What are the most dangerous cities in the US? With thousands of cities, often packing millions of people into small areas, there are bound to be some places that suffer with higher rates of crime.
Using figures from the FBI, we have measured and ranked the top 11 worst crime cities, tracking down the overall most dangerous city in America. This data is based on the number of serious felonies recorded per 100,000 people in one year.
This includes murder, manslaughter, assault, robbery and other more serious crimes. While some numbers seem especially high, figures do show that in recent years the rates of crime are dropping in the US.
11. San Bernardino, California
With a population of around 222,000, San Bernardino is the 18th largest city in California. It is also one of the oldest settlements in California, originally formed in 1810.
While it is known for being on Route 66 and its long history as a mining town, it is possibly best known for being the location of the first McDonald's.
In a 2019 FBI report, the city had a violent crime rate of 1,319 incidents per 100,000 residents. In 2019, 46 people in the city were murdered.
While the number of crimes has been steeply decreasing since then, it still remains higher than the average in California.
10. Indianapolis, Indiana
Perhaps best known as the home of the Indy 500 motor race in the USA, Indianapolis also has many museums and impressive green spaces. Unfortunately it also currently suffers from a high rate of violent crime, with 1,333.96 violent crimes per 100,000 people being recorded in 2019.
Steps are being taken to decrease the number of violent crimes taking place. Initiatives like the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force, which targets the flow of firearms into the city, have seen violent crime rates start to decrease over recent years.
9. Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the most populous city in the state of New Mexico. It was founded as a Spanish colony in 1706 and became part of the United States in the mid-19th century. It is a city full of culture and history, as well as being one of the greenest cities in the country.
Unfortunately, the violent crime rate of 1,369.14 felonies per 100,000 people means that Albuquerque makes it to number nine on our list. The numbers continued to increase between 2019 and 2023, with the homicide rate rising nearly 19 per cent.
To fight this high crime rate, more money has been made available to local law enforcement who have invested in technology. Video surveillance with live mapping and apps that use acoustic gunshot recognition technology are all helping to pinpoint crimes as they happen and help the police reduce crime.
8. Stockton, California
The port city of Stockton is perhaps one of the least well-known cities on our list. It has a relatively small population of around 320,000, but 1,414.56 violent crimes per 100,000 people puts it at number eight on our list of dangerous cities.
The city went bankrupt in 2012, mainly due to the 2008 world financial crisis seeing a massive drop in property value and high unemployment rates. This in turn has led to rising crime rates in the area.
In recent years, initiatives such as extra tax to fund policing and anti-gang programmes have been implemented to help reduce felonies and make the streets safer.
7. Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland sits on the shore of Lake Erie, in northeastern Ohio. It is a major port on the St Lawrence Seaway, relying on heavy industry and trade for economic prosperity. In recent years it has become more well-known for its improving healthcare and is home to one of the best hospitals in the world.
Its rate of violent crime is 1,556.76 per 100,000 people, putting it above the national average in the USA. Recorded offences had been dropping over recent years, but saw a big jump in crime rates in 2020 and 2021. This was attributed to increasing poverty rates and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the local police force.
6. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is home to over half a million people and is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the USA. It is also famous for its beer and cheese, mainly through many skilled brewing experts from Germany settling there in the mid-19th century.
However, sustained population decline in the city, not helped by a violent crime rate of 1,597.36 per 100,000 people, has seen Milwaukee become a less-than-ideal place to live.
It is hoped that new investment and building developments across the city will draw people back and make this place a desirable area to live once again.
5. Kansas City, Missouri
As well as being famous as the home of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Kansas City is best known for its barbecue and Jazz music. Unfortunately, it is also gaining attention for its rising crime rate, with 1,724.31 violent felonies per 100,000 people in 2019.
Most crimes in the city are on the rise, with the homicide rate particularly worrying. To combat this, the Kansas City Police Department is working with other community organisations to help implement a city-wide strategy to reduce crime and help people out of poverty, as well as address various mental health issues that could lead to violence.
4. Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is regarded as the home of blues music and rock and roll, with Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash recording albums at the famous Sun Studios in the 1950s. It also has a reputation as one of the most violent cities in America, with nearly 400 homicides recorded in 2023. This is a rate of 63 homicides per 100,000 residents.
Levels of poverty are high in Memphis, and police funding has been cut leading to rates of violent crime that are well above the national average. However, it is hoped that new federal funding and a program known as the 'Violent Crime Initiative' will help to turn this city around and make it a safer place to live.
3. Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore is an important port city in Maryland and the state's economic centre, thanks to a thriving port on the Patapsco River estuary – a major hub for importing and exporting cars and coal.
For some of us at least, Baltimore is perhaps most famous for being the setting for the American crime drama series The Wire. With 2,027.01 violent crimes per 100,000 people recorded in one year, the reality of life in this city is not a million miles away from the television version for some.
New strategies implemented by the mayor in 2021 (such as treating violent crime like a public health issue) have seen crime drop dramatically, meaning the future looks more positive for the city's residents.
2. Detroit, Michigan
Detroit was once a thriving industrial town, famous for its automotive output, historical architecture and Motown records. But when the US car manufacturers started to lose out to competition from imports in the 1970s and 1980s the industry slumped, with Detroit being the hardest hit.
The city's population fell by a staggering 63 per cent between 1950 and 2015. As a result of mass redundancies and increasing poverty, violent crime reached a rate of 2056.67 violent felonies per 100,000 people by 2019.
However, the city has started to recover, with increasing wages, lower levels of poverty and falling crime rates. This comes as Detroit gains a reputation for a strong financial sector and increasing levels of employment and tourism.
1. St. Louis, Missouri
The most dangerous city in the US is St. Louis, with 2082.29 violent crimes per 100,000 people recorded in 2019. High levels of poverty and racial segregation are thought to be contributing factors. Homicide rates remain elevated, with 194 instances recorded in 2019 alone. Things were even worse in 2020, with the rate hitting a 50-year high.
St Louis itself is a diverse city, situated on the banks of the Mississippi River. It has a strong association with blues music as well as sporting heritage and world-famous cuisine.
More recent figures suggest that violent crime seems to be decreasing from the recent peaks, with the local police department using new camera technologies such as 'Flock' cameras to bring rates down. These cameras can detect license plates of cars that are of interest to law enforcement and alert the police instantly.
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