The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In Ohio For 2022


We used data and science to identify the most dangerous cities in the Buckeye State for 2022.

RoadSnacks is reader-supported. When you click through real estate links on our site, we earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.

Article Table Of Contents   

(Skip to section)

Where are you moving to next? If it happens to be Ohio, then this is the article for you. Ohio is a state filled with many exciting cities, but the state does have a relatively dangerous city or two.

If you enjoy beautiful state parks, walking through large cities, and fields upon fields of corn, then Ohio is a great choice. But there are the dangerous places to avoid living as a newcomer. Luckily for you, RoadSnacks has figured out that answer for you. We used the most recent FBI crime data on property and violent crimes per capita to determine which cities in Ohio stick out like a sore thumb when it comes to danger. And while these places might be dangerous as a whole, there are always better and worse places even at the city level.

And it's hard to fault the people living in these cities for the crime that occurs there. Ohio has seen a decrease in the relevance of its most prominent industries over the past several decades. People have been leaving cities like Cleveland and Columbus for coastal cities or Chicago with higher tech job prospects. Not to mention the Opioid Epidemic that finds its ground zero almost directly in the center of Ohio.

So with that in mind, grab some Skyline Chili with a side of Buckeyes for dessert as we walk you through our analysis of dangerous cities in Ohio.

We analyzed 220 cities in Ohio using the latest FBI crime data to determine which cities in Ohio were the most likely to make you double check your doors are locked.

The winner of the most dangerous place in Ohio for 2022? Canton, Ohio is the most dangerous city in Ohio.

The larger cities didn't fare much better. Cleveland, Dayton, and Cincinnati all ranked in our top ten most dangerous cities list.

Interested to see how your favorite cities stacked up? Read on to learn more about our methodology and to see what makes each of these cities so dangerous.

Learn more about the safest places in Ohio.

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 Ohio reading, check out:

The 10 Most Dangerous Places To Live In Ohio For 2022

We're kicking our list up a notch with the most dangerous places to live in Ohio for 2022 -- Canton, a city of 70,124 located approximately 20 miles south of Akron.

We hope they have enough security guarding the memorabilia on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton because the city had the third highest burglary rate in all of Ohio. Overall, residents faced a 1 in 20 chance of being the victim of a property crime in 2020.

And the bad news just keeps on coming for Canton. The city experienced the third highest rate of rape cases in the whole state, and the overall violent crime rate is the second highest.

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 70,124
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,428 (Second most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,864 (Fifth most dangerous)
More on Canton:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Canton, OH

A part of the Dayton Metro Area, Moraine is a small city of just 6,478 and the second most dangerous place to live in Ohio.

In actuality, Moraine has the second highest overall crime rate in Ohio for 2020, but most of that comes from having the second highest rate of property crime in the state.

Unfortunately, the crime problem doesn't end with property in Moraine. The city also had the 14highest murder rate in Ohio for 2020.

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 6,478
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 663 (Tenth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 6,606 (Second most dangerous)
More on Moraine:  | Cost Of Living

Moraine, OH

Source: Public domain

Ohio's 2nd most populous city and the home to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is also one of the most dangerous places to live in the state.

Once again, Cleveland had the highest violent crime rate in Ohio, with residents facing a 1 in 60 chance of being attacked in 2020. That includes the highest murder rate and ninth highest rate of rape cases statewide.

Additionally, Cleveland ranked worse for property crime this year than last year. But don't rule the whole city out because of this result; there are still plenty of safe neighborhoods in Cleveland to choose from.

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 379,121
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,656 (Most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,070 (11th most dangerous)
More on Cleveland:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Cleveland, OH

Located a half-hour northeast of Dayton, Springfield is Ohio's fourth most dangerous city. Springfield experienced about two burglaries a day on average in 2020 -- that's enough to give it the second highest burglary rate statewide.

Overall, people in Springfield had a 1 in 19 chance of having their stuff stolen or damaged.

At least you can get away from the crime-filled streets of Springfield at Buck Creek State Park... just bring a buddy and get home before dark.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 58,696
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 3)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 575 (12th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 5,134 (Fourth most dangerous)
More on Springfield:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Springfield, OH

Source: Public domain

In the early 20th century, Portsmouth was known for its shoes and paving bricks. With this manufacturing backbone, the town, located across the river from Kentucky in the south-central part of Ohio, saw rapid growth starting in the last part of the 19th century. This economic stimulus led the population to quadruple from 1870 to 1930.

However, the time since has seen a reversal of fortune. The area's current population of 20,151 is less than half its pre-Great Depression peak. This long decline, spurred by economic dislocation, has led to many problems for the community, including increased crime. The rate of burglaries is particularly high, with 177 such crimes in a year.

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 20,151
Rank Last Year: -
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 694 (Ninth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,664 (Eighth most dangerous)
More on Portsmouth:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Portsmouth, OH

Up next on our list is Dayton, Ohio's 6th biggest city. Dayton had the fourth highest burglary rate statewide in 2020 and averaged about two car thefts a day.

We just hope no one pulls a Grand Theft Auto move and steals a plane from the Air Force Museum or a classic car from the Packard Museum.

Violent crime is even worse in Dayton -- the city had the second highest murder rate in Ohio, with about one murder each week, on average. Dayton also had the 14th highest rate of rape cases statewide and the third highest violent crime rate overall.

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 140,193
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 2)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,086 (Third most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,845 (14th most dangerous)
More on Dayton:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Dayton, OH

Next up on our list of Ohio's most dangerous cities is Whitehall, a suburb of Columbus. Whitehall has some of the highest violent crime numbers in the state, including the 24th highest murder rate. That's a murder every other month, which is quite high for a city of just 19,014.

Property crime also ranks as the tenth highest statewide, with about three cases occurring each day on average.

At least you can get away from all this crime by spending a relaxing day looking at flowers at the Franklin Park Conservatory nearby.

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 19,014
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 3)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 825 (Eighth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,428 (Tenth most dangerous)
More on Whitehall:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Whitehall, OH

Source: Public domain

Mount Healthy is a suburb of Cincy, but its high crime rate keeps it from being one of Cincinnati's best suburbs.

Mount Healthy sounds like a great place to stay fit, and there are plenty of great parks hero, but you'd be well-advised to not linger alone after dark.

The biggest danger in Mount Healthy, though, is property crime, which ranks as the 15th highest in Ohio. In fact, residents had a 1 in 26 shot of having their belongings stolen or damaged in 2020.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 6,729
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 2)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,040 (Fourth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,819 (15th most dangerous)
More on Mount Healthy:  | Cost Of Living

Mount Healthy, OH

There might be lions and tigers and bears at the Cincinnati Zoo, but it turns out that the city's streets are the really dangerous place.

Cincinnati has the third highest murder rate in Ohio, with more than one murder per week, on average, in 2020. Overall, Cincinnati's residents had a 1 in 112 chance of being attacked over the year.

Not to mention that 1,506 cars got stolen and 2,322 burglaries went down. A good chunk of this crime comes from Cincinatti's worst neighborhoods, so if you steer clear of those, you should be all right.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 304,724
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 3)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 892 (Seventh most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,683 (16th most dangerous)
More on Cincinnati:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Cincinnati, OH

Welcome to the birthplace of LeBron James! But that's just the beginning. Fellow NBA great Stephen Curry also took his first breath in town. Meanwhile, baseball legend Thurman Munson, as well as famed bands like Devo and The Black Keys, all came from Akron as well.

Quite a storied history. Of course, those folks eventually moved out of town to find fame and fortune. Why? Well, the community itself has its share of problems, from high poverty to daunting crime rates. In fact, Akron stands as the number 10 most dangerous place in Ohio. This includes high rates of arson, car thefts, and rape. Not to mention the 47 murders that take place in a year.

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 197,433
Rank Last Year: 15 (Up 5)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 910 (Sixth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,530 (18th most dangerous)
More on Akron:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Akron, OH

Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous cities in Ohio 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 Ohio cities over 5,000 in population. That left us with 220 cities in Ohio.

We then ranked each city from 1 to 220 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 Ohio -- Canton. Any ties went to the smaller city. You can download the data here.

Most Dangerous Places To Live In Ohio FAQs

Is Ohio a dangerous state?

No, Ohio is not a dangerous state as it ranks as the #16 safest state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in ohio ranks 33rd highest in the United States -- 20.38% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Buckeye State ranks 29th highest in the United States -- 5.51% better than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2020.

Is Columbus, OH a dangerous city?

Yes, Columbus is a dangerous city. Columbus ranks as the #108 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 Columbus might be considered dangerous you still need to be aware of where you are. For example, Upper Arlington is the safest in Columbus, while Franklinton is considered dangerous by many based on recent crime stats.

Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Columbus ranks 124th highest in America -- 1.23% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 102nd highest in the United States -- 17.87% 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 Ohio

Most Dangerous Cities In Ohio Graph

Click To Enlarge

Summary: Locking It All Up In Ohio

So what is the most dangerous city in Ohio? After analyzing 220 cities in Ohio, Canton takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in Ohio based on the most recently reported FBI data -- 2020.

The latest FBI crime data shows that Canton ranks as the most dangerous city in Ohio for 2022.

We want to point out again that there's still safes places in Canton and that this isn't a comment on the people that live there. So please don't beat us up.

We analyzed 220 cities in Ohio using the latest FBI crime data to determine which cities in Ohio were the most likely to make you double check your doors are locked.

The winner of the most dangerous place in Ohio for 2022? Canton, Ohio is the most dangerous city in Ohio.

The larger cities didn't fare much better. Cleveland, Dayton, and Cincinnati all ranked in our top ten most dangerous cities list.

Interested to see how your favorite cities stacked up? Read on to learn more about our methodology and to see what makes each of these cities so dangerous.

Learn more about the safest places in Ohio.

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 Ohio:

  1. Poland Township (Pop. 11,772)
  2. Powell (Pop. 13,593)
  3. Brecksville (Pop. 13,591)
  4. Indian Hill (Pop. 5,795)
  5. Canfield (Pop. 7,138)
  6. Avon Lake (Pop. 24,724)
  7. Clearcreek Township (Pop. 16,312)
  8. Sagamore Hills (Pop. 10,917)
  9. Broadview Heights (Pop. 19,059)
  10. Olmsted Township (Pop. 13,478)

For more Ohio reading, check out:

Crime By City In Ohio

Rank City Population Violent Crimes Per Capita Property Crimes Per Capita
1 Canton 70,124 1,428 4,864
2 Moraine 6,478 663 6,606
3 Cleveland 379,121 1,656 4,070
4 Springfield 58,696 575 5,134
5 Portsmouth 20,151 694 4,664
6 Dayton 140,193 1,086 3,845
7 Whitehall 19,014 825 4,428
8 Mount Healthy 6,729 1,040 3,819
9 Cincinnati 304,724 892 3,683
10 Akron 197,433 910 3,530
11 Butler Township 7,816 294 7,267
12 Springfield Township, Summit County 14,507 386 4,680
13 Toledo 271,237 1,006 2,893
14 Columbus 911,383 555 3,130
15 Zanesville 25,136 322 3,477
16 Nelsonville 5,102 372 3,234
17 Euclid 46,272 518 2,867
18 Sidney 20,372 490 2,891
19 Springdale 11,160 492 2,858
20 Newark 50,625 274 3,452
21 Heath 11,015 245 4,058
22 Warren 38,462 449 2,789
23 Circleville 14,113 233 3,890
24 Kenton 8,163 294 2,842
25 Trotwood 24,399 647 2,438
26 Lancaster 40,700 248 2,977
27 Reynoldsburg 38,600 354 2,461
28 Lorain 63,831 506 2,365
29 Logan 7,007 185 4,695
30 Washington Court House 14,076 269 2,678
31 Middletown 48,814 301 2,396
32 Wellston 5,489 291 2,459
33 Wilmington 12,353 242 2,825
34 Wooster 26,424 264 2,501
35 Oregon 20,026 214 2,886
36 Barberton 25,890 251 2,514
37 Van Wert 10,659 281 2,373
38 Napoleon 8,148 233 2,761
39 South Euclid 21,179 278 2,346
40 Niles 18,070 221 2,767
41 Xenia 27,095 276 2,170
42 Alliance 21,356 220 2,547
43 Perry Township, Stark County 28,005 282 1,896
44 North College Hill 9,269 204 2,556
45 Beachwood 11,547 164 3,152
46 Northwood 5,458 201 2,491
47 Cheviot 8,195 183 2,782
48 Reading 11,024 199 2,440
49 Miami Township, Montgomery County 29,125 209 2,331
50 Fremont 15,841 138 3,440

How Is Your Town In ?

This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. It is our ninth time ranking the most dangerous places to live in Ohio and is updated for 2022.

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.