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Quick answer
According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI crime data, Bowling Green, KY has a Safety Score of 17/100 — higher crime than 83% of US cities — with a total crime rate of 3,153.4 per 100,000 residents, ranking #2,449 of 2,957 US cities and #36 of 42 in Kentucky.
Quiz: which of these is MORE DANGEROUS than Bowling Green, KY?
Safety Score
Violent Crime Rate
Property Crime Rate
Is Bowling Green, Kentucky Safe?
Bowling Green, Kentucky, home to Western Kentucky University, sits on the Barren River. This city of over 70,000 residents is also home to the National Corvette Museum.
Bowling Green has a safety score of 17/100 (High Crime). Based on FBI data, the city reported a total crime rate of 3,153.4 per 100,000 residents, compared to the national average of 2,785.9 per 100,000.
Bowling Green ranks #36 out of 42 cities in Kentucky and #2449 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 Bowling Green is rape, at 89.0 per 100K — 2.0x the national average. Conversely, murder is relatively low at just 0.2x the national rate.
Year over year, Bowling Green's total crime rate decreased by 0.5%, with violent crime declining 7%.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Bowling Green Crime Statistics Breakdown
| Crime Type | Incidents | Rate per 100K | National Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime | 174 | 224.5 | 478.2 |
| Murder | 1 | 1.3 | 6.3 |
| Rape | 69 | 89.0 | 43.8 |
| Robbery | 36 | 46.5 | 94.0 |
| Aggravated Assault | 68 | 87.7 | 333.5 |
| Property Crime | 2,270 | 2,928.9 | 2,307.7 |
| Burglary | 264 | 340.6 | 292.0 |
| Larceny-Theft | 1,800 | 2,322.5 | 1,657.7 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 206 | 265.8 | 358.0 |
| Arson | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Bowling Green vs Kentucky Average
How does Bowling Green's crime rate compare to the Kentucky state average?
| Metric | Bowling Green | Kentucky Avg | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Rate | 224.5 | 380.4 | -41.0% |
| Property Crime Rate | 2,928.9 | 2,436.4 | +20.2% |
| Murder Rate | 1.3 | 10.3 | -87.5% |
| Total Crime Rate | 3,153.4 | 2,816.8 | +12.0% |
Bowling Green Crime Rate Trends
Year-over-year crime rate changes for Bowling Green, Kentucky.
| Year | Coverage | Total Crime Rate | Violent Crime Rate | Property Crime Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 77,503 | 3,153.4 | 224.5 | 2,928.9 |
| 2023 | 76,194 | 3,170.9 | 241.5 | 2,929.4 |
| 2022 | 74,427 | 4,151.7 | 296.9 | 3,854.8 |
| 2021 | 71,826 | 4,189.3 | 348.1 | 3,841.2 |
| 2020 | 71,861 | 4,851.0 | 367.4 | 4,483.7 |
| 2019 | 69,627 | 4,962.2 | 294.4 | 4,667.7 |
Bowling Green Crime Map — Surrounding Area
City-level crime rates from FBI data for Bowling Green and nearby cities — green is safer, red is higher-crime; circle size is population. Not an incident-level map. Full state view: Kentucky crime map.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bowling Green, Kentucky safe?
Bowling Green 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 3,153.4 per 100,000 residents in 2024, Bowling Green is among the highest-crime US cities.
What is the crime rate in Bowling Green, Kentucky?
According to FBI data for 2024, Bowling Green has a violent crime rate of 224.5 per 100,000 and a property crime rate of 2,928.9 per 100,000 residents.
How does Bowling Green compare to the national average?
Bowling Green's total crime rate of 3,153.4 per 100,000 can be compared to the national average. The data covers 77,503 residents.
What types of crime are most common in Bowling Green?
Based on FBI 2024 data, the most reported crimes in Bowling Green are larceny-theft (1,800 reported incidents) and burglary (264 reported incidents). Property crime outnumbers violent crime 13.0x in the city.
Is Bowling Green safe to visit?
Like any city, Bowling Green 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.