Is Retreat Safe? What the Data Shows (2026)

Retreat scores 83 out of 100 on StreetSignal’s safety index - Lower reported crime. Its annualised crime count is 10,052 across a station population of 83,766 residents. The trend is Up.

Precinct-level data caveat: This score reflects the Steenberg SAPS precinct, which covers multiple suburbs including Lavender Hill, Heathfield, Elfindale, and Steenberg. Retreat is a mixed-income area, and parts of the suburb - particularly near the Lavender Hill boundary - experience significantly higher crime than the precinct average suggests. The precinct-averaged score of 83/100 may not reflect conditions in all parts of Retreat. StreetSignal has excluded Retreat from all positive rankings because the precinct average is known to misrepresent this suburb’s actual safety reality.

A score of 83/100 places Retreat in the Lower reported crime category across Cape Town’s 734 suburbs with safety data (of 744 total). The suburb has a Census 2022 population of 31,468.

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 83/100 means safer than approximately 83% Cape Town suburbs by this methodology. Retreat’s rate sub-index is 94/100 and its volume sub-index is 74/100. Full methodology is documented on the StreetSignal methodology page. Data period: Q3 2025/2026 (October-December 2025).

Why does Retreat score 83 out of 100?

Retreat maps to the Steenberg SAPS precinct. The precinct serves a station population of 83,766 across multiple suburbs. StreetSignal assigns the primary precinct as the data source. All suburbs under the same precinct receive an identical safety index. This is a known limitation of precinct-level data: the score reflects the precinct as a whole, not any individual suburb within it.

The rate sub-index of 94 places Retreat’s per-capita harm in the lower range. The volume sub-index of 74 means absolute crime volume is low.

How does Retreat compare to nearby suburbs?

Suburb	Precinct	Safety index	Rate	Volume	Annualised crimes	Trend
Retreat	Steenberg	83/100	94	74	10,052	Up
Bergvliet	Kirstenhof	24/100	6	93	2,796	Stable
Elfindale	Steenberg	83/100	94	74	10,052	Up
Grassy Park	Grassy Park	33/100	52	21	15,936	Up
Heathfield	Steenberg	83/100	94	74	10,052	Up
Kirstenhof	Kirstenhof	24/100	6	93	2,796	Stable

A methodology note on shared precincts: Suburbs under the same SAPS precinct receive identical safety indices because the underlying crime data is reported at precinct level, not suburb level. Matching scores between suburbs in the table above may indicate a shared precinct.

What does property cost in Retreat?

Property valuation data is not available for Retreat.

For a broader property analysis, see Cape Town property values 2026.

Schools in Retreat

Retreat has 9 schools.

School	Phase	Sector	Quintile	LER
Thomas Wildschutt Junior Primary School	primary	public	Q4	28.1:1
Delta Primary School	primary	public	Q4	34.1:1
Lourier Primary School	primary	public	Q4	32.3:1
Square Hill Primary School	primary	public	Q5	30.4:1
Thomas Wildschutt Primary School	primary	public	Q4	31.1:1
Crestway Secondary School	secondary	public	Q4	29.9:1
Blouvlei Skool	special	public	N/A	13.5:1
Cafda School Of Skills	special	public	N/A	18.5:1

Matric results show a 84.5% aggregate pass rate across 103 candidates.

For a full analysis, see Cape Town schools and education 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is Retreat a safe area in Cape Town?

Retreat scores 83/100 on StreetSignal’s safety index, but this score reflects the Steenberg precinct average and may not represent all parts of Retreat equally. Retreat is a mixed-income suburb, and areas near the Lavender Hill boundary experience higher crime than the precinct average suggests. StreetSignal has excluded Retreat from all positive rankings due to this known data limitation.

What is the crime rate in Retreat?

Retreat’s Steenberg precinct records 10,052 annualised crimes across 83,766 residents. The safety index is 83/100, with a rate sub-index of 94 and volume sub-index of 74. Parts of Retreat near the Lavender Hill boundary may experience higher crime than the precinct average suggests.

Search Retreat’s full neighbourhood profile on StreetSignal for the complete data across safety, property, schools, and services.