Is Kendall Safe? Crime Rates & Safety Report

Updated On March 31, 2022
Kendall, United States
Safety Index:
87
* Based on Research & Crime Data

Kendall, Florida, isn’t a city or town or a municipality.

It’s a place and a pretty cool one at that.

As a suburb of Miami, on the south side of the metro area, Kendall is known as a shopping destination and a popular residential area.

This is where O.J. Simpson raised his teenagers, well, before going to prison.

Ask any South Florida local about Kendall and they’ll say two words — traffic and shopping.

The Dadeland Mall is what brings people this far south in the massive metro area, and there’s traffic to prove it.

There’s no beachfront in this Florida place, but in just 30 minutes you can be on the tip of Key Biscayne looking at the lighthouse and the waves coming in.

This place took a direct hit from Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and had to rebuild, which it did quite nicely.

Warnings & Dangers in Kendall

Overall Risk

OVERALL RISK: LOW

The Kendall area gets law enforcement from Miami-Dade Police with a substation located there. Since there's no specific crime date for Kendall proper (heck, even the boundaries of the place get a little vague), we are going to use information from the police annual report and a real-time crime mapping option that shows the past six months of crimes. Overall, there's a low rate here unless you suffer from road rage or shopping addiction.

Transport & Taxis Risk

TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW

Miami has a great public transportation system and the Metro Bus and Metro Rail go through Kendall at various points. There is no in-town shuttle, so you'll use a taxi or rideshare if you don't have a car. All of these are low-risk options, but be careful at any public transportation stops around I-95 as that's a higher crime area.

Pickpockets Risk

PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW

We don't have specific statistics by year for this in Kendall. The numbers I look at today for the past six months will be different than what you will see when you look as you plan your trip. The great news is, you can search the map as hyper-local as you want and by certain crimes. We feel there's a low risk here since it's a middle to upper-class community with a lot of residential and shopping destinations.

Natural Disasters Risk

NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM

This area is prone to flooding, whether it's a heavy rainstorm or a hurricane. Hurricane Andrew did a number on this city in 1992 and brought winds up to nearly 130 miles per hour. Intense thunderstorms are common during the summer. There's a medium risk with special attention paid during the busy hurricane months of August and September.

Mugging Risk

MUGGING RISK: LOW

There's a low risk here. At the time I researched this in early 2022, I saw a series of strong-armed robberies just south of Kendall, but especially in the residential neighborhoods, the crime reports are low. While you should always use caution when spending time in large shopping destinations, there's nothing about Kendall that makes it a bigger risk than any other place of its size and amenities.

Terrorism Risk

TERRORISM RISK: MEDIUM

There's a medium risk across the Miami area since it's so populated with so many attractions and ports that support the economy.

Scams Risk

SCAMS RISK: LOW

Scams here target the local residents, and the scammers are more like to go after tourists in South Beach, about 30 minutes away. There's a low risk.

Women Travelers Risk

WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW

Women have a low risk in a suburban area like this with shopping and spa options catering to their every whim. Just keep your purse secure and don't go into strange neighborhoods at night.

Tap Water Risk

TAP WATER RISK: LOW

There is no big concern in Kendall about tap water and it meets or exceeds all standards. The water comes from the Miami-Dade utilities, and if there is a contamination of any kind, the government is quick to let people know.

Safest Places to Visit in Kendall

Dadeland Mall is the place to be for shoppers and foodies.

There are nearly 200 stories across 1.4 million square feet.

The outside is lined with some of the most popular restaurants.

There’s another mall about five miles south called The Falls with similar amenities and just as much fun, even if not quite as big.

Kendall has a pole position to the Miami Zoo, just six miles south.

Ok, I just got distracted for 15 minutes looking at all the awesome animals right on the zoo’s website.

You can interact with and feed some of the animals or spring for a VIP tour of the zoo.

There are community parks throughout Kendall, like Indian Hammock Park, where you can explore 32 acres of nature preserve, try your hand at disc golf, or watch some of the amazing moves at the state-of-the-art skate park modeled after some of the best in the country.

This is a golf country in South Florida and Kendall is home to two courses, Killian Greens Golf Club and Briar Bay Golf Course.

Places to Avoid in Kendall

There isn’t a part of Kendall I’d tell you to avoid.

The popular places are where the most crimes happen.

The Dadeland Mall, for example, is a shopping center with a whole shopping neighborhood around it.

So there are clusters of car breaking, thefts, and robbers all around that area.

Aside from the community parks and outside of the shopping areas, this city is all residential and neighborhood needs, like grocery stores and schools.

Many neighborhoods here are gated, which helps reduce crime.

In Florida, you’re generally going to see more crime around the interstate or highway corridors, like the turnpike, an expressway, or I-95.

Safety Tips for Traveling to Kendall

  1. The crime map from Miami Dade County has an alert you can set up. You put in the address of where you are staying, what crimes you’d like to be notified of, and how you’d like to get those notifications. It’s a great way to keep up with current crime statistics when traveling, not relying on 2-year-old data.
  2. If you’re going to be shopping, park wisely. Make sure it’s under a street light and look for cameras to park near. That way, if a break-in does happen, you can get video evidence.
  3. Always lock your car doors when exiting and take valuables out of plain sight. It’s a normal habit for people to go shopping and take trips to the car to drop off bags in the trunk, but that could also signal a thief where the goods are once you leave. Ask the mall for a locker or if the concierge can watch your bags instead.
  4. As tempting as it might be to drive around and look for O.J. Simpson’s former home, don’t sneak through the gate of a community. There are more than 30 neighborhood watch groups in this area and they don’t like strangers driving slowly down the street. It will set off the vigilant neighbors who will call the police.
  5. The Miami Dade Police substation for Kendall is located at 7707 SW 117th Ave. Miami, FL 33183 and the phone number is (305)279-6929. It might be nice to stop by and say hello and ask your specific crime questions about that area.
  6. If you’re looking for Kendall addresses in locations, you won’t find them. All the addresses in the Kendall area are Miami addresses. You will need to know the location on the map or by proximity to the mall or Kendall Drive. Again, Kendall isn’t really a city, so the boundaries aren’t perfect.
  7. If you are going to head to the beach from Kendall, take only as much as you need. Not all the beaches are as safe as Kendall, and you don’t want to carry around any valuables that could get lost or stolen. The safest place for valuables is in your hotel room. Most anything else you need will be available for purchase at the beach.
  8. Kendall is known for traffic, and that’s saying something in traffic-ridden Miami. Be patient and take your time. Florida drivers can be very aggressive, especially if you aren’t used to aggressive driving.
  9. This is a tropical climate and you’re going to have a risk of running into an alligator. Anywhere you see freshwater, you should assume there is an alligator in it. Avoid going close to the water’s edge, especially at sunset or night. Alligators aren’t normally aggressive toward humans, but they sometimes make “snap” decisions when they feel their space is being invaded.
  10. Carry a big bottle of water with you wherever you go. This area is hot and humid and you’re going to sweat a lot, even if you are just walking the mall. Don’t forget the electrolytes to help nourish all the things you lose when you sweat.

So... How Safe Is Kendall Really?

I searched a six-month span from late 2021 until early 2022 within two miles of Dadeland Mall.

There were 817 incidents including theft, vandalism, vehicle break-ins, assault, fraud, robbery, and motor vehicle theft.

The majority of the crimes were theft and centered around the shopping mall and supplemental shopping areas.

There were large residential areas with no reports of crime.

The community is safe. It’s designed as a bedroom community to supplement the expanding population of Miami.

The average income here is $73.000 and there’s a 9% poverty rate.

This is the kind of place you want to be in, not the kind you want to avoid.

This is a great place for a busy traveler to safely rest their head at night and there are a plethora of hotel options in the area.

How Does Kendall Compare?

CitySafety Index
Kendall87
New York City67
Detroit56
San Diego67
Miami55
Honolulu65
Chicago65
Cordoba (Argentina)61
Toronto (Canada)81
Melbourne (Australia)80
Montreal (Canada)81
Sydney (Australia)80
Santiago de Chile (Chile)71

Useful Information

Visas

Visas

Once your Visa clears customs at the airport or port of entry, you don't need any additional identification to get to Kendall.

Currency

Currency

You'll use the U.S. Dollar currency here and across the Miami area. Credit cards are widely accepted and safer than using cash.

Weather

Weather

The weather is warm to hot as the year goes on. The year starts in the mid-70s for highs and drops into the upper-50s for lows. A jacket would be advisable, but maybe not needed. Gradually, the temperatures go up a few degrees each month until topping out in the 90s for highs during July and August with lows in the mid-70s. This is a very humid area too, so pack clothes you don't mind getting very sweaty.

Airports

Airports

The Miami International Airport is 15 miles, or about 20 minutes, away. That's the closest and biggest option. The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is 52 miles away, or about an hour north.

Travel Insurance

Travel Insurance

Given the destruction this area has seen by hurricanes, don't take chances. Get travel insurance for your trip to Kendall, Florida.

Click here to get an offer for travel insurance

Kendall Weather Averages (Temperatures)

Jan 19° C
Feb 20° C
Mar 22° C
Apr 23° C
May 26° C
Jun 27° C
Jul 28° C
Aug 28° C
Sep 27° C
Oct 26° C
Nov 23° C
Dec 20° C
Choose Temperature Unit

Average High/Low Temperature

Temperature / MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High
°C
242527283031323231302725
Low
°C
131417182123232423211815
High
°F
757781828688909088868177
Low
°F
555763647073737573706459

Florida - Safety by City

CitySafety Index
Amelia Island85
Boca Raton89
Boynton Beach74
Bradenton84
Brandon64
Cape Coral82
Clearwater71
Cocoa Beach92
Coral Springs78
Daytona Beach83
Deerfield Beach78
Delray Beach65
Deltona82
Destin92
Everglades City93
Fort Lauderdale64
Fort Myers75
Fort Pierce72
Fort Walton Beach84
Gainesville67
Hialeah52
Homestead65
Jacksonville41
Jupiter87
Kendall87
Key Largo84
Key West67
Kissimmee82
Lake Buena Vista72
Lake City72
Lake Worth Beach76
Lakeland67
Lauderhill75
Marco Island88
Melbourne65
Miami55
Miami Beach68
Miami Gardens52
Miramar72
Mount Dora91
Naples91
New Smyrna Beach84
North Port87
Ocala88
Orlando64
Ormond Beach83
Palm Beach Gardens82
Palm Harbor81
Panama City Beach77
Pembroke Pines77
Pensacola69
Pompano Beach72
Port St. Lucie85
Punta Gorda83
Sarasota83
St. Augustine87
St. Petersburg77
Tallahassee69
Tampa52
Vero Beach84
West Palm Beach54
Winter Park84

Where to Next?

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