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Most Dangerous Cities in Missouri 2024

Avg Violent Crime Rate

435
0.9x avg
per 100K (these cities)

Avg Murder Rate

6.3
1.0x avg
per 100K (national: 6.2)

Avg Property Crime Rate

2,300
per 100K (these cities)

Crime Hotspots in Missouri (2024)

These 26 cities reported the highest crime rates in Missouri. On average, they experience 1.0x the national crime rate, with violent crime averaging 435 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.

Full Rankings

# City State Population 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 Kansas City MO 511,437 6,224.4 1,547.4 27.6 +126%
3 Springfield MO 170,527 5,364.0 1,179.3 5.9 +95%
4 Joplin MO 53,533 4,681.2 560.4 0.0 +70%
5 Raytown MO 28,817 4,601.5 864.1 10.4 +67%
6 St. Joseph MO 70,139 4,579.5 728.6 4.3 +66%
7 Grandview MO 25,200 4,460.3 678.6 7.9 +62%
8 Independence MO 120,271 4,095.8 572.0 9.2 +49%
9 Cape Girardeau MO 40,753 3,079.5 623.3 7.4 +12%
10 Blue Springs MO 61,096 2,684.3 235.7 4.9 +-2%
11 Columbia MO 130,354 2,666.6 349.1 10.0 +-3%
12 Lee's Summit MO 105,053 2,443.5 149.5 1.0 +-11%
13 Jefferson City MO 42,561 2,373.1 333.6 0.0 +-14%
14 Belton MO 26,058 2,206.6 333.9 0.0 +-20%
15 Florissant MO 50,695 2,173.8 341.3 4.0 +-21%
16 Liberty MO 30,986 1,775.0 203.3 0.0 +-36%
17 Kirkwood MO 29,082 1,609.2 213.2 0.0 +-42%
18 Maryland Heights MO 27,351 1,499.0 168.2 3.7 +-46%
19 Chesterfield MO 48,907 1,382.2 96.1 2.0 +-50%
20 St. Peters MO 59,993 1,265.2 206.7 1.7 +-54%
21 Raymore MO 26,124 1,259.4 149.3 0.0 +-54%
22 St. Charles MO 72,143 1,023.0 135.8 4.2 +-63%
23 Wentzville MO 48,377 853.7 109.6 2.1 +-69%
24 Nixa MO 26,094 651.5 46.0 0.0 +-76%
25 Ballwin MO 30,171 540.3 56.4 3.3 +-80%
26 O'fallon MO 94,911 538.4 59.0 0.0 +-80%

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 435 per 100K — 0.9x 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 in Missouri 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

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