Is Plumstead Safe? 77/100 Safety Score (2026)

Plumstead scores 77 out of 100 on StreetSignal’s safety index - lower reported crime. Its annualised crime count is 3,792, spread across a station population of 32,445 residents. The crime trend is declining.

For a suburb of 19,386 residents with a R2.53M median property valuation in the Southern Suburbs, these are numbers worth unpacking.

A note on methodology: StreetSignal’s safety index is a relative measure comparing reported crime across Cape Town’s 744 suburbs; it is not an absolute safety guarantee. The index is a composite of two sub-dimensions: harm-per-resident (rate) and absolute harm volume. A score of 77/100 reflects the geometric mean of both. Plumstead’s rate sub-index is 65/100 and its volume sub-index is 91/100. Full methodology is documented on the StreetSignal methodology page.

Why does Plumstead score 77 out of 100?

SAPS publishes crime statistics at police precinct level, not suburb level. The Dieprivier precinct serves approximately 32,445 residents and covers Plumstead along with neighbouring suburbs including Diep River, Meadowridge, and Constantia. StreetSignal assigns Plumstead to this precinct.

The rate sub-index (77/100) reflects moderate per-capita crime pressure - not the lowest in the metro, but well below the city-wide median of 43/100. The volume sub-index (91/100) confirms that absolute harm is low given the area’s population. The geometric mean of 65 and 91 produces the composite of 77.

The trend is Down. Weighted harm-days fell from 1,082 in Q3 2024 to 948 in Q3 2025 - a 12.4% reduction. When both the score and the direction of travel agree, the signal is credible.

How does Plumstead compare to its neighbours?

The Dieprivier precinct is one of the more instructive case studies in Cape Town’s property market. Four suburbs share the same safety index at materially different price points (Bergvliet, despite its proximity, falls under the Kirstenhof precinct with a score of 24/100):

Suburb	Safety index	Annualised crimes	Trend	Median valuation
Plumstead	77/100	3,792	Down	R2.53M
Diep River	77/100	3,792	Down	R2.5M
Bergvliet	77/100	2,796	Stable	R3.9M
Constantia	77/100	3,792	Down	R7.5M
Meadowridge	77/100	3,792	Down	R2.3M

Plumstead and Diep River are the most affordable entries into a precinct that includes Constantia at three times the price. The safety index is identical - the difference is that Constantia’s median sits 197% higher than Plumstead’s.

Suburbs just outside the precinct offer a useful contrast. Kenilworth scores 77/100 with a R3.29M median. Wynberg scores 77/100 with a R1.9M median. Rondebosch scores 98/100 with a R5.0M median - a genuinely different risk profile at a significant price premium. Claremont sits adjacent and represents a comparable Southern Suburbs address.

For households calibrating the value-per-safety trade-off, Plumstead stands out: the same precinct score as Constantia and Bergvliet, a larger suburb by population, and a price that sits at the lower end of the upper mid-market band.

What types of crime occur in the Dieprivier precinct?

The crime profile is dominated by property offences. In Q3 2025:

All theft not mentioned elsewhere: 151 (up from 112)
Commercial crime: 99 (up from 96)
Drug-related crime: 42 (down from 43)
Theft from motor vehicles: 36 (down from 76 - halved year-on-year)
Malicious damage to property: 31 (down from 37)
Aggravated robbery: 25 (down from 31)
Common assault: 24 (down from 28)
Residential burglary: 20 (down from 48 - more than halved)

The two improvements most relevant to residents are significant. Residential burglary fell from 48 to 20 - a 58% reduction in a single year. Theft from motor vehicles fell from 76 to 36 - also more than halved. These are not marginal adjustments.

The uptick in general theft (151 from 112) and commercial crime (99 from 96) is worth monitoring. Both categories are predominantly opportunistic and concentrated in commercial zones rather than residential streets.

Contact crime is present but at moderate levels for the metro. Murder is not listed among the precinct’s significant crime categories in Q3 2025.

What does property cost in Plumstead?

Plumstead’s median municipal valuation is R2,530,000 - the General Valuation 2022 figure. The suburb has 3,908 residential properties, with 74.8% valued above R1M. The CAGR between the 2018 and 2022 general valuations is 4.67%, above the city-wide average. The value tier is Upper Mid-Market.

Median land extent is 496 sqm and median building area is 202 sqm - both meaningfully larger than Diep River’s 451 sqm and 169 sqm respectively. For buyers who want more land and floor space at a comparable safety profile, Plumstead consistently emerges as the better-value option within the precinct.

The median transaction band is R1.5M to R2M, and the municipal median of R2.53M reflects the upper portion of Plumstead’s stock. The suburb sits between Diep River (R2.5M) and Bergvliet (R3.9M) on the valuation ladder, while holding a substantially larger population than either.

For context: Kenilworth (R3.29M) and Rondebosch (R5.0M) carry higher valuations with different safety profiles. Wynberg (R1.9M) is cheaper but scores 20 index points lower.

Are there schools in Plumstead?

Plumstead has eight schools - a notably strong count for a single suburb. This is one of the more practical differentiators between Plumstead and its immediate Dieprivier neighbours: families with school-age children gain access to a far broader set of in-suburb options than in Diep River (four schools) or Meadowridge.

The Southern Suburbs corridor extends the choice further: secondary schools in nearby Wynberg, Rondebosch, and Claremont are within a short commute.

For a full analysis of school outcomes across Cape Town, see Cape Town schools and education 2026.

What about service delivery and connectivity?

Plumstead’s service delivery record is strong. The suburb generated 23,163 C3 service complaints - a function of its large population and established infrastructure base - with a median resolution time of 2 days.

Three minibus taxi routes serve Plumstead, providing meaningful public transport connectivity within the Southern Suburbs corridor and toward Cape Town CBD. For a suburb at this price point and with this population, the combination of taxi access and proximity to rail infrastructure is above average for the quadrant.

Is Plumstead safe for families?

The data converges consistently. A safety index of 77/100 - safer than the majority of Cape Town suburbs on a relative basis - with a declining crime trend, residential burglary more than halved year-on-year, and vehicle theft similarly halved. Eight schools within the suburb itself. 19,386 residents making it one of the more established and self-contained Southern Suburbs addresses.

Plumstead shares the Dieprivier precinct with Constantia, Meadowridge, and Diep River. It offers the same safety index as all three at a price that is below Constantia by roughly R5M. The suburb is larger than any of its immediate precinct neighbours by population, which translates to more local amenity, more school choice, and more street-level activity.

For the complete picture, see Plumstead’s full neighbourhood profile on StreetSignal. The methodology behind every score is on the methodology page.

For how Plumstead fits into the broader safety picture, see the safest suburbs in Cape Town 2026. For property value context, see Cape Town property values 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is Plumstead dangerous?

Plumstead scores 77/100 on StreetSignal’s safety index - lower reported crime, safer than the majority of Cape Town’s 744 suburbs on a relative basis. The crime trend is declining, residential burglary more than halved year-on-year, and the suburb shares a precinct with Constantia. Crime is predominantly property-related.

How does Plumstead compare to Constantia for safety?

Plumstead and Constantia share the Dieprivier police precinct and therefore carry the same safety index of 77/100 with 3,792 annualised crimes. The difference is price: Plumstead’s median is R2.53M versus Constantia’s approximately R7.5M.

What is the average property price in Plumstead?

Plumstead’s median municipal valuation (GV2022) is R2,530,000. The suburb has 3,908 residential properties with a CAGR of 4.67% between 2018 and 2022. These are municipal valuations, not market prices, but they are the most consistent basis for cross-suburb comparison.

How does Plumstead compare to Kenilworth and Wynberg?

Plumstead scores 77/100; Kenilworth and Wynberg both score 77/100. Kenilworth’s median valuation is R3.29M and Wynberg’s is R1.9M. For buyers choosing between these suburbs, Plumstead delivers a better safety index than either at a price between the two.

Are there good schools in Plumstead?

Plumstead has eight schools within the suburb - one of the stronger counts in the Southern Suburbs. The wider corridor adds secondary options in Wynberg, Rondebosch, Claremont, and Kenilworth.