The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In Oklahoma For 2022


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

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Everything is not 'okie dokie' in Oklahoma and RoadSnacks has a list of the most dangerous places in the Sooner State to prove it.

We're not talking about the kind of problems that give Ada's hometown hero, Black Shelton, sad lyrics for his country songs. We're talking about the kind of danger that has landed the state as the tenth most dangerous state in the country. And, folks, the breakdown begins in the state's most dangerous cities. Yes, this flyover state definitely has its fair share of dangerous places, and those places are where you'll find the most crime. So, if you're looking to move to tornado alley, we suggest you take a look at RoadSnacks' list of the most dangerous places in Oklahoma for 2022.

Why'd 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 gossip. You know, the stuff that Oklahomans see on Norman's News 9 at six or Lawton's crime stoppers at ten.

How'd we do it? We consulted the numbers. In total, we analyzed 73 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 Arkansas' violent and property crime numbers are even scarier than the most dangerous place in the state; and unfortunately, the effects of these numbers are continuing to claim many of Arkansas' biggest cities. Cities like Tulsa and Muskogee can't catch a break.

Now, if you live in Oklahoma's safest city, Piedmont, 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 Oklahoma For 2022

  1. Tulsa
  2. Idabel
  3. Anadarko
  4. Ardmore
  5. Ponca City
  6. Hugo
  7. Pauls Valley
  8. Del City
  9. Muskogee
  10. Oklahoma City

Do we think there's a direct correlation between places in Oklahoma with high unemployment rates, low wages, and high crime to the state's most dangerous places? Absolutely. And this is most evident in the most dangerous place to live in Oklahoma for 2022, Tulsa.

Want to know the other places in Oklahoma that could us a hug? Take a look below; and if you don't find what you're looking for there, head to the bottom.

Learn more about the safest places in Oklahoma.

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 Oklahoma reading, check out:

The 10 Most Dangerous Places To Live In Oklahoma For 2022

Oklahoma's second biggest city and the cultural center of the state's northeast, Tulsa ranks as the most dangerous place to live in Oklahoma for 2022. Tulsa had the second highest violent crime rate in Oklahoma, recording 72 murders in 2020.

Overall, residents had a 1 in 88 chance of being the victim of a robbery, rape, assault, or murder. That's a good enough reason to stay buddied up when you're in Tulsa's worst neighborhoods.

Property crime is also a big deal in Tulsa, especially burglaries. There were 4,407 burglaries in 2020 overall, giving the city the eighth highest burglary rate statewide. We just hope there's enough security at the Philbrook Museum of Art to stop any would-be heisters.

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 402,166
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,132 (Second most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 5,111 (Second most dangerous)
More on Tulsa:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Tulsa, OK

While most American cities see crime drop year over year, Idabel's trajectory is going in the other direction. The city experienced a jump in violent crime and a rise in property crime in recent years.

Idabel had the highest property crime rate in Oklahoma, with residents facing a whopping 1 in 15 chance of having their stuff stolen or damaged over 2020. Idabel's property crime rate is so high that its overall crime rate actually ranks as the highest statewide.

And just because Idabel only ranks as the fourth most violent place in Oklahoma, that doesn't tell the whole story. Idabel had the fourth highest rape and highest murder rate statewide. So get home before dark if you're heading to Little River National Wildlife Refuge.

Overall SnackAbility

1
/10

Population: 6,827
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 952 (Fourth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 6,386 (Most dangerous)
More on Idabel:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Idabel, OK

Anadarko got its name by accident. The town was supposed to be named after the Nadaco band of Native Americans. However, somewhere in the process of getting its first post office, someone added an "A" to the front of the word.

Not an auspicious start. But this community in central Oklahoma, about 50 miles southwest of Oklahoma City, has other problems to worry about than the history of its name. It also stands as the number 3 most dangerous spot in the state. The town suffers high rates of larceny and burglary, as well as a scary pace of violent crimes.

Overall SnackAbility

1
/10

Population: 6,473
Rank Last Year: 14 (Up 11)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 926 (Fifth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 5,020 (Third most dangerous)
More on Anadarko:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Anadarko, OK

Ardmore's crime rate became much higher since last year, landing it in the #4 spot for 2022. Violent crime went up, and property crime rose too, in recent years -- not a great combo.

Ardmore ended up with the sixth highest violent crime rate in Oklahoma thanks to these gains. That works out to about four violent crimes per week, with the majority being aggravated assaults.

So if you don't want to end up the protagonist of a horror movie, bring a friend with you when you go out for a hike at Lake Murray State Park.

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 24,718
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 3)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 869 (Sixth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,543 (Fifth most dangerous)
More on Ardmore:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Ardmore, OK

Located in the north-central part of the state, Ponca City was once an oil boom town. From the early 1910s, when the first oil lease was signed in the area, through the middle of the 20th century, the town saw tremendous growth, largely fueled by the oil industry. The population went from around 2,500 in 1910 to almost ten times that amount fifty years later.

Recently, however, the growth has ground to a halt. The city, with its 23,484 residents, has fewer people than it did in 1970. Meanwhile, crime has become a distinct problem for those left behind. That includes high rates of robberies and burglaries.

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 23,484
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 6)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 770 (Eighth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,415 (Seventh most dangerous)
More on Ponca City:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Ponca City, OK

Source: Public domain

Hugo is a circus town. Not to imply that the residents are clowns. We mean it literally: the community provided the winter home for approximately 20 circuses back in the hayday for those traveling shows.

That's kind of a fun thing for a city to become famous for -- if you can ignore the exploitation and cruelty to animals. These days, though, with most of the circuses closed permanently, Hugo has a completely different reputation. Now, the town ranks as the number 6 most dangerous spot in Oklahoma. As such, the retired lion tamers living out their golden years in Hugo have to worry about high rates of arson and larceny.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 5,067
Rank Last Year: 13 (Up 7)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 611 (14th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,637 (Fourth most dangerous)
More on Hugo:  | Cost Of Living

Hugo, OK

Located about an hour south of Oklahoma City, Pauls Valley ranks as Oklahoma's seventh least safe place to live. Pauls Valley had the second highest burglary count in the state and recorded a property crime each day, on average. That's quite a lot in a city of just 6,111.

Here's hoping that no super criminal nerd collective gets together to pull a heist of the local Toy and Action Figure Museum.

While Pauls Valley had the eighth most property crime in Oklahoma, it's the least violent place on this list.

Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 6,111
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 3)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 687 (11th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,401 (Eighth most dangerous)
More on Pauls Valley:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Pauls Valley, OK

Source: Public domain

You won't find Del City anywhere on our list of Oklahoma City's best suburbs, and crime is a big reason why.

Del City had the third highest violent crime rate in Oklahoma. Residents had a staggering 1 in 100 shot of being the victim of a violent attack in 2020.

Add to that 792 property crimes over the year, and you've got a recipe for a full plate for the Del City Police Department.

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 21,750
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 5)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 993 (Third most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,641 (16th most dangerous)
More on Del City:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Del City, OK

You'd think having a castle and a submarine around, Muskogee would have its bases covered in preventing crime, but it doesn't.

Muskogee ranked as the most violent place in Oklahoma, with residents facing a 1 in 82 chance of being the victim of a robbery, rape, assault, or murder in 2020. A lot of that comes from Muskogee having the ninth highest rate of rape cases statewide.

If that doesn't sound bad enough, consider that Muskogee also averaged one burglary a day over 2020 -- truly, nowhere is safe in Muskogee.

Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

Population: 36,884
Rank Last Year: 8 (Down 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,209 (Most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,500 (21st most dangerous)
More on Muskogee:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Muskogee, OK

Oklahoma City's crime numbers actually fell a bit over the last year, despite it holding onto a spot on this list. That's just because other cities in Oklahoma are improving faster than the capital city.

Still, residents have to contend with the ninth highest violent crime rate in Oklahoma. That includes more than one murder each week and more than one rape each day. Not exactly part of the Wild West image Oklahoma City was going for with the National Cowboy and Western Museum.

As for property crime, Oklahoma City recorded more than ten car thefts each day on average, and 25,853 property crimes overall. However, as OKC is the state's biggest city, there are obviously some rougher areas, but if you stick to Oklahoma City's best neighborhoods, you should be safe.

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 663,661
Rank Last Year: 9 (Down 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 725 (Ninth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,895 (13th most dangerous)
More on Oklahoma City:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Oklahoma City, OK

Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous cities in Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma cities over 5,000 in population. That left us with 73 cities in Oklahoma.

We then ranked each city from 1 to 73 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 Oklahoma -- Tulsa. Any ties went to the smaller city. You can download the data here.

Most Dangerous Places To Live In Oklahoma FAQs

Is Oklahoma a dangerous state?

Yes, Oklahoma is a dangerous state as it ranks as the #8 most dangerous state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in oklahoma ranks 13th highest in the United States -- 18.25% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Sooner State ranks sixth highest in the United States -- 38.17% worse than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2020.

Is Oklahoma City, OK a dangerous city?

Yes, Oklahoma City is a dangerous city. Oklahoma City ranks as the #50 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 Oklahoma City might be considered dangerous you still need to be aware of where you are.

Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Oklahoma City ranks 82nd highest in America -- 32.26% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 5highest in the United States -- 46.68% 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 Oklahoma

Most Dangerous Cities In Oklahoma Graph

Click To Enlarge

Summary: Locking It All Up In Oklahoma

So what is the most dangerous city in Oklahoma? After analyzing 73 cities in Oklahoma, Tulsa takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in Oklahoma based on the most recently reported FBI data -- 2020.

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

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

Do we think there's a direct correlation between places in Oklahoma with high unemployment rates, low wages, and high crime to the state's most dangerous places? Absolutely. And this is most evident in the most dangerous place to live in Oklahoma for 2022, Tulsa.

Want to know the other places in Oklahoma that could us a hug? Take a look below; and if you don't find what you're looking for there, head to the bottom.

Learn more about the safest places in Oklahoma.

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 Oklahoma:

  1. Mustang (Pop. 23,658)
  2. Newcastle (Pop. 11,038)
  3. Lone Grove (Pop. 5,153)
  4. Edmond (Pop. 95,571)
  5. Tuttle (Pop. 7,768)
  6. Choctaw (Pop. 12,850)
  7. Jenks (Pop. 24,639)
  8. Bixby (Pop. 28,840)
  9. Blanchard (Pop. 9,090)
  10. Piedmont (Pop. 8,931)

For more Oklahoma reading, check out:

Crime By City In Oklahoma

Rank City Population Violent Crimes Per Capita Property Crimes Per Capita
1 Tulsa 402,166 1,132 5,111
2 Idabel 6,827 952 6,386
3 Anadarko 6,473 926 5,020
4 Ardmore 24,718 869 4,543
5 Ponca City 23,484 770 4,415
6 Hugo 5,067 611 4,637
7 Pauls Valley 6,111 687 4,401
8 Del City 21,750 993 3,641
9 Muskogee 36,884 1,209 3,500
10 Oklahoma City 663,661 725 3,895
11 Okmulgee 11,627 584 4,283
12 Shawnee 31,606 490 4,239
13 Catoosa 6,930 707 3,578
14 Poteau 8,899 640 3,685
15 Ada 17,278 515 3,704
16 Warr Acres 10,140 414 4,201
17 Chickasha 16,478 485 3,556
18 Purcell 6,445 372 3,584
19 Grove 7,210 374 3,578
20 Cushing 7,592 434 3,213
21 Bethany 19,239 431 3,253
22 Pryor Creek 9,361 673 2,681
23 Enid 49,708 468 2,856
24 Lawton 92,507 785 2,238
25 McAlester 17,752 321 3,154
26 Miami 13,032 422 2,693
27 Tecumseh 6,652 285 3,156
28 Seminole 6,994 300 3,045
29 Holdenville 5,470 310 2,833
30 Midwest City 57,730 316 2,826
31 Duncan 22,226 188 4,026
32 Clinton 9,094 340 2,595
33 Bartlesville 36,183 243 3,161
34 Sallisaw 8,448 260 2,864
35 Norman 126,480 289 2,578
36 Henryetta 5,527 217 3,057
37 Sand Springs 20,026 94 4,504
38 Stillwater 50,831 287 2,455
39 Skiatook 8,135 270 2,532
40 Durant 19,007 210 2,941
41 Woodward 12,143 255 2,569
42 Glenpool 14,319 356 1,780
43 The Village 9,632 249 2,356
44 Coweta 10,109 356 1,592
45 Tahlequah 16,936 183 2,692
46 Claremore 18,757 165 3,012
47 Blackwell 6,508 261 1,828
48 Wagoner 9,283 226 2,035
49 Moore 62,840 208 2,310
50 Vinita 5,264 284 1,614

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 Oklahoma 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.