Avoiding moving into a Crime Filled City
Our Top Dangerous Cities – Last Updated November 2, 2022.
When you are measuring a city’s safety, in particular when you are comparing them, it necessitates a full count of the total number and types of violent crimes in each city. This gets each city on an even playing field.
It is a fact that bigger cities have more crime. Easy to guess why, because they have more people living there! The truth of the matter is that you are less likely to be a victim of a crime in a larger city because of the reduced criminal activity. We did our reviews on the 25 most dangerous cities in the US and compiled the facts and statistics for you below.
Crimes included in this report are:
- murder, rape
- aggravated assault
- armed robbery
- property crimes.
- We used data based on crimes that were reported to the FBI.
1 – Camden, NJ
Modern suburban streets filled with crimes and misdemeanors in Camden, NJ.
Camden is a large, medium-sized city with a population of approximately 76,900 people. It is the 9th largest community within the state of New Jersey. Some say that Detroit should have taken the number one spot, but truth be told, there are places far worse.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 1,973
Property Crimes (Annually): 3,272
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 39
2 – Chester, PA
Chester also rhymes with…
Chester is a medium-sized city with a population of approximately 34,046 people. It is the 22nd largest community within the state of Pennsylvania.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 733
Property Crimes (Annually): 1,193
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 46
3 – Detroit, MI
Detroit has kept this high crime rating for decades
Detroit is a large city with a population of approximately 688,701 people. It is the largest community within the state of Michigan. Some people might be surprised at the fact that this city doesn’t rank in the number one spot. Yeah, we get it. It’s hard to imagine a place with more rampant crime than Detroit, but those do exist, as you have just seen above.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 14,534
Property Crimes (Annually): 41,030
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 47
4 – Saginaw, MI
Not a great place to be a policeman
Saginaw is a larger, medium-sized city with a population of approximately 50,303 people. It is the 29th largest community within the state of Michigan. You can probably guess from the picture above why it’s on this list.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 1,007
Property Crimes (Annually): 1,561
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 50
5 – Oakland, CA
Oakland is known for its notorious gangs
It might as well be called Gangland, CA. Lots of good parts and fun things to do there but just be careful of venturing off the road into the ghetto. Oakland is a large coastal city (on an ocean, lake, or bay) and has a population of approximately 406,253 people. It is the 8th largest community within the state of California. And California as a whole is not exactly known for being peaceful and quiet, is it?
Violent Crimes (Annually): 8,099
Property Crimes (Annually): 25,781
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 50
6 – Bessemer, AL
Risk rates are shown for the area of Bessemer in AL
Bessemer is a medium-sized city with a population of approximately 27,053 people. It is the 17th largest community within the state of Alabama.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 527
Property Crimes (Annually): 3,199
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 51
7 – Flint, MI
Graffiti from local residents asking to save Flint, MI.
Flint is a larger, medium-sized city with a population of approximately 99,763 people. It is the 7th largest community within the state of Michigan.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 1,931
Property Crimes (Annually): 4,427
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 52
8 – Atlantic City, NJ
A fun city, but be ever so careful where you tour around in Atlantic City, NJ.
Atlantic City is a medium-sized coastal city with a population of approximately 39,551 people. It is the 42nd largest community within the state of New Jersey.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 689
Property Crimes (Annually): 2,480
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 57
9 – Wilmington, DE
The biggest city in DE also has the highest crime rate.
Wilmington is a large, medium-sized city with a population of approximately 71,525 people. It is the largest community within the state of Delaware.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 1,223
Property Crimes (Annually): 4,433
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 58
10 – Memphis, TN
The billboard that is seen upon entering Memphis, TN. It’s not exactly what you want to see going home each day…
Memphis is a large city with a population of approximately 653,450 people. It is the largest community within the state of Tennessee.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 10,905
Property Crimes (Annually): 40,182
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 60
11- Alexandria, LA
Alexandria is a medium-sized city with a population of approximately 48,426 people. It is the 10th largest community within the state of Louisiana.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 808
Property Crimes (Annually): 3,880
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 60
12 – Myrtle Beach, SC
Filled with tourism, fun, and, unfortunately, crime.
Myrtle Beach is a medium-sized coastal city with a population of approximately 29,175. It is the 14th largest community within the state of South Carolina. Thousands of tourists flock to their beaches each year so typically you are safe along the beachfront which has lots of security guards. Just be careful not to venture too far into the city if visiting.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 475
Property Crimes (Annually): 4,575
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 61
13 – Harvey, IL
The damage was done via a provoked fire. Harvey, IL has a high number of property crimes committed each year.
Harvey is a medium-sized city with a population of approximately 25,361 people. It is the 89th largest community within the state of Illinois.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 411
Property Crimes (Annually): 1,422
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 62
14 – St. Louis, MO
Just beyond the arch lies a city of crime
Not the typical picture of the arch you are used to seeing… St. Louis is a large city with a population of approximately 318,416 people. It is the 2nd largest community within the state of Missouri.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 5,077
Property Crimes (Annually): 21,087
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 63
15 – Newburgh, NY
Street image was taken in the 2000s of Newburgh
Newburgh is a medium-sized city with a population of 28,480 people. It is the 46th largest community within the state of New York.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 451
Property Crimes (Annually): 1,106
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 63
16 – Scranton, PA
Scranton is alarmingly unsafe compared to most of Pennsylvania. That’s quite disturbing when you consider that it’s the sixth-largest city within that state. But just how unsafe is it? Well, take a look for yourself:
Violent Crimes (Annually): 1,206
Property Crimes (Annually): 1,347
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 64
17 – Pine Bluff, AR
Located in Jefferson County, Pine Bluff is the tenth-largest city within Arkansas. Sadly, it’s also one of the most violent and villainous within the state, making it truly undesirable for those who want to move there.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 644
Property Crimes (Annually): 2,394
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 64
18 – Cleveland, OH
Cleveland Rocks! Like all big Metropolises, there are good and bad parts.
Cleveland is a large city with a population of 390, 113 people. It is the 2nd largest community within the state of Ohio.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 5,752
Property Crimes (Annually): 23,210
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 68
19 – Homestead, FL
What lies beyond the beach…
Homestead is large, medium-sized coastal city with a population of 64, 079 people. It is the 42nd largest community within the state of Florida.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 922
Property Crimes (Annually): 3,315
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 70
20 – Baltimore, MD
Baltimore has American history and a solid crime history
Baltimore is a very large coastal city with a population of approximately 622, 104 people. It is the largest community within the state of Maryland.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 8,884
Property Crimes (Annually): 31,431
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 70
21 – Little Rock, AR
The river makes for a beautiful scenic small-town capital. The city of Little Rock behind it has many shootings.
Good BBQ food but that doesn’t mean it’s the safest town. Some staff of Alarm Reviews has actually sold home security systems in Little Rock, AR, and was close to shootings during noon daylight several times. We lived close to the river and enjoyed the city and people, a lot of religious good people. But South of downtown is miles of the ghetto so be careful before moving in. Little Rock is a comparatively large city with a population of approximately 197, 357 people. It is the largest community within the state of Arkansas.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 2,790
Property Crimes (Annually): 15,776
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 71
22 – Rockford, IL
Rockford is a fairly large city with a population of approximately 150, 249 people. It is the 3rd largest community within the state of Illinois.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 2,110
Property Crimes (Annually): 7,151
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 71
23 – Spartanburg, SC
Screenshot taken using Spotcrime app of Spartanburg SC.
Spartanburg is a medium-sized city with a population of approximately 37, 647 people. It is the 11th largest community within the state of South Carolina.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 527
Property Crimes (Annually): 2,697
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 71
24 – Fort Pierce, FL
Fort Pierce is a medium-sized coastal city with a population of approximately 43, 074 people. It is the 67th largest community within the state of Florida.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 591
Property Crimes (Annually): 2,299
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 73
25 – Milwaukee, WI
Beautiful city that loves their selection of draft beers. After a night of drinking make sure to have a ride home..
Milwaukee is a very large city with a population of approximately 599, 164 people. It is the largest community within the state of Wisconsin.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 8,211
Property Crimes (Annually): 27,463
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 73
26 – Jackson, TN
Jackson police department badge, shown with pride and full honors
Jackson is a large, medium-sized city with a population of approximately 67, 685 people. It is the 7th largest community within the state of Tennessee.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 925
Property Crimes (Annually): 3,455
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 73
27 – Bridgeton, NJ
Protest seen in the streets of Bridgeton NJ
Bridgeton is a medium-sized coastal city with a population of approximately 25, 252 people. It is the 72nd largest community within the state of New Jersey.
Violent Crimes (Annually): 345
Property Crimes (Annually): 1,186
Chances of Being a Victim of a Crime: 1 in 73
Summary for the Most Dangerous cities in America
While getting on a list like this is never pleasant, it can be informative and helpful. Law enforcement can’t do it alone. This is why it is recommended that people should take responsibility for protecting themselves, such as purchasing a home security system equipped with a panic button. There are many on the market today that will satisfy your price range, check them out here.[frontpage_news widget=”4288″ name=”Trending Articles”]
Update Regarding Dangerous Cities and Other Considerations
Considering all of the things that have happened during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially in 2020, we can expect these statistics to shift around in no time. Without getting political, you have to admit that some of the riots and happenings, especially during the first half of 2020, have been quite devastating.
We want to stay neutral and present to you the facts, that’s why you can expect to see this article updated yet again somewhere in the near future. As any respectable entity, we want our readers to be able to avoid the most dangerous cities if they plan on moving to another location any time soon.
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Angela says
Nice of you to take the time to make a more reader friendly post on this topic. This is helpful to guide us into making more informed choices as to where we plan to visit or live for that matter. Jackson has been getting a bad rap so it’s no shock to me to see it’s name on the list.
Josh says
I went to Atlantic City, NJ last summer and stayed a cheaper hotel near the beach. I can attest to the level of “lower class” individuals and I felt a bit unsafe walking around certain parts at night. It’s surprising because if you walk two blocks the other way it’s more upscale but certain blocks are really run down.
Evan Marshall says
That is crazy. In Camden, NJ you have a 1 and 39 chance of being a victim. I know where I’m not going for a family vacation! I actually think Detriot might be more dangerous however the popular is much larger so it’s weighted average is less. Great statistics, new information that I’m glad I am aware of!
Shelby says
Every place has crime, there’s no way to get away from it. Some places are just worse than others and the news will pick and choose which are more news worthy to report on too. They can make certain places look worse than they are.
Sammie says
Wow, I’m shocked but I’m also not shocked to see my city of Cleveland on the list. I had no idea it was that bad. It’s kind of sad that the communities that have s low cost of living are where the crimes are. It’s hard to move to a better area. Ecuador the cost goes up.
HLee says
Sometimes these so called dangerous cities have lower cost of living that’s why many people move to these places. Not because they want to be exposed to danger, but because they have limited resources and are unable to move to other cities. Even the safest cities have their share of crime. But just the same, those who are looking to move to these cities should have some form of home or personal protection.
Manuel Hoffman says
I agree with you HLee, This is a pretty scary list. No one asks to be a victim of a criminal activity but then it happens. protection is of paramount importance.
Kyle says
Every city experiences crime, but clearly there are places that are just too dangerous to live in. The top 3 comes as no surprise because these cities have always been known for its high crime rate. What’s really alarming is that crime rate continues to rise and it becomes harder to protect homes and properties. This is where you really need a serious home security system.