department did not record, are not in them.

Violent crime is murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property crime is burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft and arson.

A department reports the crimes in the area it polices, which can differ from the town’s boundaries, and the FBI estimates the population it serves.

The FBI asks that these figures not be used to rank places or to judge how safe a neighborhood is: crime depends on many local factors, and the counts describe a whole town, not any street or home.

A year is shown only when the department reported all twelve months.

FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use

The figures for Shirley include the places inside it that have pages of their own: Shirley (community).

What you can do on Seayora in Shirley

One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.

Looking for a place to rent?

Browse homes for rent near Shirley, save the ones you like and apply online.

Browse rentals · Create a renter account

Own or manage a rental?

List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Shirley beside you.

Create a landlord account · See what landlords get

Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?

Get found by owners and renters near Shirley, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.

Join as a pro · Find a pro

Questions about Shirley