Is Warner Robins Safe? Crime Rates & Safety Report

If some people had their way, I’d just tell you Warner Robins, Georgia, is boring with nothing to do and move on.

However, that’s not going to happen.

We’re going to dive into all the unique aspects of this Central Georgia town and region.

Most likely, if you’re going to Warner Robins, you are doing so because of some kind of military connection.

Robins Air Force Base is just across Hawkinsville Road from the city boundaries.

24,000 people work at the base and the city is home to 80,000 people.

Even if you’re not in the military, you’ll still catch the patriotic spirit here.

There’s an acronym for EDIMGIAFAD, which means “Every Day in Middle Georgia is Armed Forces Appreciation Day,” or you might see it as EDIUSAIAFAD, meaning “Every Day in USA is Armed Forces Appreciation Day.”

No, I can’t pronounce it for you because apparently, you don’t say it, you just call it “the acronym.”

You will see this acronym all over town, including carved into bushes and on the city water tower.

To keep the military spirit even more top of mind, there is the Aviation Museum next to the AFB.

Be sure to grab lunch on the side of the city line because you know any restaurant that serves thousands of military members daily is going to cook up some great Southern food.

There’s an entertainment complex in town with bowling, an arcade, and a water park when the weather warms up.

Once you’ve entertained yourself there, get some unique Georgia goods at the Georgia Artisan Center.

Warner Robins is just 15 minutes south of Macon and 25 minutes north of Perry.

Both of those options are historic towns filled with their own unique vibes.

Who said there’s “nothing to do here?”.

Warnings & Dangers in Warner Robins

OVERALL RISK: LOW

I really had to do some digging into the crime rates here to give an answer to this, because on the surface it doesn't look good. The crime rates are high. Warner Robins is listed as one of the top 25 most dangerous Georgia cities. Hopefully, as we go through this, you'll see why I give this a low risk for travelers.

TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW

Warner Robins Transit is the bus system in town. There are two routes and it's $10 per person round trip, which is higher than many other cities I've researched. Taxis and rideshares are available too. Having your own car here would be ideal. There's low risk with any form of transportation.

PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW

There were no pickpocket reports but there were 13 reports of purse snatchings, each about a $100 loss. It was the highest loss of any other theft/larceny category. This is where the numbers really get interesting. Dividing the amount stolen via theft/larcency charges by the number of thefts, the average take for the criminals was $1.92 overall. That's not a typo. So, there's this incredibly high theft rate compared to state and national averages, yet thieves aren't even getting $2 worth of stuff.

NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM

There's a medium risk here because this area can get really strong storms and tornadoes. It can even get the remnants of hurricanes dropping a lot of rain in a short amount of time, leading to flooding. The April 2011 tornado outbreak hit just north of this area.

MUGGING RISK: LOW

15% of the robberies that happened in the city were in public spaces, so that's a low risk considering there were 12 public robberies in a city of 80,000 people. You should still use common sense if you do get robbed - don't fight for your stuff with your life. There is gang activity here and a drug problem which could lead to desperation.

TERRORISM RISK: MEDIUM

Having a military base nearby is automatically going to put any city at medium risk, but it also means that city has a higher focus of priority by the Department of Homeland Security.

SCAMS RISK: LOW

There's a low risk of scams for someone visiting, but there has been a rash of rental scams which could turn into vacation home scams. This is when someone takes to deposit money from you to rent a home but either doesn't own the home or just took pictures of a random home and fraudulently posted it.

WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW

There's a low risk for women visiting here, but you should still keep a firm grip on your purse (13 purse snatchings, remember?) and avoid walking around at night.

TAP WATER RISK: LOW

The city's annual test shows no contaminants in the drinking water and the supply of water meets or exceeds all required standards.

Safest Places to Visit in Warner Robins

The Museum of Aviation is the big tourist draw in the area.

There are more than 80 aircraft spanning different eras, and some are even open for you to sit in the cockpit.

The exhibits are indoors and outdoors.

There’s also an augmented reality experience to tour the International Space Station.

Don’t worry about the kids being bored – there’s a fun zone and playground on the museum grounds.

Visit the landmark “Depot Row” near the visitor center and there’s a caboose from 1971 open for tours.

These are all housed in the historic train depot building.

You can also tour the artisan center there and get some homemade and handcrafted Georgia-only goodies.

Don’t miss Mildred’s Country Store in that area too.

The historic building was moved several times before coming to this final stop where you can shop like in the olden days.

(Prices are modern, however.)

Rigby’s Entertainment Complex and Water Park are both great places to blow off some steam or bowl yourself silly.

Food and beverages (alcoholic ones too!) are available as well.

For a day’s getaway, head 30 minutes south to Perry, Georgia, where you can take guided tours of churches, homes, and the downtown area.

You can also get a “Sippin’ Stroll” passport and try out drinks from various local restaurants as you stroll down the main street.

You won’t be able to resist dipping into one of the many unique boutiques along the quaint road.

Places to Avoid in Warner Robins

Crime maps show the central and due west parts of town have the highest crime rates, with the lowest crime rates being far east, north, and south.

The section of town that is north of Watson Boulevard and east of Houston Road is not an area you should be driving around aimlessly.

The good thing about Warner Robins is that, unless you are visiting a family in a particular neighborhood, you really won’t end up missing a turn and ending up in the rougher parts of town.

Most of the things to do are centered around the military base.

Most of the hotels are on the far west end of town or in Centerville, which is a lower crime area as well but close to basic amenities.

One more thing to avoid?

Houston County/Road is pronounced “House-ton” not “Hue-ston”.

It’s not like the city in Texas.

People will immediately correct you if you say it wrong.

Safety Tips for Traveling to Warner Robins

So... How Safe Is Warner Robins Really?

The crime numbers were jaw-dropping at first, but then I dug a little deeper.

Here’s something interesting.

There were 495 violent crimes in 2020.

That means there’s a one in 162 chance of being a victim and the 616 per 100,000 annual rate is higher than the national rate of 399 per 100,000.

Turns out 60% of the violent crimes happened in homes, meaning they were domestic issues.

While that’s still not good numbers for the city itself, it means there’s less of a risk for tourists.

Taking those domestic crimes out of the mix, now there’s a one in 405 chance of you being a victim of a violent crime.

The robberies that did happen in public?

The average take by the thief was just over $100.

Another reminder that it’s not worth fighting someone who could hurt you just to protect your wallet or purse.

Half of the 80 robberies that happened were in homes.

That means the risk of a robbery goes down by half to one in 2007 risk.

As we discussed earlier, there were more than 2400 thefts, but the take on it was less than $2 per crime.

It’s definitely a crime-ridden area, but a lot of these crimes seem to be not worth the time or behind closed doors.

You should have no reservations about visiting here.

How Does Warner Robins Compare?

Useful Information

Visas

You won't need any processing of your Visa in Warner Robins. That all happens when you get into the United States at the airport or port of entry. You'll need to show your ID for certain things, like renting a car or getting a hotel room.

Currency

You can only use the U.S. Dollar here and across Georgia. Given that this is such a small town, any currency exchange should be done at the airport or in a bigger city if you can.

Weather

Southerners like to say "we're sparkling", but that's really just sweat. It's humid as heck here. You'll sweat in places you didn't know you could sweat. Light, loose linen or cotton clothing is best. Winters are generally mild but there can be a brief cold spell from time to time. Just check the weather forecast before you go to see if you need a coat or a jacket.

Airports

Middle Georgia Regional Airport is just 15 minutes north of town. It only has one airline at this time and flights only go to Baltimore. The Atlanta airport is less than two and a half hours north.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance to a remote location like middle Georgia is always a good idea, especially in a place prone to severe weather.

Warner Robins Weather Averages (Temperatures)

Average High/Low Temperature

Georgia - Safety by City