The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In Nevada

The 10 Most Dangerous Places To Live In Nevada For 2023

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 2022. That includes the highest burglary rate.

The Biggest Little City in the World, Reno comes in as Nevada’s second most dangerous place to call home. Reno went no change 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 2022, on average. That’s a lot of picked pockets.

And while violent crime has been improving, Reno residents still have to contend with the highest violent crime rate statewide.

It probably won’t surprise anyone to learn that Las Vegas is the third most dangerous place to live in Nevada for 2023. 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 highest property crime rate in Nevada. That means folks had a 1 in 34 chance of having their stuff damaged or stolen over 2022 — 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 third highest burglary statewide.

On top of all that, Las Vegas has big issues with violent crime. Like having the sixth highest rape and fourth highest murder rate in Nevada. Just for good measure, Las Vegas also averaged 20 car thefts a day over 2022.

Elko is the Heart of Northeast Nevada, but it’s also the state’s fourth 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 51 chance of being the victim of a property crime over 2022, the sixth highest odds in Nevada.

And while overall violent crime doesn’t rank in the top five statewide, the rate of rape cases is the fourth highest in the state. Elko is also the murder capital of Nevada, recording the sixth highest rate of homicides anywhere in the state.

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 7 highest pace of violent crimes in the state.

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 2022.

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 fifth highest in Nevada, which includes the third highest murder rate. Overall, residents had a 1 in 237 shot of being the victim of violence over 2022.

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.

Nevada’s second biggest city, Henderson, is also its eighth most dangerous. Henderson had the eighth highest murder rate in Nevada over 2022, 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 6,242 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.

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.

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 10 most dangerous spot in Nevada.

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