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It used to be where the biggest trick to avoiding danger in Indiana was to avoid Gary, Indiana. Sadly, that's no longer the case.
While Gary does have its fair share of problems, it's no longer the state's most dangerous place. Indiana has done a pretty good job of keeping its crazy spread evenly across their state. And RoadSnacks is here to tell you just where the most dangerous places in Indiana for 2022 are located.
But first, this is how we determined Indiana's most dangerous places: we consulted the numbers. In total, we analyzed 59 cities. We looked at the FBI's latest crime report for violent crime and property crime statistics for every place with over 5,000 residents. We discovered that Indiana's overall violent and property crime numbers, while above the national average, the numbers in the state's most dangerous places could be better. And if you guessed that most of The Hoosier State's crime is centered around the state's biggest cities, you guessed right. Cities like Indianapolis and Evansville are being hit pretty hard with high unemployment, low wages, and high crime.
People always ask why we produce lists of the most dangerous places in each state. Well, we do it to show the public how to navigate the places that most people don't want to visit, but still want to know the dirt. You know, the type of crimes that end up airing on Fort Wayne's WANE at six or Lafayette's crimestoppers at ten.
More importantly, don't get lost wandering around Indiana's most dangerous places; trust us, you might never make it out. Instead, take a look below at our list of Indiana's most dangerous places. There might be some that surprise you.
The Most Dangerous Cities In Indiana For 2022
Indiana might not be one of the top ten most dangerous states in the country, the state's most dangerous places do need some work. Maybe more police? Security cameras? Drug programs? We're not entirely sure. One thing that we are sure about, however, is that the number one most dangerous place in Indiana is Terre Haute.
If you want to know where the rest of the most dangerous places in Indiana are located, take a look at the list below. And if you don't find what you're looking for there, head to the bottom.
Learn more about the safest places in Indiana.
If you're looking for something more national, check out the most dangerous cities in America or the most dangerous states in America.
For more Indiana reading, check out:
The 10 Most Dangerous Places To Live In Indiana For 2022
From the outside, it doesn't seem scary. Located along the Wabash River, just east of the Illinois border, Terre Haute sits in the middle of rural Indiana. It provides the home to educational and cultural institutions, like the Indiana State University and the Swope Art Museum.
Yet, don't let the amenities or the rural surroundings fool you. This ranks as the number 1 most dangerous community in Indiana. This includes a high rate of burglaries, with 783 such crimes in a city with 60,604 people. Terre Haute also experiences high numbers of arsons and car thefts.
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Population: 60,604
Rank Last Year: -
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,381 (Second most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,762 (Most dangerous)
More on Terre Haute: | Cost Of Living
Home to the University of Notre Dame and Mayor Pete Buttigieg, South Bend is the second most dangerous place to live in Indiana for 2022.
South Bend is not a great place to leave the door to your house or car unlocked, seeing as the city had the second highest burglary rate in Indiana and 571 car thefts recorded in 2020.
The bigger issue, though, is violent crime -- folks in South Bend had a 1 in 57 chance of being the victim of an attack over the year, representing the highest worst violent crime rate in Indiana.
Which kind of makes South Bend's motto -- "Peace" -- seem like a wish rather than a reflection of the current state of affairs.
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Population: 102,119
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,728 (Most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,663 (Fourth most dangerous)
More on South Bend: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Indiana's third-biggest city, Evansville, goes by "Pocket City." However, we think that "Pickpocket City" would be a more apt nickname, given that Evansville had 3,188 larceny cases in 2020.
Overall, Evansville residents had a 1 in 27 chance of being the victim of a property crime over the year. So definitely keep your winnings quiet after a big night out at Tropicana Casino.
Unfortunately, it's not just small-time crime in Evansville -- the city also had the third highest rate of rape cases in Indiana.
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Population: 117,747
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,006 (Third most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,611 (Fifth most dangerous)
More on Evansville: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Indianapolis is the biggest city in Indiana. As such, it comes with its share of amenities. You can enjoy NBA and NFL games. Or, if you have a more artsy sensibility, you can go to Newfields, an art museum and nature park. Plenty to do. Just make sure you check your wallet and stay out of dark alleys.
Indianapolis isn't just the state capital. It's the capital of certain types of crimes. It suffers the number 1.0 highest pace of robberies in Indiana. Residents also have to worry about the 216 murders that happen in a year.
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Population: 890,672
Rank Last Year: -
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 870 (Fifth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,569 (Sixth most dangerous)
More on Indianapolis: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
There's another Warsaw -- a bigger, more famous one in Poland. There's actually a connection. The town sits in Kosciusko County and both get their name from a Revolutionary War general from Poland named Tadeusz Kociuszko.
There's not much around this Warsaw. In fact, the town represents the only incorporated city in Kosciusko County. Despite its rural surroundings, you can't exactly relax when you're in town. This community stands as the number 5 most dangerous area in Indiana. This includes a high rate of violent crimes. The city reported 121 aggravated assaults in a population of just 15,319.
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Population: 15,319
Rank Last Year: -
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 874 (Fourth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,263 (Eighth most dangerous)
More on Warsaw: | Cost Of Living
Indiana's 8th biggest city, Lafayette, is also its sixth most dangerous. Home to Purdue University, Lafayette has above average rates of both property and violent crime.
For instance, Lafayette had the third highest burglary rate in Indiana and the 13th highest rate of rape cases.
Overall, the city averaged just under one violent crime a day and more than six property crimes a day. Oh, and a robbery every week, just for good measure.
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Population: 72,040
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 4)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 594 (Ninth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,051 (Ninth most dangerous)
More on Lafayette: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Located on the outer fringes of the Indianapolis metro area, Cumberland sits about a half hour from the center of the biggest city in Indiana. Not exactly the inner city. Yet, still, it suffers from some of the problems you'd expect to find in an inner-city environment. Namely, Cumberland ranks as the number 7 most dangerous spot in Indiana.
In terms of violence, you can feel relatively secure in town. But Cumberland represents a hotbed of property crime. Its rate of larcenies sits at the number 2 highest level in the state. Residents also deal with a high number of robberies and burglaries.
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Population: 6,097
Rank Last Year: 18 (Up 11)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 278 (18th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,231 (Second most dangerous)
More on Cumberland: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Just across the Ohio River, you'll find Louisville, Kentucky's major metropolitan center. That makes New Albany a suburb of sorts. As such, you've got access to a significant number of amenities. These range from cultural stops, like the Carnegie Center for Art & History, to nature hikes, like you'll find at the Loop Island Wetlands.
But you'll also have to deal with some of the crime associated with urban sprawl. This factor makes New Albany the number 8 most dangerous location in Indiana. Violence remains under control for the most part. However, residents deal with high rates of property crime, including enormous numbers of car thefts and larcenies given the overall population in the area.
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Population: 36,892
Rank Last Year: -
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 390 (13th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,409 (Seventh most dangerous)
More on New Albany: | Cost Of Living
Located more than an hour southwest of Indianapolis, Bloomington serves as the home of Indiana University, a campus of more than 45,000 students. Given that the surrounding community boasts 86,347 residents, the school dominates the town.
You know how college students can be. It's no surprise that the town falls victim to some pranks or drunken revelry. However, the crime rate goes beyond simple undergrad hijinx. Bloomington has more than its share of serious criminal activity.
In a year, the town suffers 7 murders and 52 sexual assaults. These violations contribute to the state's number 10 highest rate of violent crime.
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Population: 86,347
Rank Last Year: -
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 555 (Tenth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,407 (14th most dangerous)
More on Bloomington: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Let's pretend we're writing an 8th grade term paper. Webster's dictionary defines "boon" as "a think that is helpful or beneficial." Well, then, Boonville must be a great place to live. Nothing but boons here, right?
Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that. If the town leaders were honest, they'd change the name to "Crimeville." After all, it ranks as the number 10 most dangerous location in Indiana. This largely comes about because a high rate of violent crimes, with 48 such violations in a population of just 6,200.
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Population: 6,200
Rank Last Year: -
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 774 (Sixth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,016 (21st most dangerous)
More on Boonville: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous cities in Indiana for 2022?
Every year the FBI release two crime datasets, a preliminary dataset limited to the biggest cities in the country, followed by a more detailed release at the end of the year.
For our analysis, we focused on the JUST released 2020 data, specifically the 2020 Crime In The United States Report. We will update the results when data becomes available in September 2022.
So what criteria did we use? Have a look:
- Violent Crimes Per Capita
- Property Crimes Per Capita
In order to make the analysis as apples to apples as possible, we only considered Indiana cities over 5,000 in population. That left us with 59 cities in Indiana.
We then ranked each city from 1 to 59 for the two criteria with a #1 ranking being the most dangerous for the particular criteria.
Next, we averaged the two rankings into one "Dangerous Index".
Finally, we ranked every city on the "Dangerous Index" with the lowest index being the most dangerous in Indiana -- Terre Haute. Any ties went to the smaller city. You can download the data here.
Most Dangerous Places To Live In Indiana FAQs
Is Indiana a dangerous state?
No, Indiana is not a dangerous state as it ranks as the #22 safest state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in indiana ranks 27th highest in the United States -- 7.77% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Hoosier State ranks 30th highest in the United States -- 8.94% better than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2020.
Is Indianapolis, IN a dangerous city?
Yes, Indianapolis is a dangerous city. Indianapolis ranks as the #64 most dangerous out of 320 major cities over 100,000 people in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. Keep in mind that are always safe and dangerous parts of any city, so even though Indianapolis might be considered dangerous you still need to be aware of where you are.
Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Indianapolis ranks 55th highest in America -- 58.62% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 69th highest in the United States -- 34.42% worse than US average property crime rate. Note the latest reporting year from the FBI was 2020 and that no city in America is 'dangerous'. Despite the uptick in murders, it's nothing like you'd see in Tijuana or Caracas where the murder rate is 2x any American city.
Graphing The Most Dangerous And Safest Places In Indiana
Summary: Locking It All Up In Indiana
So what is the most dangerous city in Indiana? After analyzing 59 cities in Indiana, Terre Haute takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in Indiana based on the most recently reported FBI data -- 2020.
The latest FBI crime data shows that Terre Haute ranks as the most dangerous city in Indiana for 2022.
We want to point out again that there's still safes places in Terre Haute and that this isn't a comment on the people that live there. So please don't beat us up.
Indiana might not be one of the top ten most dangerous states in the country, the state's most dangerous places do need some work. Maybe more police? Security cameras? Drug programs? We're not entirely sure. One thing that we are sure about, however, is that the number one most dangerous place in Indiana is Terre Haute.
If you want to know where the rest of the most dangerous places in Indiana are located, take a look at the list below. And if you don't find what you're looking for there, head to the bottom.
Learn more about the safest places in Indiana.
If you're looking for something more national, check out the most dangerous cities in America or the most dangerous states in America.
Here are the safest cities in Indiana:
- Fishers (Pop. 97,481)
- Frankfort (Pop. 15,826)
- Westfield (Pop. 45,469)
- New Whiteland (Pop. 6,332)
- Bargersville (Pop. 8,342)
- Carmel (Pop. 103,100)
- Lowell (Pop. 10,004)
- Zionsville (Pop. 28,824)
- St. John (Pop. 19,289)
- Dyer (Pop. 15,932)
For more Indiana reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Indiana
- Cheapest Places To Live In Indiana
- Most Dangerous Cities In Indiana
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Indiana
- Safest Places In Indiana
- Worst Places To Live In Indiana
Crime By City In Indiana
Rank | City | Population |
---|---|---|
1 | Terre Haute | 60,604 |
2 | South Bend | 102,119 |
3 | Evansville | 117,747 |
4 | Indianapolis | 890,672 |
5 | Warsaw | 15,319 |
6 | Lafayette | 72,040 |
7 | Cumberland | 6,097 |
8 | New Albany | 36,892 |
9 | Bloomington | 86,347 |
10 | Boonville | 6,200 |
11 | Kokomo | 58,001 |
12 | Fort Wayne | 272,270 |
13 | Shelbyville | 19,451 |
14 | La Porte | 21,515 |
15 | Hobart | 27,791 |
16 | Lawrence | 49,865 |
17 | Rensselaer | 5,825 |
18 | Lebanon | 16,097 |
19 | Vincennes, | 16,701 |
20 | Mishawaka | 50,610 |
21 | Linton | 5,179 |
22 | Columbia City | 9,283 |
23 | Avon | 19,377 |
24 | Bedford | 13,192 |
25 | Greenwood | 60,460 |
26 | Rushville | 5,973 |
27 | Whitestown | 10,251 |
28 | Angola | 8,748 |
29 | Franklin | 25,825 |
30 | Charlestown | 8,461 |
31 | Merrillville | 34,774 |
32 | Kendallville | 9,897 |
33 | McCordsville | 7,801 |
34 | Jasper | 15,790 |
35 | Greenfield | 23,273 |
36 | Huntingburg | 6,182 |
37 | Cedar Lake | 13,372 |
38 | Plainfield | 36,239 |
39 | Washington | 12,612 |
40 | Highland | 22,165 |
41 | Hartford City | 5,606 |
42 | Bluffton | 10,173 |
43 | Westville | 5,852 |
44 | Plymouth | 9,966 |
45 | Munster | 22,357 |
46 | Huntington | 17,096 |
47 | Chesterton | 14,203 |
48 | Noblesville | 66,127 |
49 | Brownsburg | 27,621 |
50 | Fishers | 97,481 |