The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In Vermont For 2022


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

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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 2022 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.

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 2022? That would be, St. Albans.

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 2022

Kicking off our list of the most dangerous places to live in Vermont for 2022 is St. Albans, a city of 6,788 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 234 chance of being assaulted, robbed, raped, or murdered over 2020, the second highest rate in Vermont.

The property crime rate in St. Albans, while improving, is still the second 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.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 6,788
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 427 (Second most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,196 (Second most dangerous)
More on St. Albans:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

St. Albans, VT

Brattleboro may occupy the #2 spot on this list, but it actually has the highest overall crime rate in Vermont, outstripping the national average by about 70%.

How'd that happen? Well, Brattleboro has the highest property crime rate in Vermont, with residents facing a staggering 1 in 24 chance of having their stuff stolen or vandalized over 2020.

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.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 11,256
Rank Last Year: 2 (No Change)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 390 (Fifth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,068 (Most dangerous)
More on Brattleboro:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Brattleboro, VT

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 13th 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 highest burglary rate statewide.

Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 7,341
Rank Last Year: 9 (Up 6)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 422 (Third most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,847 (Fourth most dangerous)
More on Winooski:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Winooski, VT

Located about 15 minutes southeast of Montpelier, Barre ranks as Vermont's fourth 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 2020. That includes the unfortunate distinction of having the eighth highest rate of rape cases in the whole state.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 8,471
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 554 (Most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,325 (Sixth most dangerous)
More on Barre:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Barre, VT

Home to the University of Vermont and the biggest city Vermont has to offer, Burlington clocks in as the state's fifth most dangerous place for 2022.

Burlington saw a rise in property crime and a spike in violent crime over the last year.

That left residents to contend with the third highest rape and fourth 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.

Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 42,862
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 352 (Sixth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,407 (Fifth most dangerous)
More on Burlington:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Burlington, VT

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 6 most dangerous spot in Vermont. The list of concerns includes high rates of robbery, burglary and larceny.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 7,112
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 6)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 309 (Seventh most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,165 (Eighth most dangerous)
More on St. Johnsbury:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

St. Johnsbury, VT

Source: Wikipedia User |

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 32 chance of having their valuables stolen or damaged over 2020.

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.

Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 19,690
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 167 (12th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,087 (Third most dangerous)
More on South Burlington:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

South Burlington, VT

Montpelier is the capital of Vermont. As such, the town, situated in the north-central part of the state, comes with unique features -- its gold-domed State House offering a hint of grandeur. However, this only represents one layer of the Montpelier experience. With only 7,321 residents, the area still generally exudes the vibe of a small New England town.

Meanwhile, there's yet another side to Montpelier. It also has its seamy underworld, one obscured by postcard presentation. The town endures high rates of car theft and larceny. Violence comes into play as well. The community has the number 9 highest pace of violent crimes in the state.

Overall SnackAbility

8.5
/10

Population: 7,321
Rank Last Year: 13 (Up 5)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 218 (Ninth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,322 (Seventh most dangerous)
More on Montpelier:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Montpelier, VT

Vermont's third biggest city, Rutland, is also its ninth 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 eighth highest violent crime rate in the state.

That works out to a 1 in 339 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 2020. 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.

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 14,930
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 5)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 294 (Eighth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,156 (Ninth most dangerous)
More on Rutland:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Rutland, VT

Located in the southwestern corner of the state, Bennington comes in as Vermont's tenth most dangerous place to call home.

Bennington experienced a spike in property crime and a rise in violent crime over the last year, which explains why it jumped down 7 spots on this list.

The Bennington Battle Monument might honor the past, or be a declaration about the current state of affairs in a town with the tenth highest violent crime rate in Vermont.

Bennington's burglary rate is also the third highest statewide, so definitely lock your doors when you're here.

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 14,879
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 7)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 201 (Tenth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,090 (Tenth most dangerous)
More on Bennington:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Bennington, VT

Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous cities in Vermont 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 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 -- St. Albans. Any ties went to the smaller city. You can download the data here.

Most Dangerous Places To Live In Vermont FAQs

Is Vermont a dangerous state?

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.

Is Burlington, VT a dangerous city?

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

Most Dangerous Cities In Vermont Graph

Click To Enlarge

Summary: Locking It All Up In Vermont

So what is the most dangerous city in Vermont? After analyzing 22 cities in Vermont, St. Albans takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in Vermont based on the most recently reported FBI data -- 2020.

The latest FBI crime data shows that St. Albans ranks as the most dangerous city in Vermont for 2022.

We want to point out again that there's still safes places in St. Albans 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 2022? That would be, St. Albans.

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:

  1. Springfield (Pop. 8,859)
  2. Essex (Pop. 22,156)
  3. Williston (Pop. 10,247)
  4. Swanton (Pop. 6,569)
  5. Colchester (Pop. 17,129)
  6. Shelburne (Pop. 7,706)
  7. Milton (Pop. 10,882)
  8. Barre Town (Pop. 7,698)
  9. Middlebury (Pop. 8,813)
  10. Northfield (Pop. 6,560)

For more Vermont reading, check out:

Crime By City In Vermont

Rank City Population Violent Crimes Per Capita Property Crimes Per Capita
1 St. Albans 6,788 427 3,196
2 Brattleboro 11,256 390 4,068
3 Winooski 7,341 422 2,847
4 Barre 8,471 554 2,325
5 Burlington 42,862 352 2,407
6 St. Johnsbury 7,112 309 2,165
7 South Burlington 19,690 167 3,087
8 Montpelier 7,321 218 2,322
9 Rutland 14,930 294 2,156
10 Bennington 14,879 201 2,090
11 Hartford 9,515 409 1,355
12 Morristown 5,532 162 1,500
13 Springfield 8,859 191 1,365
14 Essex 22,156 144 1,484
15 Williston 10,247 68 2,078
16 Swanton 6,569 121 1,004
17 Colchester 17,129 87 1,459
18 Shelburne 7,706 38 1,674
19 Milton 10,882 119 974
20 Barre Town 7,698 116 779
21 Middlebury 8,813 56 896
22 Northfield 6,560 60 259

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 Vermont 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.