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Cape Girardeau vs Lake Charles Crime Comparison

Side-by-side crime rates, safety scores, and trends based on FBI data.

Full report: Cape Girardeau crime rate · Lake Charles crime rate

Moving from Cape Girardeau, MO to Lake Charles, LA?

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Is Cape Girardeau or Lake Charles Safer?

According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI data, Cape Girardeau is safer than Lake Charles (Safety Score 18/100 vs 18/100), with a total crime rate of 3,080 per 100,000 versus 3,083 for Lake Charles — 0% lower. Cape Girardeau has lower rates in 4 of 7 crime categories.

The biggest difference is in murder, where Cape Girardeau has a 56% lower rate.

Quiz: which of these is MORE DANGEROUS than Cape Girardeau, MO?

Cape Girardeau — 5-Year Trend

Increasing Violent Decreasing Property Decreasing Total

Lake Charles — 5-Year Trend

Increasing Violent Decreasing Property Decreasing Total

Cape Girardeau, MO

Cape Girardeau, MO
Safety Score 18/100
Coverage 40,753
Total Crime Rate 3,079.5
Category Wins 4/7

Lake Charles, LA

Lake Charles, LA
Safety Score 18/100
Coverage 77,982
Total Crime Rate 3,082.8
Category Wins 3/7

Detailed Crime Rate Comparison

Crime Type Cape Girardeau Lake Charles Difference
Total Crime Rate 3,079.5 3,082.8 -3.2
Violent Crime Rate 623.3 613.0 +10.3
Murder Rate 7.4 16.7 -9.3
Rape Rate 51.5 52.6 -1.1
Robbery Rate 31.9 64.1 -32.2
Aggravated Assault Rate 532.5 479.6 +52.9
Property Crime Rate 2,456.3 2,469.8 -13.5
Burglary Rate 296.9 613.0 -316.1
Larceny-Theft Rate 1,931.2 1,651.7 +279.5
Motor Vehicle Theft Rate 228.2 205.2 +23.0

All rates per 100,000 residents. Source: FBI UCR.

Moving from Cape Girardeau, MO to Lake Charles, LA?

An out-of-state move adds new driver's license, plates, voter registration and deadlines that differ by state. The Moving Checklist Planner dates every task from your move-in day — seven tabs for Google Sheets or Excel, $12 once.

Get the planner →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cape Girardeau or Lake Charles safer?

Cape Girardeau is safer with a total crime rate of 3,080 per 100K vs 3,083 for Lake Charles — a 0% difference.

How do violent crime rates compare?

Cape Girardeau has a violent crime rate of 623.3 per 100K while Lake Charles has 613.0. Lake Charles has lower violent crime.

About Cape Girardeau, MO

Cape Girardeau, Missouri, a city on the Mississippi River, is home to Southeast Missouri State University. Its historic downtown features a vibrant arts scene and overlooks the river, which forms the eastern border of Missouri. With a safety score of 18/100 and a population coverage of 40,753, Cape Girardeau has a total crime rate of 3,079.5 per 100,000 residents.

About Lake Charles, LA

Lake Charles, a port city in southwest Louisiana, is known for its Cajun and Creole culture. It sits on Lake Charles and the Calcasieu River, a hub for the petrochemical industry. With a safety score of 18/100 and a population coverage of 77,982, Lake Charles has a total crime rate of 3,082.8 per 100,000 residents.

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