Most Dangerous Cities in Iowa

These 38 cities reported the highest violent crime rates in Iowa. Violent crime averages 266 per 100,000 — 0.6x the national average of 478 — and total crime averages 1,860 per 100,000 (national: 2,786).

See how Iowa's cities compare nationally in our ranking of the most dangerous cities in America.

Fort Dodge, IA crime rate: 1,061 violent crimes per 100,000 tops this list — 2.2x the national average. Its total crime rate (violent + property) is 4,257 per 100K.

The city with the highest violent crime rate in Iowa, Fort Dodge, IA, reports 1,061 violent crimes per 100K residents — 2.2x the national average of 478. The city ranked #38 on this list, Carroll (IA), has a violent crime rate of 40 per 100K.

Both violent and property crime contribute to these elevated rates. The average murder rate across these cities is 2.2 per 100K (0.4x national average), while property crime averages 1,594 per 100K. In many of these cities, property crime accounts for the majority of total offenses, though the violent crime rate draws the most attention.

It's important to note that citywide statistics can be misleading. Crime is rarely distributed evenly — most cities have neighborhoods that are quite safe alongside areas with concentrated challenges. A high citywide rate doesn't mean every resident faces equal risk. Individual city pages provide additional context including year-over-year trends.

On our Safety Score scale (1–100, where 50 is the national average), these cities average 51/100, with the highest-crime city scoring 7/100. These scores reflect the combined impact of both violent and property crime relative to national norms. Cities with scores below 20 have crime rates more than 1.6 times the national average.

The 38 cities with the highest violent crime rates in Iowa average 1,860 total crimes per 100,000 residents — 0.7x the national average of 2,786. Violent crime is particularly elevated at 266 per 100K, which is 0.6x the national violent crime rate.

The median city on this list — Pleasant Hill, IA — reports a crime rate of 766 per 100K. 27 of these cities have populations under 50,000, where even a small number of incidents can significantly affect the per-capita rate.

Context matters when interpreting these numbers. High crime rates often correlate with socioeconomic factors including poverty, unemployment, and inequality rather than reflecting the character of residents. Crime reporting practices also vary — cities with well-funded police departments tend to record more incidents. IA has 38 cities on this list.

These rankings are based on data from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, which collects crime statistics from law enforcement agencies nationwide. We use the most recent available data and include only cities with a population of 10,000 or more to ensure statistical reliability — smaller towns with very few incidents can produce misleadingly extreme rates.

Cities are ranked by violent crime rate per 100,000 residents — murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault — because that is what most people mean by a "dangerous" city. Total crime (violent + property) is shown alongside: a city with a lot of shoplifting and car break-ins can have a high total rate without being dangerous to the people who live there. Using per-capita rates rather than raw counts ensures fair comparison regardless of city size. The 38 cities listed here represent a combined population of 1,595,976 residents.

For a full explanation of our data sources, safety score formula, and methodology, visit our methodology page.

Crime statistics can be difficult to interpret without context. A total crime rate of 2,000 per 100,000 means that in a city of 100,000 people, approximately 2,000 crimes were reported to police in a given year. This includes everything from petty theft to violent assault. Not all crimes are reported, so actual rates may be higher — the FBI estimates that roughly half of violent crimes and a third of property crimes go unreported.

For the highest-crime cities on this list, the average total crime rate of 1,860 per 100K means roughly 1.9% of the population experiences a reported crime annually. The violent crime rate of 266 per 100K translates to about 0.3% of residents — or roughly 1 in 376 — though crime is not evenly distributed across neighborhoods.

Our Safety Score simplifies these numbers into a single 1–100 scale. A score of 50 equals the national average, and every 10 points above or below represents a meaningful difference in risk. The score accounts for both violent and property crime, weighted by their per-capita rates against national benchmarks.

When using these rankings for decisions about relocation, travel, or investment, consider consulting multiple data points: crime trends over time (available on each city's individual page), the specific types of crime most prevalent in each area, neighborhood-level variation, and quality-of-life factors beyond crime statistics. No single number tells the complete story of any community, but per-capita rates from a verified source like the FBI provide the most objective starting point available.

In these 38 highest-crime cities, both violent and property crime exceed national norms substantially. The average violent crime rate of 266 per 100K is 0.6x the national average, while property crime averages 1,594 per 100K. Aggravated assault is typically the most common violent crime, followed by robbery, while larceny-theft dominates property crime categories.

The distinction matters because violent and property crime have different impacts on daily life and different underlying causes. Violent crime tends to concentrate in specific neighborhoods and time periods, often linked to interpersonal disputes, drug markets, or gang activity. Property crime is more widely distributed geographically. Understanding which type of crime drives a city's ranking provides more actionable information than the total rate alone.

High-crime cities often show more volatility in their year-to-year statistics than the national average. Some cities on this list have seen significant improvements in recent years due to targeted policing strategies, community investment programs, or economic development. Others continue to face persistent challenges. National trends in violent crime, drug trafficking, and economic inequality all influence which cities appear on this list from year to year.

To see whether a specific city on this list is improving or worsening, click its name in the table above to view detailed trend charts covering multiple years. A city with a high current rate but a strong downward trend tells a very different story than one with a rising trajectory. We encourage using these trends alongside the current snapshot when forming conclusions about any community's safety profile.

The 38 cities with the highest violent crime rates span 1 states. IA (38 cities). The concentration of high-crime cities in certain states often reflects broader regional challenges including economic inequality, urbanization patterns, and historical factors.

City sizes on this list vary considerably, from smaller cities around 10,118 to major metros. 27 cities have populations under 50,000, where a relatively small number of incidents can disproportionately affect per-capita rates. The combined population of these 38 cities is 1,595,976.