Article Table Of Contents
The most dangerous places in Nevada are going to need more than beginner's luck to turn their situations around: they're going to need a miracle.
We're not talking about a huge fire at the Burning Man Festival dangerous or riding your motorcycle without a helmet through Death Valley dangerous (although those are pretty dangerous.). We're talking about violent and property crime numbers that helped to seal Nevada's spot as the 11th most dangerous state in the country. The state had close to 600 violent crimes, people.
Yes, The Silver State definitely has its fair share of dangerous places and those are the Nevada places where you'll find the most crime. So, if you're looking to move to the 'Wild West', we suggest you take a look at RoadSnacks' list of the most dangerous places in Nevada for 2022.
How'd we do it? We consulted the numbers. In total, we analyzed 13 cities. We looked at the FBI's latest crime report for violent crime and property crime statistics for every place with over 2,000 residents. And unfortunately folks, some of the Nevada cities on this list made some pretty big jumps-in the wrong direction- from last year.
We were not shocked to see most of Nevada's crime is centered around its bigger cities. Cities like Las Vegas and Reno can't catch a break. Maybe tourists. Maybe locals. We're not entirely sure; either way, these cities are in trouble.
Now, if you live in Nevada's safest city, Boulder City, keep enjoying life; but if you don't, we suggest you take a look at the list below. There might be some that surprise you.
The Most Dangerous Cities In Nevada For 2022
This is not a list that any city in any state wants to make. You probably won't see a sign entering the most dangerous place in a state that reads "Number one Most Dangerous City in Nevada": it's not something to brag about. But, people need to know.
What's the most dangerous city in Nevada? Without further adieu, the most dangerous city in Nevada is Elko.
Take a look at the list below to see the rest of Nevada's most dangerous places; and if you don't see what you're looking for there, head to the bottom.
Learn more about the safest places in Nevada.
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 Nevada reading, check out:
The 10 Most Dangerous Places To Live In Nevada For 2022
Elko is the Heart of Northeast Nevada, but it's also the state's most dangerous place to live. Residents are glad to have the Humboldt National Forest nearby -- they need a safe haven with all the crime going down on the city's streets.
Elko residents had a 1 in 34 chance of being the victim of a property crime over 2020, the highest odds in Nevada.
And while overall violent crime doesn't rank in the top five statewide, the rate of rape cases is the third highest in the state. Elko is also the murder capital of Nevada, recording the highest rate of homicides anywhere in the state.
/10
Population: 20,697
Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 3)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 478 (Fifth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,942 (Most dangerous)
More on Elko: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
The Biggest Little City in the World, Reno comes in as Nevada's second most dangerous place to call home. Reno went up 1 spots on this list from last year, mostly thanks to a drop in violent crime.
It's still a good idea to keep a watchful eye while you're on the Reno Riverwalk, because there were about nine larcenies each day over 2020, on average. That's a lot of picked pockets.
And while violent crime has been improving, Reno residents still have to contend with the second highest violent crime rate statewide.
/10
Population: 259,168
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 563 (Second most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,146 (Fourth most dangerous)
More on Reno: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
It probably won't surprise anyone to learn that Las Vegas is the third most dangerous place to live in Nevada for 2022. Sin City is home to loads of resorts and casinos and the iconic Las Vegas Strip brings in tourists from all over the world.
Those tourists would be well-advised to keep their guard up in Las Vegas because the city had the third highest property crime rate in Nevada. That means folks had a 1 in 45 chance of having their stuff damaged or stolen over 2020 -- not winning odds for a city that loves its gambling.
It's not just tourists getting their wallets stolen either; Las Vegas residents have to contend with the sixth highest burglary statewide.
On top of all that, Las Vegas has big issues with violent crime. Like having the fifth highest rape and fifth highest murder rate in Nevada. Just for good measure, Las Vegas also averaged 20 car thefts a day over 2020.
Population: 1,693,061
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 2)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 527 (Third most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,210 (Third most dangerous)
More on Las Vegas: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
West Wendover sounds like a quaint community in England. The kind of place that might form the setting for a sequel to Downton Abbey. But if you book a trip here looking for cozy cottages, a stately manor house and delicious crumpets at tea time, your travel agent might be a con artist. This is actually a desert community in the northeast of Nevada. If you're in Salt Lake City, jump in your car and head west on I-80 for about an hour and 45 minutes, you'll end up in West Wendover.
You might want to keep driving. Besides the lack of bangers and mash, West Wendover suffers from a frightening crime problem. The community endures the number 1 highest pace of violent crimes in the state.
/10
Population: 4,258
Rank Last Year: -
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 868 (Most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 1,737 (Sixth most dangerous)
More on West Wendover: | Crime Report
Winnemucca's crime numbers have actually gone down over the last year, despite it jumping up 2 spot on this list. Other Nevada cities are just improving faster than Winnemucca.
Extreme sports enthusiasts will be happy to have the Winnemucca Sand Dunes right in their backyard, but they won't be as pleased by the extreme nature of the city's crime.
Winnemucca isn't all that violent, but it did have the second highest property crime rate in Nevada for 2020. That includes the highest burglary rate.
/10
Population: 7,786
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 2)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 359 (Seventh most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,697 (Second most dangerous)
More on Winnemucca: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
A neighbor of Reno, Sparks is Nevada's fifth biggest and sixth most dangerous city. While you can find plenty of family fun at the Wild Island Family Adventure Park, you'll want to make sure you lock up your valuables because Sparks had the fifth highest property crime rate in Nevada.
Residents of Sparks have to deal with high rates of burglary, rape, and murder, all of which rank in the top ten statewide. So stay away from shady situations in Sparks, or you may join some 3,000 unfortunate crime victims the city had in 2020.
/10
Population: 106,664
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 418 (Sixth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 1,956 (Fifth most dangerous)
More on Sparks: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Both violent and property crime rates fell slightly over the last year in North Las Vegas, but that hasn't helped the city avoid the #7 spot on this list.
Violent crime rates in North Las Vegas are the fourth highest in Nevada, which includes the third highest murder rate. Overall, residents had a 1 in 191 shot of being the victim of violence over 2020.
All of which means it's a good idea to bring a friend if you're going out to Aliante Nature Discovery Park after dark. You should also keep an eye on your wallet and phone here because North Las Vegas also has above-average property crime rates.
/10
Population: 256,217
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 5)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 521 (Fourth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 1,623 (Eighth most dangerous)
More on North Las Vegas: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
No, this isn't named after Jimmy Fallon. Rather, this community received its moniker in celebration of early settlers to the region, Michael and Eliza Fallon. Distant ancestors of the talk show host? Time to contact 23andMe and find out.
The town got its initial founding during the California Gold Rush. In the 1960s, the area was the site of nuclear testing. Nowadays, the town features casinos and an annual cantaloupe festival.
Given its Wild West past and its heritage of weapons testing, a high crime rate fits right into the town's brand. It ranks as the number 8 most dangerous spot in Nevada.
/10
Population: 8,648
Rank Last Year: -
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 219 (Ninth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 1,630 (Seventh most dangerous)
More on Fallon: | Cost Of Living
9. Carlin,
Do all the dangerous towns in Nevada share a name with a famous comedian? This list also contains Fallon and now we're looking at Carlin. But, once again, there's no direct connection -- this community in the north-central part of the state doesn't get its name from legendary funnyman George Carlin. Instead, it gets its moniker from a Civil War general.
Located in a sparsely populated area, Carlin represents a key stopover on I-80 as it winds its way across Nevada. But watch out if you stop for gas on your way to Reno. The community faces a serious property crime problem, including high rates of larceny and burglary.
Population: 2,268
Rank Last Year: -
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 352 (Eighth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 1,366 (Tenth most dangerous)
More on Carlin,:
Nevada's second biggest city, Henderson, is also its tenth most dangerous. Henderson had the sixth highest murder rate in Nevada over 2020, so trust your instincts around shifty characters here.
There was also more than one car theft each day in Henderson, on average. And those make up just a small proportion of the 4,679 property crimes committed over the year.
So while you may be a little scared of the sharp claws on display at the Lion Habitat Ranch, know that the real threat comes from Henderson's criminal element.
/10
Population: 328,056
Rank Last Year: 8 (Down 2)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 207 (Tenth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 1,426 (Ninth most dangerous)
More on Henderson: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous cities in Nevada 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 Nevada cities over 2,000 in population. That left us with 13 cities in Nevada.
We then ranked each city from 1 to 13 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 Nevada -- Elko. Any ties went to the smaller city. You can download the data here.
Most Dangerous Places To Live In Nevada FAQs
Is Nevada a dangerous state?
Yes, Nevada is a dangerous state as it ranks as the #18 most dangerous state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in nevada ranks 12th highest in the United States -- 18.69% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Silver State ranks 27th highest in the United States -- 1.61% better than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2020.
Is Las Vegas, NV a dangerous city?
Yes, Las Vegas is a dangerous city. Las Vegas ranks as the #122 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 Las Vegas might be considered dangerous you still need to be aware of where you are. For example, Sun City Summerlin is the safest in Las Vegas, while West Las Vegas is considered dangerous by many based on recent crime stats.
Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Las Vegas ranks 111th highest in America -- 10.22% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 125th highest in the United States -- 6.87% 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 Nevada
Summary: Locking It All Up In Nevada
So what is the most dangerous city in Nevada? After analyzing 13 cities in Nevada, Elko takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in Nevada based on the most recently reported FBI data -- 2020.
The latest FBI crime data shows that Elko ranks as the most dangerous city in Nevada for 2022.
We want to point out again that there's still safes places in Elko and that this isn't a comment on the people that live there. So please don't beat us up.
This is not a list that any city in any state wants to make. You probably won't see a sign entering the most dangerous place in a state that reads "Number one Most Dangerous City in Nevada": it's not something to brag about. But, people need to know.
What's the most dangerous city in Nevada? Without further adieu, the most dangerous city in Nevada is Elko.
Take a look at the list below to see the rest of Nevada's most dangerous places; and if you don't see what you're looking for there, head to the bottom.
Learn more about the safest places in Nevada.
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 Nevada:
- West Wendover (Pop. 4,258)
- Winnemucca (Pop. 7,786)
- Sparks (Pop. 106,664)
- North Las Vegas (Pop. 256,217)
- Fallon (Pop. 8,648)
- Carlin, (Pop. 2,268)
- Henderson (Pop. 328,056)
- Boulder City (Pop. 16,346)
- Mesquite (Pop. 20,290)
- Yerington (Pop. 3,256)
For more Nevada reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Nevada
- Cheapest Places To Live In Nevada
- 5 Most Dangerous Cities In Nevada
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Nevada
- Safest Places In Nevada
- Worst Places To Live In Nevada
Crime By City In Nevada
Rank | City | Population |
---|---|---|
1 | Elko | 20,697 |
2 | Reno | 259,168 |
3 | Las Vegas | 1,693,061 |
4 | West Wendover | 4,258 |
5 | Winnemucca | 7,786 |
6 | Sparks | 106,664 |
7 | North Las Vegas | 256,217 |
8 | Fallon | 8,648 |
9 | Carlin, | 2,268 |
10 | Henderson | 328,056 |
11 | Boulder City | 16,346 |
12 | Mesquite | 20,290 |
13 | Yerington | 3,256 |