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Quick answer
According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI crime data, Galesburg, IL has a Safety Score of 13/100 — higher crime than 87% of US cities — with a total crime rate of 3,478.4 per 100,000 residents, ranking #2,571 of 2,957 US cities and #173 of 183 in Illinois.
Quiz: which of these is SAFER than Galesburg, IL?
Safety Score
Violent Crime Rate
Property Crime Rate
Is Galesburg, Illinois Safe?
Galesburg, Illinois, a city in Knox County, is known as the birthplace of Carl Sandburg. Situated in west-central Illinois, its population is around 30,000.
Galesburg has a safety score of 13/100 (High Crime). Based on FBI data, the city reported a total crime rate of 3,478.4 per 100,000 residents, compared to the national average of 2,785.9 per 100,000.
Galesburg ranks #173 out of 183 cities in Illinois and #2571 out of 2957 nationally (safest first). This places it in the 13th percentile for safety — with higher crime than 87% of US cities.
The most elevated crime category in Galesburg is rape, at 145.5 per 100K — 3.3x the national average. Conversely, robbery is relatively low at just 0.2x the national rate.
Year over year, Galesburg's total crime rate increased by 60.4%, with violent crime rising 80.8%.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Galesburg Crime Statistics Breakdown
| Crime Type | Incidents | Rate per 100K | National Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime | 148 | 512.8 | 478.2 |
| Murder | 2 | 6.9 | 6.3 |
| Rape | 42 | 145.5 | 43.8 |
| Robbery | 6 | 20.8 | 94.0 |
| Aggravated Assault | 98 | 339.5 | 333.5 |
| Property Crime | 856 | 2,965.6 | 2,307.7 |
| Burglary | 209 | 724.1 | 292.0 |
| Larceny-Theft | 597 | 2,068.3 | 1,657.7 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 50 | 173.2 | 358.0 |
| Arson | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Galesburg vs Illinois Average
How does Galesburg's crime rate compare to the Illinois state average?
| Metric | Galesburg | Illinois Avg | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Rate | 512.8 | 356.9 | +43.7% |
| Property Crime Rate | 2,965.6 | 2,129.2 | +39.3% |
| Murder Rate | 6.9 | 7.9 | -12.1% |
| Total Crime Rate | 3,478.4 | 2,486.1 | +39.9% |
Galesburg Crime Rate Trends
Year-over-year crime rate changes for Galesburg, Illinois.
| Year | Coverage | Total Crime Rate | Violent Crime Rate | Property Crime Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 28,864 | 3,478.4 | 512.8 | 2,965.6 |
| 2023 | 28,917 | 2,168.3 | 283.6 | 1,884.7 |
| 2020 | 29,985 | 3,942.0 | 480.2 | 3,461.7 |
| 2019 | 30,220 | 4,589.7 | 456.7 | 4,133.0 |
Galesburg Crime Map — Surrounding Area
City-level crime rates from FBI data for Galesburg and nearby cities — green is safer, red is higher-crime; circle size is population. Not an incident-level map. Full state view: Illinois crime map.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Galesburg, Illinois safe?
Galesburg has a safety score of 13/100, meaning it has less crime than about 13% of US cities in our FBI dataset. With a total crime rate of 3,478.4 per 100,000 residents in 2024, Galesburg is among the highest-crime US cities.
What is the crime rate in Galesburg, Illinois?
According to FBI data for 2024, Galesburg has a violent crime rate of 512.8 per 100,000 and a property crime rate of 2,965.6 per 100,000 residents.
How does Galesburg compare to the national average?
Galesburg's total crime rate of 3,478.4 per 100,000 can be compared to the national average. The data covers 28,864 residents.
What types of crime are most common in Galesburg?
Based on FBI 2024 data, the most reported crimes in Galesburg are larceny-theft (597 reported incidents) and burglary (209 reported incidents). Property crime outnumbers violent crime 5.8x in the city.
Is Galesburg safe to visit?
Like any city, Galesburg has areas that are safer than others. The city's overall safety score is 13/100 based on FBI crime data. Standard travel precautions are recommended.