Most Dangerous Cities in America: 2025 Crime Rates
When you see a list of America’s most dangerous cities, it’s easy to feel a knot tighten in your stomach—whether you’re planning a trip, considering a move, or just reading the news. The 2024 FBI Uniform Crime Reports, the gold standard for national crime data, recorded a national violent crime rate of 370.8 per 100,000—the lowest since 1969—yet certain cities still stand out with rates far above the national average.
Top dangerous city (violent crime rate per 100k): Anniston, AL (3,434) · City with highest murder rate: East St. Louis, IL · Most dangerous large city: Memphis, TN · FBI data year used: 2024 Uniform Crime Reports
Quick snapshot
- Anniston, AL has the highest violent crime rate per capita (3,434 per 100k) based on FBI 2024 data (Bureau of Justice Statistics (U.S. Department of Justice))
- Memphis, TN is the most dangerous large city with 2,501.3 violent crimes per 100k (Security.org (home security research group))
- Neighborhood-level rankings vary widely by data source and boundaries
- Some lists include small towns, others only cities over certain population
- Reporting completeness differs across jurisdictions
- Rankings can vary depending on which crimes are included (e.g., property crime vs violent crime)
- 2024: FBI publishes annual Uniform Crime Reports (Bureau of Justice Statistics)
- 2025-2026: U.S. News and Security.org publish updated most dangerous lists (Bureau of Justice Statistics)
- Ongoing data collection and reporting from FBI and state agencies expected later in 2025
The table below summarizes the key metrics from the data.
| #1 most violent city (per capita) | Anniston, AL (3,434 violent crimes per 100k) |
|---|---|
| Highest murder rate city | East St. Louis, IL |
| Largest dangerous city | Memphis, TN (population ~630k) |
| Data source | FBI Uniform Crime Reports 2024 |
What is the #1 most violent city in the US?
Violent crime rate data
- Anniston, Alabama records a violent crime rate of 3,434 per 100,000 residents, the highest in the nation per the 2024 FBI UCR (Bureau of Justice Statistics).
- East St. Louis, Illinois has the highest murder rate among U.S. cities, though its overall violent crime rate is lower than Anniston’s (Police1 (law enforcement news platform)).
Population context
- Anniston has a population under 22,000, which means its per-capita rate is heavily influenced by a relatively small number of incidents.
- By contrast, Memphis (population ~630,000) has the highest raw violent crime count among large cities, with a rate of 2,501.3 per 100,000 (Security.org).
The implication: the “most dangerous” label depends on whether you measure by rate or by absolute numbers—and population size changes the picture dramatically.
What are the 25 most violent cities in the US?
List of 25 cities by violent crime rate
Two major rankings dominate the discussion: Security.org’s large-city list (cities with 100,000+ residents) and Police1’s broader municipal table. The top 10 large cities by violent crime rate according to Security.org’s 2024 analysis are:
- Memphis, TN – 2,501.3 per 100k
- Detroit, MI – 1,781.3 per 100k
- Baltimore, MD – 1,606.2 per 100k
- Houston, TX – 1,148.2 per 100k
- Nashville, TN – 1,124.1 per 100k
- Denver, CO – 993.0 per 100k
- Washington, D.C. – 925.9 per 100k
- Philadelphia, PA – 908.7 per 100k
- Indianapolis, IN – 877.9 per 100k
- Phoenix, AZ – 799.6 per 100k
Police1’s 2023 summary (based on FBI data) offers a different top-five: St. Louis (877.02), Memphis (871.36), Rockford (835.48), Baltimore (833.16), and Little Rock (712.32) per 100,000.
The catch: no single “25 most violent” list is official—every aggregator makes editorial choices about which cities to include and how to handle missing data.
Criteria for inclusion
- Security.org excludes towns under 100,000 people, which removes places like Anniston and East St. Louis.
- Police1 includes all municipalities reporting to the FBI, but notes that some small towns with incomplete data can skew rankings.
Which 10 states have the highest crime rate?
State-level violent crime rankings
- According to FBI data summarized by the Center for American Progress, the states with the highest violent crime rates per 100,000 in 2024 are: New Mexico, Alaska, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Maryland (Center for American Progress (progressive policy think tank)).
Regional patterns
- The South and West dominate the top 10, with New Mexico leading at a rate roughly double the national average.
- The safest states by contrast are typically in the Northeast and Midwest—Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine consistently have the lowest violent crime rates.
Why this matters: state-level data smooths out city anomalies and gives a clearer picture of where violent crime is concentrated regionally—important for anyone evaluating a multi-state move or investment.
What is the #1 safest city in the US?
Safest city data source
Multiple lists name Nashua, New Hampshire as the safest city in America, with a violent crime rate of roughly 100 per 100,000—more than 30 times lower than Anniston’s. The data comes from FBI UCR reports and is compiled by organizations like Security.org and U.S. News.
Comparison to most dangerous
A resident of Nashua faces about one violent incident for every 1,000 people, while in Anniston the rate exceeds 34 per 1,000. The difference is not incremental—it’s a chasm.
What is the roughest neighborhood in the US?
Neighborhood-level data
- Specific neighborhoods like the West End in Cincinnati, Fairhill in Philadelphia, and East Garfield Park in Chicago have been cited in local crime reports as having exceptionally high rates of violence per capita.
- The FBI does not publish neighborhood-level data, so rankings come from local police reports and real estate analytics sites.
Methodological challenges
- Boundaries are inconsistent—one city’s “neighborhood” may cover a few blocks, another’s covers several square miles.
- Reporting completeness varies; some areas underreport due to mistrust of police, while others overreport due to intensive patrolling.
The trade-off: neighborhood-level rankings can be useful for hyper-local decision-making but lack the standardization needed for national comparisons.
The difference between the most dangerous cities and the safest is not just statistical—it affects insurance rates, property values, and quality of life for millions of Americans.
Three cities, one pattern: the gap between the most and least violent places in America is not just wide—it’s stark.
| Category | City | Violent crime rate per 100k |
|---|---|---|
| Most dangerous (per capita) | Anniston, AL | 3,434 |
| Most dangerous large city | Memphis, TN | 2,501.3 |
| Safest city (per capita) | Nashua, NH | ~100 |
What’s clear and what’s not
Confirmed facts
- FBI UCR data is the standard source for city crime rates
- Anniston, AL has highest violent crime rate per 100k (3,434)
- East St. Louis, IL has highest murder rate
- National violent crime rate fell to 370.8 per 100k in 2024 — lowest since 1969
What’s unclear
- Neighborhood-level rankings vary widely by data source and boundaries
- Some lists include small towns, others only cities over certain population
- Reporting completeness differs across jurisdictions
- Rankings can vary depending on which crimes are included (e.g., property crime vs violent crime)
The clarity and uncertainty together shape how we interpret city rankings.
“The nationwide 2024 crime data confirmed the lowest violent crime rate since at least 1969.”
– Center for American Progress analysis
“Our ranking uses FBI data but excludes cities below 100,000 population to focus on large urban centers.”
– Security.org methodology note
The pattern: even as national violence declines, a handful of cities and states continue to carry a disproportionate share—and the metrics you choose determine which names you see at the top. For anyone evaluating where to live, visit, or invest, the data shows one clear signal: population size and measurement methodology matter as much as the raw crime numbers.
For more on crime data verification, see George Floyd’s Criminal Record: Verified Facts vs. Misinformation.
counciloncj.org, rit.edu, safehome.org, safehome.org, en.wikipedia.org, realestate.usnews.com
While crime rates vary widely, understanding the broader demographic context of US cities by population rankings can provide additional insight into urban safety trends.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a difference between ‘most violent city’ and ‘most dangerous city’?
Most sources use “violent crime rate per capita” as the primary metric. A city with a high murder rate or high property crime may be called “dangerous,” but rankings typically rely on FBI violent crime counts (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault). The two terms are often used interchangeably in popular lists.
What is the most dangerous city in the US for tourists?
No official tourism-danger ranking exists, but cities with high violent crime rates in tourist-heavy districts—such as Memphis, New Orleans, and Baltimore—often appear in travel advisory discussions. Always check local crime maps for the specific neighborhoods you plan to visit.
How is violent crime measured by the FBI?
The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting program collects data from law enforcement agencies on four offenses: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Agencies voluntarily report data, and the FBI then calculates rates per 100,000 residents. The 2024 data showed a national rate of 370.8.
Which US city has the highest property crime rate?
Property crime rates—burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft—are reported separately. According to FBI data, cities like Anchorage, AK, and Spokane, WA have consistently high property crime rates, though they do not always overlap with violent crime rankings.
Has the ranking of most dangerous cities changed in the last five years?
Yes. The national violent crime rate peaked around 2020 and has declined since. Several cities—including St. Louis, Detroit, and Baltimore—have seen measurable drops in their per-capita rates, while others like Memphis and Anniston have remained high. The 2024 FBI data shows the lowest rate since 1969.
What is the safest large city in the United States?
Among cities with over 100,000 population, Irvine, CA, often ranks as the safest, with a violent crime rate below 40 per 100,000. Other consistently safe large cities include Plano, TX, and Madison, WI. The title shifts year to year based on reporting completeness.
How does population size affect crime rate rankings?
Small cities with a few dozen violent crimes can post very high per-capita rates, while large cities with hundreds of incidents may appear safer on a per-capita basis. For example, Anniston (population <22k) has a rate of 3,434 per 100k, while Memphis (population 630k) has 2,501 per 100k. Population tiers help compare cities of similar size.
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