Is Stonecrest Safe? Crime Rates & Safety Report

Stonecrest, Georgia is a big suburban region still becoming stable on its legs as the newest city in Georgia.

This is a predominantly African American community with some incredible outdoor attractions and big business opportunities.

For travel purposes, Stonecrest and Lithonia are sometimes interchangeable terms.

Lithonia is the city that existed before Stonecrest was incorporated.

Before incorporation, the area now known as Stonecrest had Lithonia addresses.

Some might still when you are searching.

Lithonia is still there.

It’s a small town of about 2,000 people surrounded on three sides by Stonecrest.

Believe me, that’s the shortest way to sum it up.

The only hotels you’ll find in Stonecrest (or Lithonia) are along I-20, with most of them near Stonecrest Mall.

If it has a Stonecrest, Lithonia, or Stone Mountain in its title, you’re in the right place.

The city was created to build a better business, tourism, and commerce district.

Its first fumble came when the founding mayor of the city pleaded guilty to stealing money from the pandemic-relief funds.

As of this writing, the city is without a mayor, but still moving forward with development plans.

None of those political or city boundary issues will affect the average tourist, but it’s good to know what kind of climate you’re in when you visit here.

Warnings & Dangers in Stonecrest

OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM

Here's another challenge to this city. I honestly cannot tell you the real answer to this, so I'm going with medium risk. Let me explain why. There isn't a Stonecrest Police force. DeKalb County provides data for the entire county, so to judge a city of 50,000 on a county with 750,000 people doesn't mesh. Lithonia police just cover the 2,000 people of that city. What I've done is look at the crime maps from the past 6 months, which aren't a perfect sample of the exact city limits. What I can tell you is that in a two-mile span from the center of the city, there were 420 assaults in 6 months, from November 2021 through April 2022. If I can't tell you 100% that all the data shows a city is a low risk, I'm going to err on the side of caution with a medium risk assessment.

TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW

The MARTA bus line does go to the Stonecrest Mall, so that is a bonus. Other than that, you rely on taxis and rideshares, which are available. There's low risk with all of the options, but having a car here would be helpful.

PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW

There's a pretty low risk of being pickpocketed here, although, there are great big gathering spaces where you'd be at risk. There were almost as many vehicle break-ins as other thefts. Your best bet is to protect what's in your car more than worry about getting your wallet snagged.

NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM

You're going to face the risk of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes from spring through late fall. Winters can bring an occasional snowfall that seizes the city for days. People here aren't accustomed to snow and can't drive it, nor are the city street crews filled with snowplows. There's a medium risk because the storms that do happen can be severe, but all forms of wicked weather come with plenty of warning.

MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM

There were 37 robberies in the six months I measure, which is much higher than many nearby cities have in a year. There's a medium risk due to that higher number and the incredibly high violent crime rates.

TERRORISM RISK: LOW

There's low risk with Stonecrest being further outside the perimeter. The city is 22 miles from downtown Atlanta, which would be considered a hard target. There might be concerns here about how the shipping industries would be impacted, so while it's getting closer to that medium risk of Atlanta, there's nothing that directly makes Stonecrest a target.

SCAMS RISK: LOW

The biggest scam in town was made by the mayor in the theft of critical relief funds. However, the Better Business Bureau has some warnings about hotel scams. First, scammers might leave fake food delivery menus at hotels, hoping a hungry traveler will call and make an order with a credit card. Be sure to only use food delivery the front desk recommends. If the front desk ever calls asking for credit card information, go to the front desk instead of offering it over the phone. It's likely a scammer calling you. Finally, when you're using that "free" WiFi, make sure you aren't paying with your personal information. Scammers like to "surf" free WiFi connections looking to get into people's personal information.

WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW

Women should feel relatively safe here, especially when visiting during the day. The sexual assault rates from the past six months are actually lower than the national average. I wouldn't walk around here at night looking for something to do. There are not a lot of evening activities and a lost tourist could end up in trouble.

TAP WATER RISK: LOW

DeKalb County provides the water and takes great pride in distributing water that meets or exceeds all state and federal recommendations.

Safest Places to Visit in Stonecrest

Stonecrest Mall is the central gathering spot of the city.

It’s your traditional American mall with popular brands, a food court, and more retail and dining options in the surrounding area.

You’ll get a mix of locally owned and operated businesses in Stonecrest along with traditional nationally-recognized brands.

As this city is trying to grow its local business climate, it would be great if you chose local food options instead of familiar brands.

Plus, the South has some of the best food on the planet.

SeaQuest is located right near the mall and it’s a unique interactive zoo-like experience.

You can meet a sloth, porcupine, or otter, and get real fish kisses.

There’s a mermaid on top of all that to talk with the kiddies.

The most expensive ticket is just $15.

Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area is a great outdoor adventure for the whole family.

I’m trying to find a better way to explain it than the website, but their phrase of “otherworldly rock” seems to really summarize what it looks like.

The park has several geological anomalies that are worth the price of parking and admission to see.

There are also exciting adventures like an adult tree climb going 60 feet in the air.

You can also go for a kayak ride, fish, or practice archery while you’re here.

Stone Mountain Park is another great spot to see, but it’s about 15 minutes north of Stonecrest.

There is a gondola ride to the top of the mountain, hiking for days, campsites, and even a resort if you want to stay there.

Don’t miss the laser light show at night.

Places to Avoid in Stonecrest

I can tell you from looking at the interactive crime map that the highest number of crimes are along I-20, especially on the south side of the interstate.

There are entire pockets of the community in the southeast that had little to no crime in the six-month span I searched for, but that is also a very remote area.

I wouldn’t tell you to avoid Stonecrest, because it’s a city that really wants to encourage people to visit.

However, if you’re looking for a city that just happens to be close enough to Atlanta but far enough away from the city chaos, there might be better options for you than Stonecrest.

One with more hotels and more amenities and a guaranteed known crime rate.

Also, avoid bringing up (much less joking about) the situation with the mayor, fraud, and resignation.

It was just early 2022 when the mayor resigned and pleaded guilty.

He’s connected to hundreds of thousands of dollars that should have gone to help local businesses and instead he did things like pay off the mortgage on his lake house and funding his own son’s college.

It’s a very sore subject in the city and does not reflect the integrity of anyone else.

Safety Tips for Traveling to Stonecrest

So... How Safe Is Stonecrest Really?

The unfortunate part is that, right now, nobody really knows.

Even most of the websites you’ll find that offer similar information based on government data can’t report the information because it doesn’t exist.

You’ll find crime statistics for Lithonia which aren’t reflective of Stonecrest as a whole.

The interactive crime map is really your best bet for getting an updated local look at crime.

How Does Stonecrest Compare?

Useful Information

Visas

There aren't any local Visa requirements. You will only need a Visa when entering the United States.

Currency

You can only use the U.S. Dollar here and there's no need to carry cash around. If you do like to have cash on hand, don't carry it in a large wad or pull it out each time you use your wallet.

Weather

Winter is going to be different day-to-day, so start with a jacket and jeans and layer from there. There are just a few times a year that a thick winter coat might be needed. Summer is going to be muggy and hot. You can expect to sweat a lot, so linen might not be the best choice if you don't want sweat stains. Bring good walking shoes for all the outdoor mountain parks here.

Airports

The Atlanta airport is 26 miles away and plans for at least a half-hour, if not a full hour, to get there. It's the closest choice and one of the largest in the world, so you don't need to look at other options.

Travel Insurance

Be sure travel insurance covers delays, cancellations, and lost baggage. See if there is any coverage for minor accidents that happen while you travel. Having travel insurance is a great way to be able to relax on your vacation.

Stonecrest Weather Averages (Temperatures)

Average High/Low Temperature

Georgia - Safety by City