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Most Dangerous Cities in Arkansas 2024

Avg Violent Crime Rate

668
1.4x avg
per 100K (these cities)

Avg Murder Rate

8.9
1.4x avg
per 100K (national: 6.2)

Avg Property Crime Rate

2,574
per 100K (these cities)

Crime Hotspots in Arkansas (2024)

These 20 cities reported the highest crime rates in Arkansas. On average, they experience 1.2x the national crime rate, with violent crime averaging 668 per 100,000 (national average: 473).

Little Rock, AR tops the list with a total crime rate of 6,887 per 100,000 — 2.5x the national average. Its violent crime rate of 1,672 per 100K is 3.5x the national average.

Full Rankings

# City State Population Total Crime Rate Violent Crime Rate Murder Rate vs National
1 Little Rock AR 204,247 6,886.8 1,672.5 17.6 +150%
2 Pine Bluff AR 38,524 6,128.7 1,580.8 36.3 +123%
3 North Little Rock AR 64,487 5,494.1 1,181.6 29.5 +100%
4 Jacksonville AR 28,958 4,914.0 953.1 20.7 +79%
5 Hot Springs AR 38,001 4,702.5 539.5 15.8 +71%
6 Fort Smith AR 89,977 4,527.8 843.6 0.0 +65%
7 Texarkana AR 29,173 4,397.9 822.7 13.7 +60%
8 Paragould AR 30,814 3,813.2 915.2 3.3 +39%
9 Jonesboro AR 81,256 3,764.7 720.0 6.2 +37%
10 Fayetteville AR 104,089 2,794.7 423.7 7.7 +2%
11 Benton AR 38,408 2,679.1 414.0 0.0 +-3%
12 Conway AR 71,417 2,570.8 523.7 2.8 +-7%
13 Sherwood AR 33,223 2,570.5 635.1 3.0 +-7%
14 Springdale AR 91,630 2,413.0 492.2 4.4 +-12%
15 Russellville AR 29,467 1,734.1 349.5 0.0 +-37%
16 Cabot AR 27,405 1,667.6 354.0 3.7 +-39%
17 Rogers AR 75,307 1,617.4 342.6 1.3 +-41%
18 Bentonville AR 61,109 1,083.3 255.3 4.9 +-61%
19 Bella Vista AR 33,122 691.4 202.3 3.0 +-75%
20 Centerton AR 26,233 385.0 144.9 3.8 +-86%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most dangerous city in Arkansas?

Little Rock, AR has the highest crime rate in Arkansas at 6,886.8 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 668 per 100K — 1.4x 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

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