Iowa Crime Rate & Safety (2024)

FBI-verified crime statistics | Population: 1,595,976 | 0 reporting agencies

Violent Crime Rate

350.8
-26%
per 100K residents

Property Crime Rate

2,046.4
-10%
per 100K residents

Total Crime Rate

2,397.2
#15 of 50
Ranked #15 of 50 states
Source: FBI UCR 2024 Government-Verified Data

Iowa Crime Overview

In 2024, Iowa reported a total crime rate of 2,397.2 per 100,000 residents — 13% below the national average of 2,752.3. This ranks Iowa #15 out of 50 states (safest first).

Compared to the previous year, Iowa's crime rate decreased by 8.9%, with violent crime down 10%.

Within the state, Norwalk is the safest city (crime rate: 289), while Fort Dodge has the highest rate (4,257).

Crime Breakdown

Crime Type Incidents Rate per 100K National Avg
Violent Crime 5,598 350.8 473.3
Murder 40 2.5 6.2
Rape 792 49.6 43.4
Robbery 559 35.0 93.0
Aggravated Assault 4,197 263.0 330.0
Property Crime 32,660 2,046.4 2,279.1
Burglary 4,641 290.8 287.8
Larceny-Theft 24,719 1,548.8 1,638.9
Motor Vehicle Theft 3,300 206.8 352.4
Arson 0 0.0 0.0

Cities in Iowa by Crime Rate

Cities ranked from safest to most dangerous (population 10,000+).

# City Population Total Crime Rate Violent Crime Rate Safety Score
1 Norwalk 15,588 288.7 109.1 94/100
2 North Liberty 21,635 466.8 69.3 91/100
3 Marion 42,420 620.0 122.6 88/100
4 Urbandale 47,119 725.8 91.3 86/100
5 Pleasant Hill 12,137 766.3 173.0 86/100
6 Waukee 34,520 782.2 142.0 85/100
7 Johnston 24,819 826.0 76.6 84/100
8 Bettendorf 40,105 974.9 107.2 82/100
9 Lemars 10,624 1,016.6 94.1 81/100
10 Carroll 10,118 1,018.0 39.5 81/100
11 Waverly 10,611 1,027.2 141.4 81/100
12 Oskaloosa 11,419 1,042.1 140.1 81/100
13 Spencer 11,501 1,043.4 52.2 81/100
14 Pella 10,940 1,060.3 109.7 80/100
15 Ankeny 76,547 1,187.5 165.9 78/100
16 Clive 19,124 1,375.2 209.2 75/100
17 Muscatine 23,208 1,473.6 245.6 73/100
18 Ames 65,426 1,653.8 148.3 69/100
19 Indianola 16,104 1,744.9 273.2 68/100
20 Newton 15,611 1,774.4 384.3 67/100
21 Dubuque 58,620 1,835.6 400.9 66/100
22 West Des Moines 73,334 1,879.1 165.0 65/100
23 Storm Lake 11,494 1,966.2 287.1 64/100
24 Iowa City 75,934 1,995.2 321.3 63/100
25 Marshalltown 27,576 2,070.6 297.4 62/100
26 Altoona 22,422 2,154.1 142.7 60/100
27 Coralville 24,033 2,197.0 133.2 60/100
28 Burlington 23,444 2,239.4 413.8 59/100
29 Mason City 26,786 2,546.1 224.0 53/100
30 Council Bluffs 62,269 2,873.0 420.8 47/100
31 Waterloo 66,385 2,920.8 476.0 46/100
32 Cedar Rapids 135,363 2,951.3 262.3 46/100
33 Ottumwa 25,185 3,013.7 397.1 45/100
34 Clinton 24,171 3,086.3 359.9 43/100
35 Des Moines 209,245 3,831.4 704.9 30/100
36 Sioux City 85,711 3,881.7 557.7 29/100
37 Davenport 99,926 4,123.1 582.4 25/100
38 Fort Dodge 24,502 4,256.8 1,061.1 22/100

Iowa Crime Rate Trends

Year Population Total Crime Rate Violent Crime Rate Property Crime Rate
2024 1,595,976 2,397.2 350.8 2,046.4
2023 1,586,418 2,632.7 389.8 2,243.0
2022 1,577,618 2,486.9 382.6 2,104.3
2021 1,628,553 2,624.4 391.4 2,233.0
2020 1,631,409 2,991.3 425.6 2,565.7
2019 1,554,639 3,075.5 382.6 2,692.9

Iowa vs Neighboring States

How does Iowa's crime rate compare to its neighbors?

State Total Crime Rate Violent Crime Rate Property Crime Rate vs Iowa
Iowa 2,397.2 350.8 2,046.4 —
Wisconsin 2,077.7 430.5 1,647.2 -13.3%
Illinois 2,482.9 356.4 2,126.5 +3.6%
Minnesota 2,541.1 341.7 2,199.4 +6.0%
Nebraska 2,778.5 312.5 2,466.0 +15.9%
South Dakota 2,931.1 455.0 2,476.1 +22.3%
Missouri 3,621.5 679.8 2,941.8 +51.1%

Among neighboring states, Wisconsin has the lowest crime rate (2,078 per 100K). Missouri has the highest (3,622 per 100K).

More Iowa Crime Data

Safest cities in Iowa Most dangerous cities in Iowa All state crime statistics