The Most Dangerous Metropolitan Areas to Live in the U.S.

The latest FBI “Crime in the United States” report is out. Overall, figures reveal a ten-year trend showing a drop in violent crime.

The Most Dangerous Metropolitan Areas to Live in the U.S.

The FBI’s annual report “Crime in the United States,” which was released at the end of September, offers a window into the safety of U.S. metropolitan areas.

The report showed a 0.2 percent decrease in the estimated number of violent crimes in 2017 after two consecutive years of increases. The five-year trend shows that crime has risen; the 2017 estimated violent crime total was 6.8 percent above the 2013 level. However, the ten-year trend shows a 10.6 percent drop in violent crimes. So crime levels fluctuate, but over the long term they’re trending down.

The violent crime category in the FBI’s report includes murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault – all of which involved force or the threat of force.

It’s important to keep in mind that the FBI report is comprised of information that is voluntarily supplied by law enforcement agencies. It’s also important to remember that crime is often confined to the poorest neighborhoods and is often a function of generations of segregation, poverty, and social neglect, which can lead to involvement in illicit activities. The Midwest and the South have the biggest meth consumption rates in the country, which are directly reflected in the violent crime statistics.

Something else to take into account: the crime being considered. For example, rape as an indicator of danger is distinct from homicide, and it is a crime that often goes unreported, meaning the figures are likely much higher. There is a critical question that is often overlooked in reports about dangerous cities – where in the United States is it more dangerous to be a woman?

Here is a comparative look at the U.S. metropolitan areas with a population of 300,000 or more with the highest reported violent crime rates per 100,000 inhabitants for 2017, according to the FBI.

1. Memphis, Tennessee-Mississippi-Arkansas

Population:1,346,961

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):1,168.3

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter (per 100,000 inhabitants):16.3

Grind City’s crime rate went up between 2016 and 2017. In addition to 291 reported murders, 796 rapes were reported.

2. Anchorage, Alaska

Population:313,465

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):1,162.8

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter (per 100,000 inhabitants):8.9

It’s a dangerous place to be a woman, and in particular, an indigenous woman. There were 391 rapes reported in 2017. For years Alaska has been the so-called “rape capital” of America. There are numerous contributing factors for the unusually high incidence of violent crime, including high rates of alcoholism, poverty, abuse of methamphetamine and opioids, among others.

3. Albuquerque, New Mexico

Population:915,069

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):1,084.9

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter (per 100,000 inhabitants):8.9

Crime has been on the increase in this southwestern city. In 2017, New Mexico had the highest per capita rate of property crime in the country, and second highest violent crime rate per capita in the country, after Alaska (and not including the District of Columbia).

In the state’s largest city, murder hit a 20-year high in 2017. Like many areas of the U.S., a combination of gun violence, poverty, drug crime, and other social factors are to blame.

4. Rockford, Illinois

Population:337,935

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):819.4

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter (per 100,000 inhabitants):6.2

Violent crime went down in 2017 in the third largest city in Illinois. Rockford’s poverty rate is well above the national average of 12.3 percent, at 22.7 percent.

5. Stockton-Lodi, California

Population:740,904

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):808.6

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter (per 100,000 inhabitants):9.2

Stockton is the 13th largest city in California, with a population of the city itself at 308,348. In 2012, the city filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy, which meant major spending cuts across numerous sectors, including law enforcement and public services.

Although the city saw a decrease in murders and aggravated assault from 2016 to 2017, the numbers remain high. By comparison, Santa Ana, California has 29,071 more people but a violent crime rate of only 233.2 incidents per 100,000.

6. Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, Arkansas

Population: 741,067

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):798.6

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter (per 100,000 inhabitants):11.7

Crime in Arkansas has been on the increase for the past two decades. In 2017 in the Little Rock metro area, 87 people were murdered and there were 453 reported rapes.

While the official poverty rate in the U.S. was 12.3 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the poverty rate in Little Rock was well above that at 18.5 percent.

7. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, Maryland

Population:2,811,573

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):782.5

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter (per 100,000 inhabitants):14.7

Baltimore has long held the unfortunate title of one of America’s most dangerous cities, in part due to gang violence.

In 2017, there were 413 murders and 1,048 rapes reported in the metro area.

8. Wichita, Kansas

Population:646,209

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):724.2

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter (per 100,000 inhabitants):6.8

Wichita is located at the intersection of I-35 and US 54, which are two major drug trafficking routes leading up from the Southwest border.

This city in south-central Kansas is also a drug distribution hub and has a large market for local drug consumption. Wichita also has a high poverty rate at 17.1 percent, as opposed to the national rate of 12.3 percent.

9. Flint, Michigan

Population:406,927

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):713

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):11.8

Once home to the largest General Motors plant in the country, Flint, Michigan’s decline has been tragic, and literally toxic, for its residents. The city has undergone a water crisis since 2014, when the city government switched the water supply from Lake Huron to Flint River, which contained hazardous amounts of lead, fecal matter, and other toxic chemicals and waste.

For years, the city has been on the list of America’s most dangerous cities, as well as among its poorest. It is also one of the most dangerous cities for women, with a reported rape rate with 72 rapes per 100,000 persons.

10. Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, Indiana

Population:2,026,454

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):694.5

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter (per 100,000 inhabitants):8.3

In 2018, the Indianapolis City-County Council recognized gun violence and violent crime as a public health danger. There were a record number of homicides in 2017, and 2018 is already looking like it’s going to be a deadlier year for the midwestern city.

11. Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wisconsin

Population:1,575,520

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):680.5

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter (per 100,000 inhabitants):7.9

The Cream City is also one of the country’s most violent cities. And it is also one of the poorest large cities in the country, with a poverty rate of 28.4 percent.

12. Corpus Christi, Texas

Population:458,865

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):632

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter (per 100,000 inhabitants):6.5

In 2017, there were 232 reported rapes in the city of Corpus Christi alone, as well as 1,590 aggravated assaults.

13. Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, Tennessee

Population:1,902,780

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):624.9

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter (per 100,000 inhabitants):7.8

In 2017, there was a marked increase in crime from the year before in the Music City. There were 149 murders and 894 reported rapes.

14. Mobile, Alabama

Population:414,842

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):619

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter (per 100,000 inhabitants):15.4

Last year, among those violent incidents, were 64 murders and 179 reported rapes. Mobile is on the I-10 corridor, a major U.S. drug and human trafficking highway. Alabama is also one of the poorest states in the nation.

15. Tallahassee, Florida

Population:382,480

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):608

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):6.5

Tallahassee makes the list of America’s most dangerous cities with an astonishingly high rape rate of 75 reported rapes per 100,000 persons and high gun violence rates.

A mass shooting at a yoga studio in November 2018 again shone a light on gun violence in Florida, a particularly sensitive issue after the 2015 massacre in an Orlando nightclub, and then another horrific massacre in February of 2018 at a high school in Parkland, Florida.

16. Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, Nevada

Population:2,203,346

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):607.9

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):10.8

Las Vegas is one of the worst cities in the U.S. for violence.

The rape rate in the area is also high. There were 70 reported rapes per 100,000 persons in 2017.

17. Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana

Population: 439,907

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):606.9

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):14.1

The city of Shreveport witnessed an increase in violent crime from 2016 to 2017, including major increases in homicides, rapes and armed robbery. The rape rate stood at 49.6 reported rapes per 100,000 persons in 2017, and the poverty rate in Shreveport was 24.7.

18. Modesto, California

Population:545,448

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):605

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):7.5

Gang violence is a major factor in California’s Central Valley, especially for Latino youth. In 2017 there was a 54 percent increase in homicides in the city of Modesto alone. The rape rate stands at 35.9 reported rapes per 100,000 persons.

Modesto has a poverty rate of 18.2 percent, while the national average for 2017 stood at 12.3 percent.

19. Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas

Population:6,914,428

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):593.1

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):6.4

The greater Houston area is a major drug market and distribution center in the United States. Traffickers supply major Midwest and East Coast cities with drugs, especially cocaine and marijuana. This is, in part, to its strategic location relatively close to the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as its well-developed highway system.

Texas saw an increase in domestic violence in 2017. In Houston, police reported that in just the first ten months of last year they saw more than 24,000 domestic violence cases, and there were 42.8 reported rapes per 100,000 persons. The poverty rate for the city of Houston stands at 21.9 percent, well above the national average.

20. Fresno, California

Population:986,951

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):582

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):8.6

Fresno has a high incidence of domestic violence and high overall rates of violence.

In 2017, one in five families in Fresno was on food stamps or received public assistance. Among California’s six most populous cities, Fresno has the highest rate of families in poverty.

21. Springfield, Missouri

Population:462,905

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):577.2

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):5

Springfield, Missouri’s strategic location on the I-44 corridor makes it central point for human and drug trafficking, which are inherently violent and dangerous.

The area also has an extremely high rape rate of 93.1 reported rapes per 100,000 persons. The city’s poverty rate in 2017 stood at 25.9 percent.

22. Tulsa, Oklahoma

Population:989,910

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):565.7

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):9.1

The rape rate is high with 66.2 rapes per 100,000 persons. Methamphetamine and opioid use has had a massive impact on this state. Local production is on the rise, as is consumption.

23. New Orleans-Metairie, Louisiana

Population:1,276,063

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):564

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):17.1

The Big Easy is not so easy when it comes to crime. There were 218 murders in 2017.

The city of New Orleans has an unemployment rate of 4.3 percent, which is slightly higher than the national average of 3.7. Cities with higher unemployment rates are often more prone to crime. Similar to Mobile, Alabama, the I-10 corridor also runs through New Orleans and is a major transit route for trafficking in persons and drugs.

24. Bakersfield, California

Population: 891,188

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):559.8

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):10

Bakersfield is located in California’s Central Valley, just north of Los Angeles. Like many cities in California, Bakersfield’s violence is largely due to gang violence and domestic violence.

Kern County, where Bakersfield is located, has the highest homicide rate in the state. The city has a poverty rate of 19.7 percent, and a rape rate of 34.4 reported rapes per 100,000 persons.

25. Columbia, South Carolina

Population:826,594

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants): 558

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):7.1

Columbia is the capital city of South Carolina. It has a rape rate of 45 reported rapes per 100,000 persons.

Like in many of the cities on the list, most of the violence is limited to poorer, historically disadvantaged neighborhoods that lack significant resources.

26. Chattanooga, Tennessee-Georgia

Population:556,437

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):557.3

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):6.6

While the poverty rate stands at 22.9 percent, that’s the lowest number the area has seen in the past decade thanks to job creation and an improving economy. Nevertheless, as professor Ken Chilton points out in an interview in the Times Free Press, “Unemployment is trending down, but many of the new jobs do not pay middle-class wages.”

Lack of opportunities and boredom are often inextricably linked to crime. Chattanooga has a rape rate of 36.3 reported rapes per 100,000 persons.

27. Huntsville, Alabama

Population:454,756

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):556.8

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):7.3

Huntsville is a major city in the north central part of the state, right on the border with Tennessee. Alabama is the sixth poorest state in the nation, with approximately 18.5 percent of Alabamians living below the federal poverty line. In Huntsville itself, 17.4 percent of people live below the poverty line. Huntsville has a high rape rate at 56.3 reported rapes per 100,000 persons.

28. Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas

Population:410,600

Violent crime rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):551.4

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate (per 100,000 inhabitants):6.6

Beaumont and Port Arthur are cities in southeastern Texas, close to the Louisiana border. While Port Arthur used to be part of the so-called “Golden Triangle” of cities that benefited from oil, its decline since the early 20th century has been steady and drastic.

Today, Beaumont and Port Arthur remain industrial areas with economies dependent on oil revenues, and a poverty rate of 22.9 percent. Beaumont also sits on the I-10 corridor, a major southeastern U.S. drug trafficking route.