As the country enters a new cycle, it is time to review the state of internal safety around the country. Over the last decade, we have consistently seen that the most dangerous areas for policing all share certain characteristics: they are large cities with impoverished neighborhoods and insufficiently staffed police forces.
Solving these issues may go beyond an individual police officer’s ability. However, they are the ones who deal with the resulting dangers more often, all in the name of protecting and serving their communities.
10 U.S. Cities with the Worst Crime Rate
So which cities in the United States are the most dangerous for the residents and the police officers who protect them? According to 2024 FBI data, these are the top 10 U.S. cities with the worst crime rates.
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis has emerged as a concerning addition to the list of cities struggling with violent crime. With a violent crime rate of 1,589 per 100,000 residents, the city faces significant challenges. In 2023, Indianapolis recorded 216 homicides, marking one of its deadliest years. The city’s poverty rate of 10.6% contributes to the complex social issues underlying these statistics.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque’s crime rates have risen steadily in recent years, with a violent crime rate of 1,369 per 100,000 residents. The city reported 150 homicides in 2023, and property crimes remain significantly above the national average. With a poverty rate of 16.5%, the city continues to grapple with both violent and property crimes.
Stockton, California
Stockton faces persistent challenges with violent crime, recording a rate of 1,414 per 100,000 residents. This small city of just 320,000 never truly recovered from its recent economic problems. After going bankrupt in 2012, Stockton has struggled with unemployment and police funding alike.
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland’s violent crime rate stands at 1,556 per 100,000 residents, with 170 homicides recorded in 2023. The city’s poverty rate of 29.3% is one of the highest among major U.S. cities, contributing to ongoing public safety challenges and straining law enforcement resources.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee continues to struggle with violent crime, reporting a rate of 1,597 per 100,000 residents. Alongside climbing crime and homicide rates, the city is also seeing its population decline year by year. As a result, the city faces interconnected challenges of economic hardship and public safety.
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City’s violent crime situation has worsened since 2019, with a current rate of 1,485 per 100,000 residents. The city reached a record 182 homicides in 2023, surpassing previous years. This has cemented its position as the city with the 8th highest homicide rate in the country.
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis continues to face severe challenges with violent crime, recording a rate of 2,057 per 100,000 residents. The city reported 398 homicides in 2023, which represents 63 murders per 100,000 residents. The poverty rate of 22.6% remains a significant factor in the city’s crime challenges.
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore has unfortunately cemented its position as one of America’s most dangerous cities, with a violent crime rate of 1605 per 100,000 residents. In 2023, the city recorded 262 homicides, demonstrating persistent challenges in violent crime reduction. The poverty rate of 19.6% continues to impact public safety efforts.
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit’s struggles with violent crime continue, with a rate of 2,059 per 100,000 residents. However, the city also reported 252 homicides in 2023, which is the lowest yearly number since 1966. And yet, this positive uptick is fragile: Detroit’s homelessness rate has increased by 9% over the past year, and its unemployment rate is decreasing much more slowly than the rest of the country. The economic emergency may not just push more residents towards crime, but it may also hinder the city’s efforts to fight it.
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis has retained its position as one of the nation’s most dangerous cities for over 6 years in a row, with a violent crime rate of 2,082 per 100,000 residents. The city recorded 201 homicides in 2023, and while this represents a slight decrease from previous years, the overall violent crime rate remains the highest among major U.S. cities. The poverty rate of 21.8% continues to present challenges for law enforcement and community safety initiatives.
This post has been updated with the latest crime statistics for 2024. Original blog published July 10, 2019
It is no secret that some of the most dangerous areas for policing are large cities with impoverished neighborhoods. The reasons for high crime rates are many, but for the police officers who patrol the streets, their job is to protect and serve the community regardless of the reasons crimes occur.
U.S. Cities with the Worst Crime Rate
So which cities in the United States have the worst crime rates and are the most dangerous for the police officers who protect them? Here are the top 5 U.S. cities with the worst crime rates.
Kansas City
Kansas City ranks as the fifth most dangerous city in the United States. Kansas City has a poverty rate of 18.3% and where poverty is high, so is crime. In 2017, 150 homicides were reported while the violent crime rate was 1,724 per 100,000.
Memphis
Memphis has a poverty rate of over 27% which helps explain why it is the fourth most dangerous city in the United States. 181 homicides were committed in Memphis in 2017, while the crime rate per 100,000 residents was 2,003.
Baltimore
Year after year, Baltimore is notorious for being one of the most dangerous cities in the United States. In 2017, a staggering 342 homicides were committed in Baltimore, making it the third most dangerous city in the country. The violent crime rate remains one of the highest for U.S. major cities at 2,027 per 100,000.
Detroit
Since the Great Recession, Detroit has seen an increase in poverty and thus an increase in violent crime. The poverty rate in Detroit is nearly 40%, which directly impacts its high violent crime rate. In 2017, 267 homicides were committed in Detroit adding to its very high 2,057 per 100,000 violent crime rate.
St. Louis
St. Louis takes the top spot as being the most dangerous city in the United States, with a violent crime rate of 2,082 per 100,000. In 2017, 205 homicides were reported in St. Louis. That, paired with its high violent crime rate, makes St. Louis the most dangerous city in the United States.
