Most Dangerous Cities in America 2024

Avg Violent Crime Rate

947
2.0x avg
per 100K (these cities)

Avg Murder Rate

14.6
2.4x avg
per 100K (national: 6.2)

Avg Property Crime Rate

4,586
per 100K (these cities)

Crime Hotspots in America (2024)

These 100 cities reported the highest crime rates in America. On average, they experience 2.0x the national crime rate, with violent crime averaging 947 per 100,000 (national average: 473).

Memphis, TN tops the list with a total crime rate of 9,407 per 100,000 — 3.4x the national average. Its violent crime rate of 2,508 per 100K is 5.3x the national average.

Full Rankings

# City State Population Total Crime Rate Violent Crime Rate Murder Rate vs National
1 Memphis TN 613,207 9,406.9 2,508.0 40.6 +242%
2 Alexandria LA 42,933 9,309.9 2,713.5 37.3 +238%
3 Oakland CA 435,042 9,155.7 1,925.3 18.6 +233%
4 Roseville MN 35,507 8,896.8 399.9 0.0 +223%
5 East Point GA 38,222 7,869.8 1,203.5 78.5 +186%
6 Monroe LA 46,290 7,625.8 1,892.4 15.1 +177%
7 Danville IL 27,905 7,360.7 1,684.3 3.6 +167%
8 Dover DE 40,087 7,082.1 1,012.8 17.5 +157%
9 St. Louis City MO 277,294 7,075.9 1,368.9 54.1 +157%
10 Goldsboro NC 33,444 6,940.0 1,076.4 44.9 +152%
11 Little Rock AR 204,247 6,886.8 1,672.5 17.6 +150%
12 Myrtle Beach SC 41,022 6,767.1 1,111.6 12.2 +146%
13 Spartanburg Department SC 39,186 6,719.2 1,490.3 5.1 +144%
14 Tacoma WA 223,980 6,666.7 1,063.0 9.8 +142%
15 South Salt Lake UT 25,930 6,641.0 767.5 7.7 +141%
16 Culver City CA 38,514 6,530.1 667.3 0.0 +137%
17 Pueblo CO 110,805 6,367.9 1,425.9 17.2 +131%
18 Lynnwood WA 45,807 6,330.9 266.3 8.7 +130%
19 Minneapolis MN 423,282 6,304.5 1,161.6 18.0 +129%
20 Anderson SC 30,150 6,265.3 560.5 3.3 +128%
21 Kansas City MO 511,437 6,224.4 1,547.4 27.6 +126%
22 Pine Bluff AR 38,524 6,128.7 1,580.8 36.3 +123%
23 Detroit MI 651,171 6,086.9 1,781.6 31.2 +121%
24 Salt Lake City UT 212,675 6,064.2 864.2 5.2 +120%
25 Santa Fe NM 89,652 5,998.8 842.2 4.5 +118%
26 Cleveland OH 362,762 5,987.4 1,561.1 30.1 +118%
27 Englewood CO 34,496 5,907.9 655.2 0.0 +115%
28 Springfield OH 57,911 5,886.6 1,371.1 6.9 +114%
29 Lakewood CO 155,868 5,883.8 790.4 2.6 +114%
30 Berkeley CA 117,400 5,868.8 639.7 6.0 +113%
31 Springfield IL 111,965 5,812.5 901.2 8.0 +111%
32 Albuquerque NM 558,745 5,810.9 1,182.1 18.4 +111%
33 Seattle WA 760,058 5,783.1 775.5 6.8 +110%
34 Baltimore MD 566,632 5,763.2 1,606.2 34.8 +109%
35 Denver CO 722,031 5,754.7 993.2 9.8 +109%
36 Dayton OH 134,857 5,673.4 1,339.2 29.7 +106%
37 Nashville Metro TN 698,987 5,633.6 1,124.1 14.6 +105%
38 Peoria IL 109,677 5,629.3 1,344.9 12.8 +105%
39 Las Cruces NM 115,977 5,594.2 720.8 12.1 +103%
40 Santa Monica CA 88,948 5,572.9 782.5 4.5 +102%
41 Spokane WA 229,529 5,518.3 677.5 7.0 +100%
42 North Little Rock AR 64,487 5,494.1 1,181.6 29.5 +100%
43 Philadelphia PA 1,549,259 5,458.5 910.3 16.9 +98%
44 Houston TX 2,319,160 5,441.7 1,148.3 13.8 +98%
45 Lafayette LA 121,471 5,413.6 1,066.1 14.8 +97%
46 Springfield MO 170,527 5,364.0 1,179.3 5.9 +95%
47 Birmingham AL 195,418 5,278.9 1,247.6 58.9 +92%
48 Holyoke MA 38,232 5,273.1 1,041.0 7.9 +92%
49 Laurel MD 29,209 5,255.2 393.7 6.9 +91%
50 Alameda CA 74,458 5,231.1 317.0 8.1 +90%
51 Shreveport LA 175,092 5,220.1 1,229.6 26.8 +90%
52 San Antonio TX 1,514,458 5,219.0 595.3 8.4 +90%
53 Douglasville GA 40,595 5,168.1 532.1 7.4 +88%
54 Cheltenham Township PA 38,819 5,123.8 200.9 0.0 +86%
55 Lagrange GA 32,833 5,113.8 633.5 3.1 +86%
56 Flint Township MI 30,751 5,099.0 930.1 6.5 +85%
57 Syracuse NY 145,175 4,999.5 765.3 15.2 +82%
58 Beverly Hills CA 30,457 4,951.2 512.2 0.0 +80%
59 Salisbury NC 36,564 4,947.5 960.0 30.1 +80%
60 Wheat Ridge CO 31,615 4,947.0 480.8 0.0 +80%
61 Federal Way WA 96,631 4,917.7 545.4 5.2 +79%
62 Jacksonville AR 28,958 4,914.0 953.1 20.7 +79%
63 Garner NC 36,720 4,872.0 364.9 2.7 +77%
64 Jackson MI 30,704 4,810.5 1,074.8 9.8 +75%
65 Sumter SC 42,551 4,803.7 1,097.5 23.5 +75%
66 Burlington VT 44,456 4,768.8 479.1 2.3 +73%
67 North Charleston SC 123,511 4,767.2 811.3 17.0 +73%
68 Chattanooga TN 188,894 4,766.7 824.3 12.7 +73%
69 Rocky Mount NC 54,223 4,745.2 765.4 12.9 +72%
70 Vallejo CA 121,795 4,732.5 742.2 16.4 +72%
71 Florence SC 40,781 4,725.2 806.8 14.7 +72%
72 Hot Springs AR 38,001 4,702.5 539.5 15.8 +71%
73 Asheville NC 95,219 4,691.3 796.1 12.6 +70%
74 Elmira NY 26,130 4,684.3 547.3 3.8 +70%
75 Joplin MO 53,533 4,681.2 560.4 0.0 +70%
76 Cincinnati OH 311,599 4,677.8 848.5 21.8 +70%
77 Roanoke City VA 97,027 4,676.0 620.5 11.3 +70%
78 Kansas City KS 153,363 4,655.0 1,048.5 12.4 +69%
79 Valdosta GA 54,896 4,634.2 555.6 7.3 +68%
80 Moses Lake WA 26,624 4,631.2 394.4 22.5 +68%
81 Portsmouth VA 97,156 4,613.2 752.4 37.1 +68%
82 Raytown MO 28,817 4,601.5 864.1 10.4 +67%
83 Bossier City LA 62,750 4,592.8 913.2 11.2 +67%
84 St. Joseph MO 70,139 4,579.5 728.6 4.3 +66%
85 Canton OH 68,725 4,576.2 1,121.9 2.9 +66%
86 Riviera Beach FL 39,021 4,574.5 943.1 17.9 +66%
87 Tulsa OK 411,274 4,570.7 942.9 9.5 +66%
88 Hobbs NM 38,972 4,544.3 792.9 20.5 +65%
89 Fort Smith AR 89,977 4,527.8 843.6 0.0 +65%
90 Aiken SC 33,221 4,527.3 568.9 12.0 +64%
91 San Francisco CA 802,856 4,525.6 596.5 4.4 +64%
92 Buffalo NY 273,728 4,516.5 706.9 12.4 +64%
93 Rapid City SD 80,957 4,516.0 723.8 6.2 +64%
94 Washington Metropolitan DC 702,250 4,513.9 925.9 25.5 +64%
95 Auburn WA 82,838 4,512.4 544.4 12.1 +64%
96 Topeka KS 125,156 4,499.2 856.5 16.0 +63%
97 San Leandro CA 84,200 4,471.5 548.7 4.8 +62%
98 Grandview MO 25,200 4,460.3 678.6 7.9 +62%
99 Beaumont TX 111,320 4,439.5 1,137.3 12.6 +61%
100 Charlotte - Mecklenburg NC 1,003,130 4,439.0 733.7 10.9 +61%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most dangerous city in America?

Memphis, TN has the highest crime rate in America at 9,406.9 per 100,000 residents in 2024.

What makes a city dangerous?

High crime rates, particularly violent crime, indicate elevated risk. Cities on this list average a violent crime rate of 947 per 100K — 2.0x the national average of 473.

Is the crime rate getting worse?

Crime trends vary by city. Some cities on this list have seen decreasing rates in recent years while others have increased. Visit individual city pages for year-over-year trend data.

See Also

Safest cities Crime statistics by state Compare two cities

Understanding High Crime Rates

High crime rates often correlate with factors like poverty, unemployment, population density, and policing resources — not a city's inherent character. Many cities on this list have neighborhoods that are quite safe, while others face concentrated challenges in specific areas.

Crime rates also reflect reporting practices: cities with well-funded police departments may report more crimes than those with fewer resources.

Most Dangerous Cities by State

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming District of Columbia