Top 70 Most Dangerous Cities in Missouri 2024 (FBI Data)

Quick answer

According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI 2024 crime data, the most dangerous city in Missouri is St. Louis City, MO with a total crime rate of 7,075.9 per 100,000 residents. These 70 cities average 2,337 per 100,000 — 0.8x the national average of 2,752.

Crime Hotspots in Missouri (2024)

These 70 cities reported the highest crime rates in Missouri. On average, they experience 0.8x the national crime rate, with violent crime averaging 347 per 100,000 (national average: 473).

St. Louis City, MO tops the list with a total crime rate of 7,076 per 100,000 — 2.6x the national average. Its violent crime rate of 1,369 per 100K is 2.9x the national average.

Key Findings: 2024 Highest Crime Rates

The city with the highest crime rate in Missouri, St. Louis City, MO, reports 7,076 crimes per 100K residents — 2.6x the national average. The city ranked #70 on this list, Poplar Bluff (MO), has a rate of 248, still significantly above the national average of 2,752.

Both violent and property crime contribute to these elevated rates. The average murder rate across these cities is 4.4 per 100K (0.7x national average), while property crime averages 1,991 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 44/100, with the highest-crime city scoring 1/100. 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.

Understanding These Crime Rates

The 70 cities with the highest crime rates in Missouri average 2,337 total crimes per 100,000 residents — 0.8x the national average of 2,752. Violent crime is particularly elevated at 347 per 100K, which is 0.7x the national violent crime rate.

The median city on this list — Liberty, MO — reports a crime rate of 1,775 per 100K. 57 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. MO has 70 cities on this list.

Full Rankings

#	City	State	Coverage	Total Crime Rate	Violent Crime Rate	Murder Rate	vs National
1	St. Louis City	MO	277,294	7,075.9	1,368.9	54.1	+157%
2	Branson	MO	12,982	6,493.6	477.6	0.0	+136%
3	Bridgeton	MO	11,206	6,407.3	651.4	8.9	+133%
4	Kansas City	MO	511,437	6,224.4	1,547.4	27.6	+126%
5	Springfield	MO	170,527	5,364.0	1,179.3	5.9	+95%
6	Joplin	MO	53,533	4,681.2	560.4	0.0	+70%
7	Sikeston	MO	16,026	4,654.9	1,029.6	0.0	+69%
8	Raytown	MO	28,817	4,601.5	864.1	10.4	+67%
9	St. Joseph	MO	70,139	4,579.5	728.6	4.3	+66%
10	Grandview	MO	25,200	4,460.3	678.6	7.9	+62%
11	Ferguson	MO	17,835	4,210.8	712.1	33.6	+53%
12	Independence	MO	120,271	4,095.8	572.0	9.2	+49%
13	Bellefontaine Neighbors	MO	10,263	3,692.9	945.1	19.5	+34%
14	Sedalia	MO	22,201	3,180.0	545.0	9.0	+16%
15	Cape Girardeau	MO	40,753	3,079.5	623.3	7.4	+12%
16	Farmington	MO	18,574	3,074.2	323.0	0.0	+12%
17	Hazelwood	MO	24,678	3,010.8	490.3	12.2	+9%
18	Warrensburg	MO	19,785	2,936.6	313.4	5.1	+7%
19	Rolla	MO	20,591	2,913.9	374.0	0.0	+6%
20	Hannibal	MO	16,762	2,762.2	358.0	0.0	+0%
21	Excelsior Springs	MO	10,621	2,721.0	329.5	0.0	+-1%
22	Union	MO	13,209	2,717.8	393.7	0.0	+-1%
23	Overland	MO	15,358	2,715.2	533.9	19.5	+-1%
24	Blue Springs	MO	61,096	2,684.3	235.7	4.9	+-2%
25	Columbia	MO	130,354	2,666.6	349.1	10.0	+-3%
26	Lebanon	MO	15,567	2,473.2	417.6	0.0	+-10%
27	Lee's Summit	MO	105,053	2,443.5	149.5	1.0	+-11%
28	Neosho	MO	13,581	2,415.1	272.4	0.0	+-12%
29	Jefferson City	MO	42,561	2,373.1	333.6	0.0	+-14%
30	Kirksville	MO	17,472	2,352.3	417.8	5.7	+-15%
31	Webb City	MO	13,406	2,349.7	223.8	0.0	+-15%
32	Belton	MO	26,058	2,206.6	333.9	0.0	+-20%
33	Florissant	MO	50,695	2,173.8	341.3	4.0	+-21%
34	West Plains	MO	12,734	2,167.4	361.2	0.0	+-21%
35	Creve Coeur	MO	18,340	1,881.1	163.6	0.0	+-32%
36	Liberty	MO	30,986	1,775.0	203.3	0.0	+-36%
37	St. Ann	MO	12,547	1,617.9	406.5	8.0	+-41%
38	Kirkwood	MO	29,082	1,609.2	213.2	0.0	+-42%
39	Crestwood	MO	12,103	1,586.4	99.2	0.0	+-42%
40	Monett	MO	10,133	1,529.7	128.3	0.0	+-44%
41	Maryland Heights	MO	27,351	1,499.0	168.2	3.7	+-46%
42	Washington	MO	15,707	1,496.2	254.7	6.4	+-46%
43	Carthage	MO	15,549	1,459.9	173.6	0.0	+-47%
44	Grain Valley	MO	16,930	1,405.8	177.2	0.0	+-49%
45	Chesterfield	MO	48,907	1,382.2	96.1	2.0	+-50%
46	Manchester	MO	17,912	1,345.5	44.7	5.6	+-51%
47	Moberly	MO	13,206	1,340.3	318.0	0.0	+-51%
48	Fulton	MO	12,431	1,295.2	209.2	0.0	+-53%
49	Town And Country	MO	11,523	1,267.0	26.0	0.0	+-54%
50	St. Peters	MO	59,993	1,265.2	206.7	1.7	+-54%
51	Raymore	MO	26,124	1,259.4	149.3	0.0	+-54%
52	Festus	MO	13,693	1,212.3	182.6	0.0	+-56%
53	Bolivar	MO	11,523	1,197.6	173.6	0.0	+-56%
54	Republic	MO	20,578	1,185.7	126.4	0.0	+-57%
55	Marshall	MO	13,591	1,155.2	139.8	0.0	+-58%
56	Troy	MO	15,240	1,122.1	144.4	0.0	+-59%
57	Jackson	MO	15,842	1,117.3	82.1	0.0	+-59%
58	St. Charles	MO	72,143	1,023.0	135.8	4.2	+-63%
59	Eureka	MO	13,566	995.1	132.7	0.0	+-64%
60	Clayton	MO	17,501	897.1	102.9	0.0	+-67%
61	Smithville	MO	10,888	890.9	183.7	0.0	+-68%
62	Wentzville	MO	48,377	853.7	109.6	2.1	+-69%
63	Kearney	MO	11,267	825.4	213.0	0.0	+-70%
64	Webster Groves	MO	23,271	769.2	120.3	0.0	+-72%
65	Ozark	MO	23,432	763.9	81.1	0.0	+-72%
66	Lake St. Louis	MO	19,334	662.1	56.9	0.0	+-76%
67	Nixa	MO	26,094	651.5	46.0	0.0	+-76%
68	Ballwin	MO	30,171	540.3	56.4	3.3	+-80%
69	O'fallon	MO	94,911	538.4	59.0	0.0	+-80%
70	Poplar Bluff	MO	16,108	248.3	37.3	12.4	+-91%

More Rankings

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How These Rankings Are Calculated

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 (2024) and include only cities with a population of 25,000 or more to ensure statistical reliability — small towns with very few incidents can produce misleadingly extreme rates.

Cities are ranked by total crime rate per 100,000 residents, which combines both violent crime (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) and property crime (burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, arson). Using per-capita rates rather than raw counts ensures fair comparison regardless of city size. The 70 cities listed here represent a combined population of 2,892,993 residents.

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

What the Numbers Mean

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 2,337 per 100K means roughly 2.3% of the population experiences a reported crime annually. The violent crime rate of 347 per 100K translates to about 0.3% of residents — or roughly 1 in 289 — 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.

Violent Crime vs Property Crime

In these 70 highest-crime cities, both violent and property crime exceed national norms substantially. The average violent crime rate of 347 per 100K is 0.7x the national average, while property crime averages 1,991 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most dangerous city in Missouri?

St. Louis City, MO has the highest crime rate in Missouri at 7,075.9 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 347 per 100K — 0.7x 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.

Are these cities always dangerous?

No. Crime rates fluctuate year to year, and many cities on this list have seen improvements over time. These rankings reflect 2024 data specifically. Visit individual city pages to see multi-year trends and whether crime is rising or falling in each location.

What types of crime drive these rankings?

Rankings are based on total crime rate, which includes both violent and property crime. Among these 70 cities, the average violent crime rate is 347 per 100K (0.7x the national average) and the average property crime rate is 1,991 per 100K. Property crime is typically more common, but violent crime carries greater weight in public perception.

How 2024 Compares to Previous Years

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.

Geographic Distribution

The 70 cities with the highest crime rates span 1 states. MO (70 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 25,000 to major metros. 57 cities have populations under 50,000, where a relatively small number of incidents can disproportionately affect per-capita rates. The combined population of these 70 cities is 2,892,993.

Most Dangerous Cities in Missouri