The state of safety in America is something thats talked about often.
So, where are the safest places in the country?
Which cities have the highest crime rates?
How do you know if the city you live in is on the dangerous list?
We delved deep into the latest trends and statistics about safety in the US to get those answers.
Per 100,000 people, that equates to 366 individuals responsible for violent crime.
The most common offenses are rape and sexual assault, murder, robbery, and aggravated assault.
In 2019, over 4,000 individuals aged 20-29 were murdered in the US.
Most Offenders Are Male
Gender also has a part to play in patterns between offenders.
Most offenses are committed by males, with around 10,300 murder offenses in the US in 2019.
This is more than 7 times the amount of females, which was 1,400 in 2019.
However, many offenses are also committed by individuals whose gender is unknown.
This category was responsible for over 4,500 homicides in 2019.
In 2019, the number of murder victims that were Black males was around 6,400.
Some Cities Experience More Violent Crime Than Others
The distribution of crime across US cities is not linear.
These typically include manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.
Baltimore and Cleveland also have high rates of violent crime.
Both cities experienced over 3,300 violent crimes combined in 2019.
Among property crimes, larceny-theft is the most common, with over 5 million reported cases in 2019 alone.
Around 4,300 in every 100,000 people are likely to be offenders.
However, in safer cities, the property crime rate drops to about 1,000 for every 100,000 inhabitants.
This is also true for property crime.
Safer cities see 4.45 offenders per 1,000 people, while the national US average stands at 21.1.
Income Is Much Lower in Cities With Higher Crime Rates
The link between crime rates and income is evident.
US cities with higher crime rates typically have a much lower income than safer cities.
On average, households in cities with higher crime rates earn $20,000 less than safer cities.
By comparison, Hopkinton in Massachusetts has a crime rate of just 1.61 per 1,000 people.
The average income is also much higher, with most households earning at least $190,000 per year.
The most dangerous metros have 2.5% fewer high school graduates than most US cities.
While in safer cities, over 92% of people have a high school diploma or higher.
On average, states with higher crime and less-educated inhabitants also have lower literacy rates.
However, the story is very different in dangerous cities with higher crime rates and lower incomes.
In total, the number of people below the poverty line is 27% higher than the US average.
Most of the US dangerous cities have at least 12% of inhabitants below the poverty line.
Its highest in Detroit in Michigan, with over 35% of people classed as in poverty.
On average, safer cities spend 138% more on community services and 18% more on public safety.
Safer Cities Are Less Densely Populated
Typically, cities with fewer inhabitants are safer than larger cities.
Most safe cities are also much more suburban, with greater distance between houses and smaller communities.
Each state saw around 38 drug-related deaths in 2019.
Over 90 of the top 100 safest cities are located nearly 50 miles away from a major metropolitan area.
And over 60 of those are in the North East.
Ohio, New York, and Illinois also have a higher number of safer cities, with 28 combined.
However, all of these states still have some dangerous cities with higher crime rates.
Here are the 10 safest cities that made the cut, in no particular order.
Typical of safer cities, Hopkinton has a smaller population, with just 19,004 inhabitants in total.
Franklin, Massachusetts
Massachusetts is home to more safer cities, with Franklin climbing the ranks in recent years.
The poverty rate is also low, with only 4% of inhabitants classed below the poverty line.
On average, over 32% of the population hold a Bachelors degree or higher.
And overall, most households bring in at least $148,000 per year.
It has a large population of 312,733, with an average growth rate of 0.48% year on year.
And at least 41% of people hold a degree in Rockingham County.
Crime rates are low, as are poverty rates.
It also has a tiny population, with just 20,000 residents.
Crime rates have stayed low for many years.
The violent crime rate remains at zero, and the property crime rate is just 2.71 per 1,000 people.
Oakland Township, Michigan
With a population of just 19,649, Oakland is a small but safe city.
On average, households earn around $118,969 per year.
The violent crime rate is 0.10, gradually decreasing over recent years.
Property crime rates have also steadily decreased from 3.0 in 2019 to 1.90 in 2021.
Around 29% of inhabitants hold a Bachelors degree, significantly lower than other safe cities.
The percentage of individuals falling below the poverty line remains low at 2.1%.
So, theyre likely in much higher paid, well-qualified jobs.
Property crime rates are around 3.05, but the violent crime rate is zero.
And the number of people below the poverty line is just over 3%.
That said, less than 5% are out of education entirely.
The poverty rate has stayed low at 2.35%.
Ridgefield, Connecticut
Ridgefield in Connecticut is home to around 24,000 people.
Most of Ridgefields population holds a Bachelors degree.
In fact, over 74% are qualified to this level.
Only 1.7% are out of education altogether.
The number of people below the poverty line is also very low, at just 1.98%.
So too are the violent crime rates, with around 0.04 offenders.
Property crime rates are slightly higher, however.
On average, Ridgefield sees 2.87 property crimes for every 1,000 people.
Hamburg Township, Michigan
Hamburg Township in Michigan is a growing city, with over 22,000 habitants.
As with other safer cities, the crime rates are low.
On average, there are 0.23 violent crimes and 1.75 property crimes per 1,000 people.
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska, with a population of around 280,000.
The population is, however, rapidly decreasing.
In the last decade, Alaska has lost over 4% of its inhabitants.
Violent crime rates are high at 11.95 per 1,000 people.
Property crime rates are even higher, with around 43.19 offenders.
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis in Tennessee is one of the largest unsafe cities, with a population of 651,011.
Its actually the 28th largest city in the whole of the US.
Households in this city earn much less than others.
The median household income is $62,588, the lowest of all dangerous cities.
Though some of the safer cities still bring in less than this per year.
Memphis holds some of the highest crime levels, too.
The average violent crime rate is 11.07, and property crime is higher at 39.90.
Lubbock, Texas
Although Texas has many safe cities, its also home to some of the most dangerous.
Lubbock has a rapidly growing population, seeing an increase of over 14% since 2010.
Average incomes across households total $71,273, with an unemployment rate of 5.7%.
Lubbock experiences its fair share of crime.
Per 1,000 people, there are 8.37 violent crimes and 40.23 property crimes on average.
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit holds the largest population of all the US unsafest cities.
Its home to 664,139 people, but this is declining by 0.44% annually.
Crime rates are high, with around 9.84 violent crimes and 26.91 property crimes per 1,000 people.
Households in Detroit earn around $44,000 per year, the lowest of all the US most dangerous cities.
However, the unemployment rates arent as high as other metros, with 4.5% of people unemployed.
This is actually lower than the US average of 5.2%.
The number of people below the poverty line is extremely high, though.
Around 35% of people suffer from poverty in Detroit.
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore in Maryland is home to 575,584 people, which averages 7,111 people per square mile.
Its a densely populated city with a high poverty rate of 21.21%.
Most households earn around $74,246 per year, with an unemployment rate of 8.3%.
Over 3 percentage points higher than the national average.
In total, Baltimore experiences 62 crimes per 1,000 people.
This equates to 18.76 violent crimes and 43.95 property crimes.
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is the second largest city in Ohio.
Around 376,599 people live in Ohio.
The average income in Cleveland is very low, with most households earning $46,137 per year.
It also holds the record for some of the highest crime rates.
On average, there are 15.22 violent crimes and 44.90 property crimes for every 1,000 residents.
Property crime rates are much higher, at 62.03.
Around 294,890 people live in St. Louis, and 21.83% live below the poverty line.
Surprisingly, households bring in more income than many other unsafe cities.
The median income is $64,089, with an unemployment rate of 7%.
Around 501,957 people live in Kansas City, and its growing year on year.
Crime rates are lower than some other dangerous cities but remain high.
Average household incomes top $75,000, with an unemployment level of 4.8%, more surprising.
Around 16.10% of the population in Kansas City fall below the poverty line.
Springfield, Missouri
Missouri is home to another city in the top 10 most dangerous US cities Springfield.
Compared to other dangerous cities, Springfield has a fairly small population of 168,568 people.
However, the amount of people below the poverty line remains high at 22.92%.
It has the highest property crime rates of all unsafe metros, with 78.73 property offenses per 1,000 people.
Violent crime rates are lower, though still high at 15.32 offenses.
On average, households earn $51,407 per year, with an unemployment rate of 4.9%.
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield in California has 389,007 residents, which is gradually increasing.
Violent crime rates are currently 6.21, and property crime rates are much higher at 33.03 per 1,000 people.
Actually, many Americans think crime is getting even worse and are more fearful for their safety than ever.
Americans Believe Crime Is Worsening
Although crime has actually decreased year-on-year in the US, not everyone thinks so.
This was up from 64% in 2019.
Only 12% said they thought there was less crime than in 2019.
Certain Crimes Create More Fear Than Others
Many US residents are more worried about certain crimes than others.
36% of Americans also identified their home being broken into as another crime they were most fearful of.
However, of all crimes, people in the US are most concerned about cybercrime and identity theft.
However, the perception of safety in some states is more surprising than in others.
This was the highest percentage of all areas surveyed.
Texas, Illinois, and Maryland were also among the most concerned states.
New York, Alabama, and Mississippi were the top 3 states with the highest reports of violent crime.
This isnt the case across all states, though.
As with violent crime, however, experiences of property crime have also decreased in some states.
New Hampshire saw the largest decrease of all states in the past year, with a 16% decline.
Gun Violence Is a Top Concern
In 2020, reports of gun violence hit a record high.
In fact, more people than ever now say they can regularly hear gunshots from their home.
Around 5 in 10 Americans say they worry about gun crime on a daily basis.
And at least 8% said they had experienced an act of gun violence in the past year.
COVID-19 Has Affected Perception of Crime
Many Americans believe COVID-19 has made crime rates even worse.
62% of Americans say theyre worried about COVID-19 and how it affects their day-to-day safety.
Interestingly, those regions that experienced more cases and deaths from the pandemic were also more concerned.
Its home to New York, which was severely impacted by COVID-19 cases and deaths.
However, there are still many people who dont protect themselves.
Around 7 in 10 Americans dont carry any personal protection with them.
And more money than any other country in the world.
China, second in line, only generated $1 billion.
In fact, some crime rates are increasing.
And while wed expect people to be fleeing from dangerous cities, statistics actually tell a very different story.
In fact, 50% of the top 10 unsafest cities on our list have rapidly growing populations.
Clearly, crime rates are not the only contributing factor forcing people out of cities.
While people may be concerned about crime, other demographics are obviously influencing peoples decisions.
Likely, people are moving out of expensive areas into cheaper, more affordable cities.
Unfortunately, those cheaper areas typically come with higher crime rates.
Hopkinton in Massachusetts saw a rise of over 26% since the last census in 2010.
Most of the safer towns on our top 10 list have all seen an increase in population.
While people may not necessarily be fleeing from dangerous cities, many are opting to move to safer areas.
Only 2 cities on our list have lost residents.
Murder Is on the Rise
The future of crime in the US is not easy to predict.
However, it looks like murder cases are on the rise significantly.
In 2020, the number of murder cases jumped by almost 30%.
Some states faced a worse fate than others, too.
And its been steadily increasing since 2014.
And COVID-19 Is Creating More Gun Violence
Throughout the pandemic, America faced a massive increase in gun violence.
And it doesnt yet show any signs of slowing down.
Major cities such as Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia were the most affected.
Thats an increase of 470 from the year before.
Among all incidents, anti-Black hate crime was the most common, with a total of 2,755 offenses.
It looks like hate crime will be an ever-growing issue for the US in the future.
Crime rates have plunged since the 1990s, particularly robbery, murder, and aggravated assault.
Robbery has seen the biggest fall, with 68% fewer cases than in the 1990s.
Meanwhile, murder has declined by 47%, and aggravated assault by 43%.
However, despite a sharp fall in rape cases, some US states still experience high numbers of offenses.
By comparison, New Hampshire and Vermont saw just over 700 cases combined.
People Are Reporting More Violent Crime Incidents
The number of people reporting violent crime has been growing year-on-year.
This likely correlates to an overall decrease in the number of crimes throughout the US.
Many crimes still go unreported in the US, but its clear more and more people are coming forward.
Reported cases of property crime have been gradually decreasing for the last decade.
Yet, people are still moving to these cities.
Its clear that crime rates have plummeted compared to previous decades, but many crime rates are still increasing.
Crime occurs in every city, in every country in the world, and the US is no exception.
