ehovis

I've looked at the crime statistics for Davenport, and Clermont, and Kissimee and most
of the area around there and they rank a 7-8 out of 10 as far as crime goes, while the
national average is 4. Even the gated communities have had a crime on every other block in the last 2 months according to the crime map. I've lived in our home 40 years, with no
crime on our block. I'm afraid to rent a home there, and I hate how dirty some of the hotels are. ANY suggestions on a safe area where we can rent a pool home?

persimmondeb

What crime map are you looking at, and how do they keep their statistics?

We rented a house in Clermont one year, and it certainly didn't strike us as a hotbed of crime. Both the house and the gated community were lovely. I wouldn't be that surprised if the gated community rated a little higher than the national average for a community that upscale, due to the number of vacation homes, but it was not only clean and well kept, there were people sitting out on patios, walking dogs, kids waiting for school buses and riding bikes, none of which would suggest that the residents feel unsafe.

I have heard that when compiling crime rates, some municipalities will report ALL crimes, and others only certain, more serious crimes. I took a look on City-Data.com, which has actual statistics and it looks like Clermont is a little on the high side for a city that size, especially in property crimes. Without doing a lot more research than I feel I need to, I have always heard that the entire area around Disney tends to have a somewhat high crime rate, which wouldn't necessarily make a hotel safer.

Someone with more local knowledge might think one of these cities was a little better than another, but if you would rather have a house, rent a house and exercise reasonable caution.

nytraveler

If they count as "crime" damage done to rental houses by tenants - that could account for a very high "crime" rate - but I don;t think anyone else would consider it "crime".

If you are so concerned I would stay at an upscale hotel with high standards of cleanliness. (Houses that are rented to differnt groups of vacationers week after week are likely to have a number of issues with maintenance - and you seem very particular.)

persimmondeb

Or on Disney property. Expensive, but very clean and very safe and very magical.

NewbE

I think it matters what the crimes on your crime map of Kissimmee are. But if none of the communities surrounding Disney satisfy your safety requirements--and you've listed them all--and if the hotels in your price range will be too dirty for you, I cant think of another option, I'm sorry to say. Visiting Disney and staying in the surrounding area are not known to be risky propositions, so I do think you're over-thinking this.

starrs

The areas around Kissimmee are safe.

Ackislander

Do you or your family stay out until the bars close?

Does any member of your family search for and buy drugs on the street?

Do you walk or jog in less traveled areas before sunrise or after 9 PM?

Do you wear expensive jewelry or watches in areas known for street crime?

Do you leave your purse or iPhone or iPad on the table or a chair in a restaurant?

Do you leave objects of value visible in your parked car?

If you answer "no" to these questions, you are unlikely to experience criminal activity. When you look at crime statistics in detail, this is when and how most property and personal crime takes place, whether in NYC, Memphis, or Kissimmee, FL.

ehovis

I cant believe some of the replies. I could pin point exactly the safer neighborhoods in my town.
We have been to Florida, and every time we go we get our credit card number stollen, and we end up having to cancel it and get a new one. It has never happened in any other state we've been in. There are many articles on how Florida has
a higher than average crime rate. I love Florida, but we are
grandparents, and we don't always feel as safe as we used to.
Being retirement age, we are on a budget, so I thought we could get some suggestions.

starrs

wow

NewbE

Now it's the entire state of Florida that's unsafe? OK, then, now that you are grandparents, vacation where you do feel safe. There are many beautiful areas of the country and the world, and no one is forcing you to visit Florida, where you have had so many negative experiences already.
Signed,
Happy Florida Resident

nytraveler

Having been to FL numerous times and never having any credit cards problems - I wonder why this is always happening to you.

Have you figured out where the card numbers are being stolen?

If I were you I would never let the card out of your sight.

As for crime - it can happen anywhere. I saw a woman's handbag stolen from an upscale cafe in extremely exclusive Greenwich CT. (Of course, it was her own fault, since she just left the bag hanging on the back of her chair in an outdoor section of the cafe.)

There is crime everywhere. But if it is continually happening to you - I would suggest you upgrade your level of awareness and care of your belongings.

doug_stallings

The greater Orlando area has one of the highest crime rates in all of Florida, and Orlando ranks high for crime in the U.S. Having said that, it's not exactly "unsafe". I'm sure there are areas you should avoid, but the touristy areas are not among them. Rather than looking at crime maps, I'd suggest you look at reviews of individual homes for rent. I think those will be more informative. And if you work with a reputable rental agency, you are less likely to be steered toward a high-crime area.

sludick

And to follow on Doug's comments - I live in Clermont, and it's certainly one of the safer places in Central Florida - that's why we moved here from southern Orange county (just north of Kissimmee). Every city has areas with more or less crime. We don't even lock our doors (though I probably shouldn't have said that).

Kissimmee has grown from a sleepy little cowtown into a very touristy area. The crime rate there now is higher than I am comfortable with, for sure, and that is a shame. But it still doesn't compare to some other places I've been to.