Most dangerous cities in Vermont research summary. We analyzed the most recent FBI crime data to determine the most dangerous cities in Vermont based on violent and property crimes per capita. Here are the results of our analysis:
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The most dangerous city in Vermont is Rutland based on the most recent FBI crime data.
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The violent crime rate in Vermont is 500 per 100k people.
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The property crime rate in Vermont is 3,764 per 100k people.
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The safest city in Vermont is Swanton.
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Vermont is the 48th most dangerous state in the United States.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | References
Ben & Jerry’s Rocky Road-ish isn’t the only thing that’s rocky in Vermont, the state has its fair share of some pretty rocky situations in the form of dangerous places to live.
Do you live in one of the most dangerous cities in Vermont? If you’re not sure, then you should definitely look below at RoadSnacks list of the top ten most dangerous places in Vermont for 2023 before it’s too late. How’d we do it? We consulted the numbers. In total, we analyzed 22 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 Vermont’s overall violent and property crime numbers, while above the national average, the numbers in the state’s most dangerous places could be better.
If you asked most Vermonters, they would say that their little corner of this eastern state is the best, but that’s not the case for the people who live in Vermont’s most dangerous places. The residents in these places are not only witnessing high crime, they are dealing with unemployment, low wages, and lack of rehabilitation programs. This is shocking because Vermont is one of the wealthiest states in the country. Do we think that the state needs to reevaluate their income and sales tax so that they can take care of their problems? We’re not entirely sure, but one thing we know is that the trickle down effect must be stopping after Vermont’s best cities are compensated.
Want to know the places in The Green Mountain State where jobs are scarce, wages low, and crime is high? Keep reading.
The Most Dangerous Cities In Vermont For 2023
On the whole, Vermont’s a pretty safe place to chill, ski, snowboard, and drink maple syrup by the gallon. I mean how much crime can there be in a state that’s 75% forests? Not much, but that doesn’t mean that some cities have a heckuva lot more crime than others.
So, what place in Vermont has won the title “Most Dangerous” for 2023? That would be, Rutland.
To see how the rest of Vermont’s cities faired, take a look at the list below; and if you don’t find what you’re looking for there, head to the bottom.
Learn more about the safest places in Vermont.
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 Vermont reading, check out:
The 10 Most Dangerous Places To Live In Vermont For 2023
Vermont’s third biggest city, Rutland, is also its most dangerous — probably not a surprise for most Vermonters. Rutland’s crime numbers have been level over the last year, which isn’t great news when you have the second highest violent crime rate in the state.
That works out to a 1 in 199 shot of being violently attacked over the course of a year.
More than one property crime went down in Rutland each day, on average, in 2021. That includes an average of more than one burglary each week. Here’s hoping there’s enough security at the Norman Rockwell Museum to stop any would-be heisters.
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Population: 14,771
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 8)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 500 (Second most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,764 (Most dangerous)
More on Rutland: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Kicking off our list of the most dangerous places to live in Vermont for 2023 is St. Albans, a city of 6,787 located a half-hour north of Burlington. While the property crime rate in St. Albans fell since last year, violent crime went up by about the same margin.
Overall, St. Albans residents had a 1 in 226 chance of being assaulted, robbed, raped, or murdered over 2021, the third highest rate in Vermont.
The property crime rate in St. Albans, while improving, is still the fourth highest worst statewide. So make sure you keep an eye on your valuables if you’re passing through St. Albans for the Vermont Maple Festival.
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Population: 6,787
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 442 (Third most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,167 (Fourth most dangerous)
More on St. Albans: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Located just northeast of Burlington, Winooski comes in as Vermont’s third least safe place to live.
The violent crime rate in Winooski fell from last year and the property crime rate also went down a bit, but the Winooski Police Department still have a lot to deal with.
Like having the 12th highest murder rate and the ninth highest rate of rape cases in Vermont. Residents are also well-advised to lock their homes up tight, considering Winooski had the fourth highest burglary rate statewide.
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Population: 7,554
Rank Last Year: 3 (No Change)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 383 (Fifth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,700 (Fifth most dangerous)
More on Winooski: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Home to the University of Vermont and the biggest city Vermont has to offer, Burlington clocks in as the state’s fourth most dangerous place for 2023.
Burlington saw a rise in property crime and a spike in violent crime over the last year.
That left residents to contend with the 12th highest rape and 12th highest murder rate in the state.
On top of that, an average of about three property crimes go down each day in Burlington, making it good protocol to keep a close eye on your belongings while you’re out shopping on Church Street.
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Population: 42,946
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 356 (Seventh most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,530 (Third most dangerous)
More on Burlington: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Located about 15 minutes southeast of Montpelier, Barre ranks as Vermont’s fifth most dangerous place to live.
While Barre is pretty proud of its granite, we’re sure residents wish local leaders took a bit more pride in having safe streets.
Barre had the highest violent crime rate in Vermont over 2021. That includes the unfortunate distinction of having the highest rate of rape cases in the whole state.
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Population: 8,418
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 677 (Most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 1,971 (Tenth most dangerous)
More on Barre: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Brattleboro may occupy the #6 spot on this list, but it actually has the second highest overall crime rate in Vermont, outstripping the national average by about 70%.
How’d that happen? Well, Brattleboro has the second highest property crime rate in Vermont, with residents facing a staggering 1 in 26 chance of having their stuff stolen or vandalized over 2021.
In other words, keep a close guard on your produce after a morning out at the Farmers’ Market, or it could get snatched.
Additionally, you should probably invest in a good security system if you’re living in Brattleboro because the town had the second highest burglary rate in Vermont.
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Population: 11,182
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 4)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 295 (Ninth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,756 (Second most dangerous)
More on Brattleboro: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Springfield’s property crime rate may have gone down over the last year, but its violent crime rate went up during the same interval, so it’s kind of a wash.
Just be careful if you’re out alone at one of Springfield’s many nature trails, or you might end up the protagonist in a horror movie.
Springfield has an healthy mix of property crime and violent crime to this day — the third highest rate of rape cases and fifth highest burglary rate in Vermont are significant factors that land Springfield in the #7 position on this list.
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Population: 8,828
Rank Last Year: 13 (Up 6)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 362 (Sixth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,537 (Seventh most dangerous)
More on Springfield: | Crime Report
Located in the northeast part of the state, St. Johnsbury sits close the New Hampshire border and less than 50 miles away from Canada. While it exists in a largely rural region, the community comes with its share of amenities. This includes the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium.
As the population hub in the area, St. Johnsbury also endures its share of challenges. Crime ranks among these, as this counts as the number 8 most dangerous spot in Vermont. The list of concerns includes high rates of robbery, burglary and larceny.
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Population: 7,021
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 2)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 341 (Eighth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,478 (Eighth most dangerous)
More on St. Johnsbury: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
9. Hartford
Hartford, a town in Chittenden County, ranks as the ninth most dangerous place to live in the state for 2023. The crime statistics reveal concerning figures, with a total of 40 violent crimes, including 1 robberies and 33 aggravated assaults.
These figures indicate that Hartford faces significant challenges in maintaining safety for its population of approximately 9,530 residents. However, it is crucial to approach this issue with a neutral perspective and recognize that, improvements can be made with dedicated efforts from law enforcement and community members.
Population: 9,530
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 2)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 419 (Fourth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 1,594 (14th most dangerous)
More on Hartford:
South Burlington might not rank as high on this list as its northern neighbor, but it does have a higher property crime rate. South Burlington residents had a 1 in 43 chance of having their valuables stolen or damaged over 2021.
Now, a lot of that may be down to shoplifting teenagers at Vermont’s largest mall. Or it could be criminals trying to steal intel on the newest ice cream flavor from the headquarters of Ben and Jerry’s .
On the bright side, South Burlington has the lowest violent crime rate on this list, so if you’re not a retailer, you’re probably pretty safe here.
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Population: 19,748
Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 3)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 217 (11th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,293 (Ninth most dangerous)
More on South Burlington: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous cities in Vermont for 2023?
Every year the FBI release two crime datasets on cities in Vermont. First a preliminary dataset limited to the biggest cities in Vermont, followed by a more detailed release at the end of the year.
For our analysis, we focused on the 2021 data, specifically the 2021 Crime In The United States Report for Vermont. We will update the results when data becomes available in September 2023.
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 Vermont cities over 5,000 in population. That left us with 22 cities in Vermont.
We then ranked each city from 1 to 22 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 Vermont — Rutland. Any ties went to the smaller city.
Most Dangerous Places To Live In Vermont FAQs
No, Vermont is not a dangerous state as it ranks as the #3 safest state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in vermont ranks 48th highest in the United States — 55.28% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Green Mountain State ranks 45th highest in the United States — 37.85% better than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2020.
Yes, Burlington is a dangerous city. Burlington ranks as the #514 most dangerous out of 1416 major cities over 30,000 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 Burlington might be considered dangerous you still need to be aware of where you are.
Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Burlington ranks 562nd highest in America — 5.0% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 489th highest in the United States — 12.79% 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 Vermont
Summary: Locking It All Up In Vermont
So what is the most dangerous city in Vermont? After analyzing 22 cities in Vermont, Rutland takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in Vermont based on the most recently reported FBI data — 2021.
The latest FBI crime data shows that Rutland ranks as the most dangerous city in Vermont for 2023.
We want to point out again that there’s still safes places in Rutland and that this isn’t a comment on the people that live there. So please don’t beat us up.
On the whole, Vermont’s a pretty safe place to chill, ski, snowboard, and drink maple syrup by the gallon. I mean how much crime can there be in a state that’s 75% forests? Not much, but that doesn’t mean that some cities have a heckuva lot more crime than others.
So, what place in Vermont has won the title “Most Dangerous” for 2023? That would be, Rutland.
To see how the rest of Vermont’s cities faired, take a look at the list below; and if you don’t find what you’re looking for there, head to the bottom.
Learn more about the safest places in Vermont.
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 Vermont:
- Essex (Pop. 22,073)
- Montpelier (Pop. 7,278)
- Williston (Pop. 10,434)
- Milton (Pop. 10,962)
- Colchester (Pop. 17,101)
- Northfield (Pop. 6,536)
- Barre Town (Pop. 7,722)
- Shelburne (Pop. 7,702)
- Middlebury (Pop. 8,807)
- Swanton (Pop. 6,590)
For more Vermont reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Vermont
- Cheapest Places To Live In Vermont
- Most Dangerous Cities In Vermont
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Vermont
- Safest Places In Vermont
- Worst Places To Live In Vermont
Crime By City In Vermont
Rank | City | Population |
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1 | Rutland | 14,771 |
2 | St. Albans | 6,787 |
3 | Winooski | 7,554 |
4 | Burlington | 42,946 |
5 | Barre | 8,418 |
6 | Brattleboro | 11,182 |
7 | Springfield | 8,828 |
8 | St. Johnsbury | 7,021 |
9 | Hartford | 9,530 |
10 | South Burlington | 19,748 |
11 | Bennington | 14,814 |
12 | Morristown | 5,582 |
13 | Essex | 22,073 |
14 | Montpelier | 7,278 |
15 | Williston | 10,434 |
16 | Milton | 10,962 |
17 | Colchester | 17,101 |
18 | Northfield | 6,536 |
19 | Barre Town | 7,722 |
20 | Shelburne | 7,702 |
21 | Middlebury | 8,807 |
22 | Swanton | 6,590 |
References
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FBI UCR 2022
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Census – American Cumminity Survey