Violent
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Quick answer
According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI crime data, Muscle Shoals, AL has a Safety Score of 17/100 — higher crime than 83% of US cities — with a total crime rate of 3,171.3 per 100,000 residents, ranking #2,458 of 2,957 US cities and #44 of 60 in Alabama.
Quiz: which of these is SAFER than Muscle Shoals, AL?
Safety Score
Violent Crime Rate
Property Crime Rate
Is Muscle Shoals, Alabama Safe?
Muscle Shoals, Alabama, a small city nestled by the Tennessee River, is renowned for its legendary recording studios, where countless music icons created hits. This Lauderdale County city has a population of around 16,000.
Muscle Shoals has a safety score of 17/100 (High Crime). Based on FBI data, the city reported a total crime rate of 3,171.3 per 100,000 residents, compared to the national average of 2,785.9 per 100,000.
Muscle Shoals ranks #44 out of 60 cities in Alabama and #2458 out of 2957 nationally (safest first). This places it in the 17th percentile for safety — with higher crime than 83% of US cities.
The most elevated crime category in Muscle Shoals is larceny-theft, at 2,685.6 per 100K — 1.6x the national average. Conversely, murder is relatively low at just 0.0x the national rate.
Year over year, Muscle Shoals's total crime rate increased by 2.2%, with violent crime declining 30.3%.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Muscle Shoals Crime Statistics Breakdown
| Crime Type | Incidents | Rate per 100K | National Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime | 33 | 188.6 | 478.2 |
| Murder | 0 | 0.0 | 6.3 |
| Rape | 7 | 40.0 | 43.8 |
| Robbery | 3 | 17.1 | 94.0 |
| Aggravated Assault | 22 | 125.7 | 333.5 |
| Property Crime | 522 | 2,982.7 | 2,307.7 |
| Burglary | 20 | 114.3 | 292.0 |
| Larceny-Theft | 470 | 2,685.6 | 1,657.7 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 32 | 182.9 | 358.0 |
| Arson | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Muscle Shoals vs Alabama Average
How does Muscle Shoals's crime rate compare to the Alabama state average?
| Metric | Muscle Shoals | Alabama Avg | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Rate | 188.6 | 512.5 | -63.2% |
| Property Crime Rate | 2,982.7 | 2,269.3 | +31.4% |
| Murder Rate | 0.0 | 13.1 | -100.0% |
| Total Crime Rate | 3,171.3 | 2,781.8 | +14.0% |
Muscle Shoals Crime Rate Trends
Year-over-year crime rate changes for Muscle Shoals, Alabama.
| Year | Coverage | Total Crime Rate | Violent Crime Rate | Property Crime Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 17,501 | 3,171.3 | 188.6 | 2,982.7 |
| 2023 | 17,368 | 3,103.4 | 270.6 | 2,832.8 |
| 2022 | 16,917 | 2,872.9 | 366.5 | 2,506.4 |
| 2021 | 15,051 | 3,634.3 | 225.9 | 3,408.4 |
| 2020 | 14,737 | 1,180.7 | 81.4 | 1,099.3 |
Muscle Shoals Crime Map — Surrounding Area
City-level crime rates from FBI data for Muscle Shoals and nearby cities — green is safer, red is higher-crime; circle size is population. Not an incident-level map. Full state view: Alabama crime map.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Muscle Shoals, Alabama safe?
Muscle Shoals has a safety score of 17/100, meaning it has less crime than about 17% of US cities in our FBI dataset. With a total crime rate of 3,171.3 per 100,000 residents in 2024, Muscle Shoals is among the highest-crime US cities.
What is the crime rate in Muscle Shoals, Alabama?
According to FBI data for 2024, Muscle Shoals has a violent crime rate of 188.6 per 100,000 and a property crime rate of 2,982.7 per 100,000 residents.
How does Muscle Shoals compare to the national average?
Muscle Shoals's total crime rate of 3,171.3 per 100,000 can be compared to the national average. The data covers 17,501 residents.
What types of crime are most common in Muscle Shoals?
Based on FBI 2024 data, the most reported crimes in Muscle Shoals are larceny-theft (470 reported incidents) and motor vehicle theft (32 reported incidents). Property crime outnumbers violent crime 15.8x in the city.
Is Muscle Shoals safe to visit?
Like any city, Muscle Shoals has areas that are safer than others. The city's overall safety score is 17/100 based on FBI crime data. Standard travel precautions are recommended.