Most dangerous cities in Pennsylvania research summary. We analyzed the most recent FBI crime data using Saturday Night Science to determine the most dangerous cities in Pennsylvania.
We examined the violent and property crime per capita statistics for every place with over 5,000 residents. In total, we analyzed 138 Pennsylvania cities. Here are the results of our analysis:
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The most dangerous city in Pennsylvania is Philadelphia based on the most recent FBI crime data.
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The violent crime rate in Pennsylvania is 1,041 per 100k people.
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The property crime rate in Pennsylvania is 4,321 per 100k people.
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The safest city in Pennsylvania is Luzerne.
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Pennsylvania is the 3most dangerous state in the United States.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | References
We have the top ten most dangerous cities in Pennsylvania for 2023 broken down below. The Keystone State has its fair share of dangerous cities.
You might think that most of the problems are centralized around Pennsylvania’s two largest cities: Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Surprisingly, Pennsylvania has done a fair job of spreading its crime evenly across the state.
The type of danger we’re talking about gets people on WTAE at six. To compile our list, we looked at violent and property crimes per capita in cities with a population of 5,000. That left us with 138 cities.
Our analysis aims to help you navigate these dangerous Pennsylvania cities when deciding what city to call home.
We’re not saying there aren’t little pockets of goodness in these Pennsylvania cities. There are neighborhoods and areas in these cities that are working hard to make life safer.
The following Pennsylvania cities have higher average crime rates than their neighbors.
The Most Dangerous Cities In Pennsylvania For 2023
- Philadelphia
- Chester
- McKeesport
- Pottstown
- Wilkinsburg
- New Kensington
- York
- Darby
- Plymouth
- Swatara
What are the circumstances that make these Pennsylvania cities unsafe? Not enough jobs, low wages, drugs, gangs, and, in PA’s case, the war between Steeler and Eagles fans,
What is the most dangerous place in Pennsylvania for 2023? The most dangerous place in Pennsylvania is Philadelphia.
If you’re curious to see how your Pennsylvania town faired, check out the complete list of places in Pennsylvania at the bottom.
For more Pennsylvania reading, check out:
- Most dangerous cities in the US
- Best Places To Live In Pennsylvania
- Cheapest Places To Live In Pennsylvania
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Pennsylvania
The 10 Most Dangerous Places To Live In Pennsylvania For 2023
/10
Population: 1,555,812
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,041 (Third most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,321 (Second most dangerous)
Murders: 514
More on Philadelphia: Data | Cost Of Living
Turns out the City of Brotherly Love has a bit of work to do on the crime front. I mean, have they even figured out who broke Liberty Bell yet?
Seriously though, Philadelphia has the eighth highest murder rate in the state, and residents have a 1 in 96 chance of being the victim of a violent crime each year. The property crime rate also ranks as the second highest in the state.
But, for a big city, Philadelphia outshines some of its worst suburbs in terms of keeping crime rates reasonable. And if you stay out of Philadelphia’s worst neighborhoods, your odds of having a safe experience rise dramatically.
/10
Population: 33,905
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,757 (Second most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,518 (Fourth most dangerous)
Murders: 27
More on Chester: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
We turn to the greater Philadelphia area to reach Pennsylvania’s second most dangerous city, Chester. Chester is also the oldest city in Pennsylvania, so you’d think they’d have figured out how to keep crime down by now.
On the contrary, Chester had the second highest rate of burglaries in the state, with about one taking place each day over a year; quite a staggering rate for a city of just 33,905. Perhaps these thieves are trying to recoup their losses after a day out at the local casino and racetrack.
That doesn’t explain Chester’s second highest place ranking in murders per capita statewide, though, or Chester’s status as the second most violent spot in PA.
/10
Population: 20,765
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,945 (Most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,231 (Sixth most dangerous)
Murders: 10
More on Mckeesport: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Located a half-hour southeast of Pittsburgh, McKeesport ranks as the third most dangerous place to call home in Pennsylvania.The overall crime rate in McKeesport is 150% higher than the national average, and more than 250% higher than the statewide average.
McKeesport had the highest violent crime rate in Pennsylvania, with 10 murders in 2022. That’s enough for anyone to seek sanctuary at the nearby Renziehausen Park Rose Garden.
McKeesport isn’t exactly low on property crime either. To give you an idea, McKeesport had the highest rate of burglaries in the state, so it’s not the sort of place where it’s okay to leave your door unlocked.
4. Pottstown
Population: 22,705
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 911 (Seventh most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,633 (Third most dangerous)
Murders: 7
More on Pottstown:
Coming in as Pennsylvania’s fourth most dangerous city is Pottstown. While Pottstown had the least violent crime per capita of cities in the top five, it does have one troubling statistic — the third highest rate of rape cases in the state. That’s about three cases per month, which, for a borough of just 22,705, is all too common.
Pottstown also had the third highest property crime rate in the state. Maybe the local Steel River Playhouse should stage a production of Crime and Punishment to educate residents on the perils of a criminal life.
Pottstown is located about 40 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
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Population: 15,389
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 987 (Fifth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,067 (Ninth most dangerous)
Murders: 16
More on Wilkinsburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
The Wilkinsburg Police Department have their work cut out for them. That’s because the borough has the highest murder rate in PA, with 16 murders occurring over 2022 — crazy high for a place with only 15,389 people.
On top of that, Wilkinsburg averaged more than one property crime each day of the year and had the third highest burglary rate in Pennsylvania. Those numbers are enough to put both Wilkinsburg’s violent and property crime rates in the top ten statewide.
Wilkinsburg is located less than 10 miles east of Pittsburgh.
/10
Population: 12,273
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 668 (14th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,096 (Eighth most dangerous)
Murders: 1
More on New Kensington: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Situated on the Allegheny River just northeast of Pittsburgh, New Kensington ranks as the sixth most dangerous place in Pennsylvania.
Folks in New Ken had a 1 in 32 chance of being the victim of a property crime in 2022, so it’s a city where you have to be on guard for porch pirates.
New Kensington also reported 82 violent crimes, so just about every week, one unlucky resident found themselves the victim of an attack.
/10
Population: 44,901
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 710 (13th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,558 (16th most dangerous)
Murders: 15
More on York: Data | Cost Of Living
Situated in South Central Pennsylvania, York holds the seventh spot for the most dangerous places to live in Pennsylvania, with its violent and property crime rates posing significant safety concerns.
With a population of 44,901, York has recorded 319 incidents of violent crime and 1,149 instances of property crime. The per capita rates for violent and property crimes are 710/100k people and 2,558/100k people respectively, contributing to its overall total crime rate of 3,269/100k people.
/10
Population: 9,256
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 929 (Sixth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,225 (24th most dangerous)
Murders: 3
More on Darby: Data | Cost Of Living
Darby is a borough of 9,256 located just outside of southwest Philadelphia. Darby earned its #8 spot on this list thanks to having the sixth highest rate of violent crime in Pennsylvania. What’s especially bad is that Darby had the 74th most rapes per capita in the whole state, with about one case happening every three weeks — yikes.
It’s not like property crime is super low in Darby either — each year, residents face a 1 in 44 chance of having their property damaged or stolen. Making it a good practice to check you still have all your valuables when you leave a show at Tower Theater.
/10
Population: 5,747
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,026 (Fourth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,018 (30th most dangerous)
Murders: 0
More on Plymouth: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
10. Swatara
Population: 26,643
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 360 (30th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,453 (Fifth most dangerous)
Murders: 3
More on Swatara:
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous cities in Pennsylvania for 2023?
Every year the FBI release two crime datasets on cities in Pennsylvania. First a preliminary dataset limited to the biggest cities in Pennsylvania, followed by a more detailed release at the end of the year.
For our analysis, we focused on the 2022 data, specifically the 2022 Crime In The United States Report for Pennsylvania.
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 Pennsylvania cities over 5,000 in population. That left us with 138 cities in Pennsylvania.
We then ranked each city from 1 to 138 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 Pennsylvania — Philadelphia. Any ties went to the smaller city.
This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. It is our tenth time ranking the most dangerous places to live in Pennsylvania and is updated for 2023.
Most Dangerous Places To Live In Pennsylvania FAQs
No, Pennsylvania is not a dangerous state as it ranks as the #19 safest state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in Pennsylvania ranks 24th most dangerous in the United States — 5.33% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Keystone State ranks 34th most dangerous in the United States — 15.88% better than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022.
Yes, Philadelphia is a dangerous city. Philadelphia ranks as the #35 most dangerous out of 328 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 Philadelphia might be considered dangerous you still need to be aware of where you are. For example, Bustleton is the safest in Philadelphia, while Haddington-Carroll Park is considered dangerous by many based on recent crime stats.
Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Philadelphia ranks 34th highest in America — 88.14% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 36th highest in the United States — 58.36% worse than US average property crime rate. Note the latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022 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 Pennsylvania
Summary: Locking It All Up In Pennsylvania
So what is the most dangerous city in Pennsylvania? After analyzing 138 cities in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in Pennsylvania based on the most recently reported FBI data — 2022.
The latest FBI crime data shows that Philadelphia ranks as the most dangerous city in Pennsylvania for 2023.
We want to point out again that there’s still safes places in Philadelphia and that this isn’t a comment on the people that live there. So please don’t beat us up.
What are the circumstances that make these Pennsylvania cities unsafe? Not enough jobs, low wages, drugs, gangs, and, in PA’s case, the war between Steeler and Eagles fans,
What is the most dangerous place in Pennsylvania for 2023? The most dangerous place in Pennsylvania is Philadelphia.
If you’re curious to see how your Pennsylvania town faired, check out the complete list of places in Pennsylvania at the bottom.
Learn more about the safest places in Pennsylvania.
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 Pennsylvania:
- Collegeville (Pop. 5,115)
- West Cocalico (Pop. 7,446)
- West Vincent (Pop. 5,887)
- Northampton (Pop. 39,171)
- South Londonderry (Pop. 8,833)
- Dallas (Pop. 9,354)
- Economy (Pop. 9,024)
- Lower Salford (Pop. 15,534)
- Buckingham (Pop. 20,279)
- Luzerne (Pop. 5,896)
For more Pennsylvania reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Pennsylvania
- Cheapest Places To Live In Pennsylvania
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Pennsylvania
- Safest Places In Pennsylvania
- Worst Places To Live In Pennsylvania
Crime By City In Pennsylvania
| Rank | City | Population | Total Crimes Per 100K | Violent Crimes Per 100K | Property Crimes Per 100K | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philadelphia | 1,555,812 | 5,362 | 1,041 | 4,321 | 514 |
| 2 | Chester | 33,905 | 5,276 | 1,757 | 3,518 | 27 |
| 3 | McKeesport | 20,765 | 5,176 | 1,945 | 3,231 | 10 |
| 4 | Pottstown | 22,705 | 4,545 | 911 | 3,633 | 7 |
| 5 | Wilkinsburg | 15,389 | 4,054 | 987 | 3,067 | 16 |
| 6 | New Kensington | 12,273 | 3,764 | 668 | 3,096 | 1 |
| 7 | York | 44,901 | 3,269 | 710 | 2,558 | 15 |
| 8 | Darby | 9,256 | 3,154 | 929 | 2,225 | 3 |
| 9 | Plymouth | 5,747 | 3,045 | 1,026 | 2,018 | 0 |
| 10 | Swatara | 26,643 | 3,813 | 360 | 3,453 | 3 |
| 11 | Allentown | 121,855 | 3,165 | 490 | 2,674 | 10 |
| 12 | Stowe | 6,141 | 2,898 | 586 | 2,312 | 4 |
| 13 | Erie | 93,363 | 2,871 | 607 | 2,264 | 5 |
| 14 | Carnegie | 7,828 | 3,104 | 421 | 2,682 | 0 |
| 15 | Penn Hills | 40,809 | 2,864 | 512 | 2,352 | 10 |
| 16 | Selinsgrove | 5,962 | 2,834 | 419 | 2,415 | 0 |
| 17 | Chambersburg | 21,131 | 3,071 | 350 | 2,721 | 6 |
| 18 | Harrisburg | 49,244 | 2,635 | 856 | 1,778 | 23 |
| 19 | Crafton | 6,178 | 3,415 | 242 | 3,172 | 0 |
| 20 | Butler | 12,901 | 2,557 | 480 | 2,077 | 0 |
| 21 | Altoona | 43,429 | 2,590 | 771 | 1,819 | 0 |
| 22 | Lebanon | 25,959 | 2,696 | 315 | 2,380 | 1 |
| 23 | Norristown | 35,888 | 2,463 | 451 | 2,011 | 9 |
| 24 | Warren | 9,054 | 2,562 | 839 | 1,722 | 0 |
| 25 | Hanover | 15,707 | 2,533 | 299 | 2,234 | 0 |
| 26 | Lehighton | 5,309 | 2,279 | 546 | 1,732 | 0 |
| 27 | South Strabane | 9,464 | 5,166 | 169 | 4,997 | 0 |
| 28 | Lansdowne | 10,621 | 2,890 | 207 | 2,683 | 0 |
| 29 | Catasauqua | 6,619 | 2,341 | 256 | 2,084 | 0 |
| 30 | Caln | 14,363 | 2,367 | 243 | 2,123 | 0 |
| 31 | West Manchester | 18,860 | 3,160 | 180 | 2,979 | 1 |
| 32 | Indiana | 12,974 | 2,135 | 855 | 1,279 | 0 |
| 33 | Scranton | 75,798 | 2,098 | 408 | 1,690 | 1 |
| 34 | Swissvale | 8,652 | 2,253 | 242 | 2,011 | 1 |
| 35 | Wyomissing | 10,504 | 2,427 | 209 | 2,218 | 1 |
| 36 | Sandy | 10,445 | 2,067 | 296 | 1,771 | 0 |
| 37 | Wilkes-Barre | 44,497 | 2,009 | 397 | 1,611 | 1 |
| 38 | West Norriton | 15,650 | 2,000 | 306 | 1,693 | 3 |
| 39 | Springettsbury | 26,888 | 3,112 | 130 | 2,982 | 0 |
| 40 | Upper Chichester | 16,925 | 2,038 | 206 | 1,831 | 0 |
| 41 | Aliquippa | 8,780 | 1,583 | 432 | 1,150 | 2 |
| 42 | Mechanicsburg | 8,994 | 2,045 | 177 | 1,867 | 0 |
| 43 | DuBois | 7,319 | 1,789 | 232 | 1,557 | 0 |
| 44 | Bristol | 53,508 | 1,865 | 220 | 1,644 | 1 |
| 45 | Rostraver | 11,368 | 2,207 | 149 | 2,058 | 2 |
| 46 | Newberry | 15,885 | 2,039 | 163 | 1,875 | 0 |
| 47 | East Lampeter | 26,642 | 1,955 | 165 | 1,790 | 0 |
| 48 | Tyrone | 5,160 | 1,763 | 213 | 1,550 | 0 |
| 49 | Carlisle | 20,237 | 1,625 | 222 | 1,403 | 2 |
| 50 | Waynesboro | 10,925 | 1,473 | 247 | 1,226 | 3 |
This is Bulshit ! Pottstown is not #3 No Way! Bulshit I’m calling it ! #pottstownPride
You are right – at bottom of the page, it says this is from an “infotainment” company.
So well said. Really showing off the quality of Pottstown education, you can’t even spell “bulls..t” correctly.
nah im from pottstown, it definitley isn’t #3 but I can see why it’s on this list
I’m surprised Johnstown isn’t ranked higher! Violent crime such as shootings and stabbing a are still too frequent here! I work in a hospital and see the traumas all the time! Drugs have caused 80% of this problem!
Harrisburg must have been imploded ~ it’s not even on the list! 😛
Just to clarify, a majority of people left Johnstown after the steel mills closed. The increase in crime has only been around for the last 5 years. In an effort to bring people back and try to generate revenue from it, the city added halfway housing, a methadone clinic, and has been known to advertise low income housing in rougher cities like Philadelphia and even out of state.
Most of the drug related crime is funneling in from states like New York, New Jersey, Ohio. It’s a small town, most residents would rather move than try to save this dying town. It’s sad, this poor town is looking and feeling more and more like Detroit.
I still hold out some hope for this place though.
What about Wilkinsburg, Homewood, Braddock? I guess you forgot to do your research.
What about Reading??? People are shooting each other almost everyday!
What about Washington we had three shootings on the same street in one week not to mention countless others around
The reason why crime continues to increase worldwide is because most people are not born again Christians.Also there is a percentage of people worldwide who claim they are born again who are not being fully faithful to the Lord Gods word.The holy bible predicted SIN will intensify.Jesus Christ will come down on a cloud in great power and glory.He will resurrect the true Christians from there graves.These Christians will meet the Lord Jesus Christ in the sky.People who are not saved will be left behind.Some Christians are hypocrites.Some unsaved are hypocrites.
Crime continues to increase every year in cities worldwide because of SIN!Most people throughout the world are not Christians.There are those claiming to be Christians worldwide.A percentage are not being faithful to the Lord God.What are we so afraid of?Are we ashamed of Jesus Christ?Are we afraid of changing?The Holy bible says it will get worst!
Truth has never been lost, we left it. We never had a right to hate others through jealous, bigotry, racism or any other type of hatred. The only time we are justified is in proverbs 8 :13. Google it! Repent ! Do a self examination.
Any list of dangerous places in Pennsylvania that doesn’t have Killadelphia at the top of the list is not to be taken seriously. Any site publishing a list that can’t be taken seriously is also not to be taken seriously.
Philly is only dangerous if you’re not from here. #215crew
Amen