The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In The United States For 2022


We used science and data to let you know which cities have a ‘yuge’ crime problem.

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No one wants to believe that they live in a dangerous city. But the fact of the matter is that your city may not be as safe as the city next door.

But instead of running and hiding under the covers, it's better to get informed -- which cities in America should you pay a little more attention to your surroundings as you walk home from work?

What is the most dangerous city in America? It turns out that, based on the most recent FBI Crime data, St. Louis, MO has attained the throne of the city with the highest crime rate. It ranked as the most dangerous city in America for 2022 based on the data.

This our time ranking the most dangerous cities in America.

You might be thinking to yourself at this point -- where's Chicago?? Isn't that some kind of post-apocalyptic, world war 3 type city?

Well, it actually ranks #71 on the most dangerous list with a pretty normal overall crime rate.

And while these places are some of the most dangerous in America, you have to remember America is a safe place to live relative to the rest of the world. Be glad you don't live in Caracas, Venezuela where the murder rate is 2x higher than any US City (Here's looking at you Detroit).

Read on to learn more about our methodology or skip to the end for a full chart of the data with the crime rate for each city.

Or for more reading on places across America check out:

The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In America For 2022

Now to Tennessee we go, and we visit Memphis, the most dangerous city in America. Memphis is the largest city in the top ten, and it's also the most violent of all the cities we're going to talk about.

That means Memphis is rough.

Memphis may just be the worst city in America in many categories. Residents faced a 1 in 49 chance of being raped, assaulted, or murdered last year which is a 5% higher rate than the previous reporting year. There are perhaps 10,000 gang members in Shelby County. Why is Tennessee so violent? Like many of the states we've discussed earlier, poverty, high drug use and a lack of solid jobs are all contributing factors. A lot of property crime from druggies and other low lifes breaking into property, looking for drugs or money for drugs

Seems like they can't find enough cops in Memphis to deal with the some of the people who make their city such a dangerous one.

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 650,937
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 2)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,351 (most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 5,560 (5th most dangerous)
More on Memphis:  DataCrime | Cost Of Living

Memphis, TN

And where's the 2nd most dangerous city in the United States? That would be St. Louis.

St. Louis ranks as the 3rd most violent place you can live in the nation. And have you ever heard of East St. Louis? That's not even in the same state of St. Louis, and that place makes most small towns look like a fairytale. Last year, more than 200 people were murdered in St Louis. That's like 2 out of three days that someone here gets ghosted.

Sure, most of the crimes that happen here are between rival gangs, and within certain neighborhoods. But that doesn't mean the violence doesn't spill into other parts of St. Louis. Fact is, if you live in St. Louis, you can't feel safe at all.

As the sun sets in St. Louis each day, MOST of the city's hard working, church going, community loving people are safe. But never really safe.

Overall SnackAbility

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/10

Population: 298,422
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 2,016 (3rd most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 5,830 (4th most dangerous)
More on St. Louis:  DataCrime | Cost Of Living

St. Louis, MO

Heading back to the midwest, we stop at our 3rd most dangerous city in America, Springfield, Missouri. The issue here is property crimes -- Springfield ranks as having the 2nd worst property crime per capita of any city in the country.

And it seems like things are just getting worse here. Springfield is also the nation's 9th most violent city, too. It's not like Springfield is as bad as Chicago, Detroit or even St. Louis, it's that, statistically, there's a higher percentage of a person in Springfield getting robbed or attacked than in larger cities.

Wow.

Of the about 2,200 violent crime reports in Springfield in 2020, about 67 percent were aggravated assaults. Police say more than half of those aggravated assaults were domestic assaults. That means about a third of all the violent crime reports in the city in 2015 were domestic assaults, which took place between family members, roommates or intimate partners.

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 168,856
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,507 (9th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 6,951 (2nd most dangerous)
More on Springfield:  DataCrime | Cost Of Living

Springfield, MO

When you think of dangerous cities in the south, Chattanooga may not come to mind first. But the numbers tell another story.

It's too bad that for the most part, Chattanooga is a decent Tennessee city. But if you look at specific crime areas you quickly realize that the vast majority of the crime is concentrated in a relatively small area that is easily avoidable (it's literally the "other side of the tracks" from downtown). And, when crime does occur downtown, typically it's a result of the homeless or drug addicts looking for a quick buck.

Meaning, Chattanooga criminals aren't necessarily the brightest individuals.

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 184,211
Rank Last Year: 8 (Up 4)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,359 (13th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 6,356 (3rd most dangerous)
More on Chattanooga:  DataCrime | Cost Of Living

Chattanooga, TN

We go a couple of states over, in Arkansas, where we visit Little Rock.

Arkansas is another poor state in the south with a far-higher than average number of murders, rapes, assaults and robberies per capita. If you live in the Natural State, don't leave your car doors unlocked; there were more than 7,100 vehicles stolen in the state of Arkansas in 2017.

Little Rock is rough. It's in the top 5 for both violent AND property crimes in America. It's always on some list of most dangerous places in the US for one year or another. For a city its size, 50 murders a year is sky high. It's not Memphis rough, but in a lot of places, it's straight dangerous.

Overall SnackAbility

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/10

Population: 197,688
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,849 (4th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,857 (14th most dangerous)
More on Little Rock:  DataCrime | Cost Of Living

Little Rock, AR

Oakland, Oaktown, O-Town, Bump City. You get the point.

While people continue to migrate from San Francisco to Oakland to avoid insane property prices, they aren't moving to avoid crime. Oakland ranks over thirty spots higher than San Francisco on the crime ranking. Oakland has the 10th highest violent crime rank in the country and the fifteenth highest property crime rate. There's even a Wikipedia page devoted to crime in Oakland.

In many areas of Oakland, you don't want to drive through at night. About 80 people a year get killed in Oakland - which is about once every four days. If you're young, black and poor, statistically, you will look like you're in a gang. And if you're a white guy driving a Prius, looking for directions, well, that just won't go over very well.

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 437,923
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,290 (16th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 5,165 (7th most dangerous)
More on Oakland:  DataCrime | Cost Of Living

Oakland, CA

Continuing our tour of the most dangerous cities in America, we come to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Albuquerque may not be as dangerous as some other cities, but it ranks really high for crime per capita.

Did you know New Mexico is also one of the most dangerous states in the country? It's true. The number of violent crimes per person is the 2nd highest in America in the state of New Mexico, and the number of property crimes is the highest you'll find in America by a long shot.

That means there are more robberies, thefts and break ins here in New Mexico than any other place in America.

Substance abuse and socioeconomic issues are the biggest two problems here. Half the crime reported in the state are in one place - Albuquerque, where car thefts are at an all time high.

People talk about FLORIDA man being dangerous and sketchy and unhinged. What about New Mexico man?

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 562,065
Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 2)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,343 (14th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 5,012 (12th most dangerous)
More on Albuquerque:  DataCrime | Cost Of Living

Albuquerque, NM

Overall SnackAbility

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Population: 402,166
Rank Last Year: 13 (Up 5)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,132 (23rd most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 5,111 (9th most dangerous)
More on Tulsa:  DataCrime | Cost Of Living

Tulsa, OK

A suburb of Charleston, South Carolina's biggest city, North Charleston suffers from issues related to poverty and affordability. More than a fifth of the 117,503 residents suffer below the poverty line. At the same time, housing costs put home ownership out of the reach of most people. Given these conditions, you can see why the city confronts such a dramatic crime problem.

The result: one of the most violent places in the U.S. North Charleston's violent crime rate tracks at 1,144 per 100k people, with 1,345 such violations over the course of a year. That figure includes 38 murders.

There are benefits to life in North Charleston. Not least of these: access to gorgeous coastal landscapes at places like Riverfront Park.

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 117,503
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 2)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,144 (22nd most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 5,104 (10th most dangerous)
More on North Charleston:  DataCrime | Cost Of Living

North Charleston, SC

Source: Public domain

Once one of the most important cities in the country, New Orleans has faced its share of trauma during the 21st century. From Hurricane Katrina to urban blight, the Crescent City has become synonymous with poverty and high crime rates. In fact, it stands as the number 10.0 most violent city in America.

During a single year, New Orleans reported 5,215 violent crimes. For a city of just 393,779 people, that equates to a crime rate of 1,324 per 100k people. The murder rate is even more shocking, with a total of 201 killings in a 12-month period.

Don't completely count out New Orleans, though. It still has great cultural significance, in events like the

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 393,779
Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 3)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,324 (15th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,539 (23rd most dangerous)
More on New Orleans:  DataCrime | Cost Of Living

New Orleans, LA

Breaking Down Crime In The Safest And Most Dangerous Cities In America

Breaking Down Crime In The Safest And Most Dangerous Cities In America

Methodology: How We Determined The Most Dangerous Cities In America 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 second release of 2019 data, specifically the Uniform Crime Report.

So what criteria did we use? Have a look:

  • Violent Crimes Per Capita
  • Property Crimes Per Capita

We ranked each city from 1 to 214 for the two criteria with 1 being the most dangerous score. We then 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 the country -- Memphis. You can download the data here. Read on for a bit more on why these cities have such high crime rates.

Or check out the safest cities in America.

Summary: The Most Dangerous Cities In The US

The final returns from the FBI's data set show that Memphis ranks as the most dangerous city in America for 2022.

However, there will be a new data set coming out early this year. At that point we can revisit Memphis's status -- that is if they haven't beaten us all up already.

Here's a look at the safest cities in America according to the data:

  1. Carmel
  2. Naperville
  3. Cary

For more reading on the dangerous side check out:

Most Dangerous Cities In The United States For 2022

Rank City Previous Rank Population Violent Crimes Per 100k Property Crimes Per 100k
1 Memphis, TN 3 650,937 2,351 5,560
2 St. Louis, MO 1 298,422 2,016 5,830
3 Springfield, MO 2 168,856 1,507 6,951
4 Chattanooga, TN 8 184,211 1,359 6,356
5 Little Rock, AR 4 197,688 1,849 4,857
6 Oakland, CA 5 437,923 1,290 5,165
7 Albuquerque, NM 5 562,065 1,343 5,012
8 Tulsa, OK 13 402,166 1,132 5,111
9 North Charleston, SC 10 117,503 1,144 5,104
10 New Orleans, LA 7 393,779 1,324 4,539
11 Cleveland, OH 9 379,121 1,656 4,070
12 Kansas City, MO 23 499,335 1,585 4,119
13 Salt Lake City, UT 29 202,187 922 7,352
14 Minneapolis, MN 20 435,116 1,154 4,558
15 Pueblo, CO 20 113,002 1,045 4,630
16 Houston, TX 18 2,346,155 1,256 4,178
17 Baton Rouge, LA 14 219,245 951 4,825
18 South Bend, IN 16 102,119 1,728 3,663
19 Shreveport, LA 27 185,588 923 4,799
20 Lubbock, TX 15 262,146 1,087 4,108
21 Tacoma, WA 22 220,123 843 5,507
22 Dayton, OH 28 140,193 1,086 3,845
23 Billings, MT 28 110,157 852 4,765
24 Denver, CO 56 737,709 857 4,648
25 Detroit, MI 11 659,616 2,178 3,210
26 Evansville, IN 64 117,747 1,006 3,611
27 Anchorage, AK 17 286,388 1,212 3,447
28 Knoxville, TN 45 188,672 809 4,227
29 Orlando, FL 32 293,363 860 3,803
30 Columbia, SC 26 131,777 752 4,475
31 Beaumont, TX 40 116,766 1,225 3,308
32 Cincinnati, OH 30 304,724 892 3,683
33 Durham, NC 57 284,925 858 3,737
34 Greensboro, NC 48 299,887 901 3,611
35 Akron, OH 61 197,433 910 3,530
36 Vallejo, CA 37 122,326 990 3,333
37 Fayetteville, NC 51 212,033 978 3,400
38 Independence, MO 55 116,648 678 4,576
39 Spokane, WA 33 223,524 599 5,151
40 Washington, DC 25 712,816 957 3,431
41 Indianapolis, IN 25 890,672 870 3,569
42 Lansing, MI 73 118,651 1,431 3,004
43 Amarillo, TX 54 200,296 836 3,679
44 Seattle, WA 59 771,517 626 4,872
45 Davenport, IA 72 101,806 736 3,925
46 St. Paul, MN 88 309,859 748 3,802
47 Richmond, CA 38 111,367 964 3,303
48 Oklahoma City, OK 43 663,661 725 3,895
49 Aurora, CO 92 385,720 900 3,390
50 Lakewood, CO 92 159,719 565 5,040
51 Buffalo, NY 60 254,627 1,017 3,080
52 Stockton, CA 21 314,981 1,277 2,981
53 Rockford, IL 41 144,795 1,451 2,834
54 Des Moines, IA 49 215,290 704 3,901
55 Dallas, TX 63 1,363,028 844 3,446
56 Hartford, CT 87 121,749 992 3,110
57 San Bernardino, CA 19 216,365 1,401 2,800
58 Fort Lauderdale, FL 50 184,347 628 4,156
59 San Antonio, TX 42 1,573,189 735 3,626
60 Milwaukee, WI 79 589,105 1,596 2,728
61 Rochester, NY 69 205,199 818 3,356
62 Tucson, AZ 84 550,448 698 3,620
63 Lafayette, LA 70 126,679 562 4,519
64 Corpus Christi, TX 66 329,050 842 3,266
65 West Palm Beach, FL 53 113,268 761 3,409
66 Toledo, OH 47 271,237 1,006 2,893
67 Portland, OR 62 662,941 522 4,738
68 New Haven, CT 39 130,299 707 3,511
69 San Francisco, CA 36 881,514 544 4,394
70 Gainesville, FL 78 135,076 771 3,181
71 Waco, TX 97 140,870 642 3,445
72 Bakersfield, CA 85 388,265 516 4,022
73 Phoenix, AZ 80 1,708,960 798 2,989
74 Tallahassee, FL 58 196,012 773 2,951
75 Syracuse, NY 77 142,011 839 2,823
76 Berkeley, CA 68 122,346 438 4,524
77 Tempe, AZ 93 199,935 550 3,563
78 Omaha, NE 76 480,297 631 3,174
79 Colorado Springs, CO 82 485,083 597 3,379
80 Springfield, MA 90 153,084 966 2,436
81 Fresno, CA 90 535,472 664 3,076
82 High Point, NC 75 113,727 679 3,004
83 Pompano Beach, FL 46 113,545 737 2,767
84 Austin, TX 103 1,000,276 466 3,631
85 Sioux Falls, SD 115 187,370 597 3,131
86 Jacksonville, FL 83 920,508 697 2,871
87 Vancouver, WA 110 186,440 474 3,598
88 Odessa, TX 71 126,288 807 2,504
89 Sacramento, CA 91 519,050 683 2,745
90 Columbus, OH 101 911,383 555 3,130
91 Fargo, ND 120 126,927 460 3,468
92 Eugene, OR 111 174,513 390 3,999
93 Salem, OR 106 176,632 395 3,792
94 Mesquite, TX 98 141,325 437 3,535
95 Modesto, CA 67 216,560 740 2,465
96 Norfolk, VA 94 242,516 636 2,717
97 Miami Gardens, FL 52 110,284 709 2,516
98 Renton, WA 112 102,856 338 4,221
99 Spokane Valley, WA 104 102,366 334 4,268
100 Kent, WA 100 133,883 351 4,028

Dangerous Places By State