Gated communities are often associated with being safer, more exclusive and more expensive than their non-gated counterparts. This is not always the case, as there are many different types of gated communities in different types of neighborhoods serving all income levels. However, the public perception of a gated community remains closely associated with a certain level of elitism. However, gated communities may not be as safe from crime as you think.


While the studies are far from conclusive, gated communities often have similar overall crime statistics to their surrounding neighborhoods that are not gated. The specifics depend on what criteria you are using.

Types of Gated Communities

While it is true that many celebrities and other wealthy individuals live inside exclusive gated communities that have much higher property values, that is not the only type of gated neighborhood or complex that exists. Many apartment complexes rely on exterior walls and gates to keep the general public out of the living and amenity areas. For example, if the apartment has a pool, picnic area, weight room or other recreational space, it also likely has those areas gated off so that only the residents can make use of them.

Security zones are another form of gated community that often form in low income areas with higher crime rates. In this instance, the residents themselves get together and build fences, walls and other barriers around their community in an effort to keep the criminal element out of it.

Crime does tend to decrease in these environments, but this is more because of the diligence of the neighborhood residents than it is because of the wall or the gate itself.

Advantages

Depending on the neighborhood, houses in a gated community can often have higher value to new buyers. While the actual statistics about crime in gated communities vary, public perception is that gated communities are safer. This perception puts a greater value on homes that are inside of gated communities, even if this perception is false.

Some studies have shown that home burglary is decreased slightly in gated communities, and petty crimes such as vandalism are less common. However, it really depends on what gated community you are living in and what types of crime are most common in that general area.

Disadvantages

Gated communities require more maintenance, so it is usually more expensive to live in one. Homeowners associations typically collect fees from all residents in order to pay for the building and maintaining of any security barriers in the community.  If the community has security guards stationed, fees need to be collected to pay their wages as well.

The perception or illusion of greater security can also make residents inside of a gated neighborhood more complacent than what they would otherwise be. As a result, you may be more likely to leave a door or window unlocked then you would be in a non-gated community. Anytime you are lax about your security measures, you increase your risk of being victimized. Security guards in gated communities are often undertrained and understaffed, making them ineffective as a deterrent. Likewise, if your community has a gate code, that code has likely been disseminated to many different people who do not live in the community. Residents tend to give the code out to friends, family members, delivery people, postal workers and anyone else that is visiting to save them the trouble of having to go down and let them into the gate themselves. As a result, the security code is essentially useless as a security device.

While burglary and vandalism sometimes decrease in gated areas, other crimes remain consistent. The term “safer” is relative, so never think that a gated community is crime free. Theft still occurs, along with domestic violence, alcohol-related incidents and other crime. It is important to know who lives around you, because you are locked into the community with them in the same way that you are trying to keep everyone else locked out.

There is no simple answer on whether gated communities are a better housing option for you compared to non-gated neighborhoods. There is no effective way of approaching that question generally. It depends on the specific neighborhood that you are looking at and what the specific crime statistics are in that general vicinity. However, as a general rule, gated communities are not as immune to theft and crime as many people think they are. This is why it is so important to have a detailed and disciplined home security plan and to follow it on a daily basis. This is your best defense against home burglary and invasion regardless of where you live.