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Apparently there are things more dangerous than being bitten by a blue crab on Virginia's Chesapeake Bay in Old Dominion: Virginia has its fair share of dangerous cities.
Gone are the days that parents can let their children run wild until the street lights come on. Heck, parents shouldn't let their kids out of their sight in our most dangerous cities in Virginia for 2022. You must be wondering, how does one navigate these dangerous Virginia cities when trying to make an informed decision on where you should call home?
We did the work for you.
In order to compile our list, we looked at violent crimes and property crimes in cities with a population of 5,000. That left us with 62 cities. Folks, the cities that made our list have robberies happening in broad daylight, car jackings, and daily shootings. There are neighborhoods in these cities that you shouldn't drive thru and there are areas that you definitely shouldn't be in after dark. We're not saying that there aren't little pockets of goodness in these dangerous cities or that all of the neighborhoods and shopping centers in these Virginia cities are bad. We do recommend, however, that you spend some time studying them before deciding where to plant your roots.
We know it's not entirely Virginia's fault. They are the 12th most populous state in the country and the 10th oldest state in the country. With numbers like these, there's bound to be cities filled with grumpy, entitled people constantly popping off. We're pretty sure they're usually harmless, but there are Virginia cities where people are NOT. To see where these Virginia cities with problems are located, take a look below.
The Most Dangerous Cities In Virginia For 2022
What are the circumstances that make cities this way: not enough jobs, low wages, people just don't want to work, prisons, drugs; and in Virginia's case, road rage caused by Washington, D. C's. rush hour?
We're not entirely sure. But one thing we are sure about is our number one most dangerous city in Virginia is Portsmouth.
The Virginia cities on our most dangerous list could definitely use some TLC. If you're looking for a challenge, or you're just curious to see if your city made the list, take a look at our list below. And if you don't see your city there, head to the bottom.
Learn more about the safest places in Virginia.
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 Virginia reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Virginia
- Cheapest Places To Live In Virginia
- Most Dangerous Cities In Virginia
The 10 Most Dangerous Places To Live In Virginia For 2022
If you thought having a a whole bunch of battleships around would make Portsmouth any safer, think again. Portsmouth ranked #1 in both violent and property crime in Virginia for 2022, with an overall crime rate three times higher than the statewide average.
Residents faced a 1 in 108 chance of being the victim of an attack, murder, or rape reported in 2020, so it's not a bad idea to keep your guard up on the streets of Portsmouth.
You also want to keep your doors locked in Portsmouth because the city had the third highest burglary rate in Virginia, with 465 cases recorded over the year.
Portsmouth is located on the west bank of the Elizabeth River, across from Norfolk.
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Population: 94,205
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 920 (Most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,540 (Most dangerous)
More on Portsmouth: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Roanoke is the commercial hub of Southwest Virginia and also one of the state's most dangerous cities.
Property crime is disturbingly high in Roanoke. To give you an idea, a resident living in Roanoke had a 1 in 26 shot of having their stuff stolen or damaged in 2020. And with the eighth highest burglary rate in Virginia, we hope there's enough security at Roanoke's museums to stave off any would-be heists.
On top of property crime, Roanoke experienced about one murder a month on average, so keeping your guard up here is just good protocol.
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Population: 99,335
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 5)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 450 (Sixth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,834 (Second most dangerous)
More on Roanoke: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
The county seat of Smyth County in western Virginia, Marion is a small town of 5,515. Marion spends far less than the national average on its schools and we wonder if there's a correlation between that and above-average crime rates.
Or if both statistics just reflect a town without enough resources to adequately serve the community. Population data sure supports that theory, considering Marion's population has dropped at one of the most rapid rates of anywhere in Virginia.
Whatever the full story is, you'd be well-advised to keep your doors locked in Marion, the place with the 14th highest burglary rate in Virginia for 2020. There also 131 larceny cases reported, so make sure a black bear doesn't swipe your wallet at Hungry Mother State Park.
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Population: 5,515
Rank Last Year: 5 (Up 2)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 453 (Fifth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,828 (11th most dangerous)
More on Marion: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Virginia's 3rd most populous city, Norfolk, also ranks as the state's fourth most dangerous city.
Violent crime is especially bad in Norfolk, where residents had a 1 in 157 chance of being the victim of an assault, rape, or murder in 2020. That's the kind of thing that makes it hard to stop and smell the flowers at Norfolk Botanical Garden.
That being said, Norfolk is a city of 242,516, so if you steer clear of the worst neighborhoods in Norfolk, you should be as safe as houses.
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Population: 242,516
Rank Last Year: 6 (Up 2)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 636 (Second most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,717 (14th most dangerous)
More on Norfolk: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Located just south of the Appomattox River from Colonial Heights, Petersburg has a bigger problem with violent crime than its northern neighbor.
Petersburg experienced 24 murders in 2020, which gave it the highest murder rate in Virginia. Overall, residents faced a 1 in 158 shot of being the victim of an attack over the year.
Makes you wonder if the Petersburg National Battlefield Park is a memorial site or a testament to day-to-day life in Petersburg.
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Population: 31,195
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 631 (Third most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,586 (16th most dangerous)
More on Petersburg: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Vinton is in the southwest section of Virginia, just outside of Roanoke, itself the main population center of this largely rural part of the state. As such, Vinton acts as a suburb, providing residents access to a large number of useful amenities.
However, its placement within an urban center also leaves the community vulnerable to the more dangerous elements of society. This includes a high rate of crime. Violence is particularly prevalent in the area, with Vinton ranking number 8 on the list of most violent communities in the state.
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Population: 8,117
Rank Last Year: 15 (Up 9)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 431 (Eighth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,747 (12th most dangerous)
More on Vinton: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Named for a Revolutionary War general, Pulaski sits in the southwest part of Virginia, about 45 minutes south of the Kentucky border. The town, originally incorporated in the 1880s, now sits close to I-81, a key transportation artery to the world beyond this generally rural part of the state.
If you're rumbling down the interstate, you might be better off to keep driving. After all, this counts as the number 7 most dangerous community in Virginia. Property crime represents a major problem. This includes high rates of larceny and burglary. In terms of violence, the town also suffers a horrendous pace of sexual assaults.
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Population: 8,674
Rank Last Year: 12 (Up 5)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 391 (13th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,147 (Eighth most dangerous)
More on Pulaski: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
A part of the Tri-City area a half-hour south of Richmond, Colonial Heights comes in as Virginia's eighth most dangerous city for 2022.
Property crime is all too common in Colonial Heights. Residents had a 1 in 27 chance of being having their stuff stolen or damaged in 2020.
It's not just stolen bikes and a few broken windows either -- Colonial Heights also had the 17th highest rate of rape cases in Virginia for 2020.
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Population: 17,360
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 5)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 362 (18th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,675 (Third most dangerous)
More on Colonial Heights: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Ultimately, the word "Emporia" harkens back to ancient Carthage. However, that's not quite the source of this town's name. Instead, the moniker comes from a town Kansas -- not quite as fancy a namesake..
Wherever the name comes from, this town in south-central Virginia, sits along I-95, about 15 minutes north of the North Carolina border. Fleeing the jurisdiction quickly might be part of the appeal for certain residents of Emporia. After all, this town endures high rate of larceny, robbery and arson.
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Population: 5,282
Rank Last Year: 17 (Up 8)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 378 (16th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,388 (Sixth most dangerous)
More on Emporia: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
You might think that crime is a bigger problem in Boston, Massachusetts, but South Boston, Virginia has much more criminal activity per capita.
A town of 7,528 located in south-central Virginia, SoBo had the seventh highest overall crime rate in Virginia, about 2.5 times higher than the statewide average. Talk about a lot of work for the South Boston Police Department.
Most of that's down to property crime, which residents had a 1 in 31 chance of being the victim of in 2020. South Boston did have the fourth highest burglary rate in the state, after all.
It's not just petty theft going on in South Boston, either -- the town also had the 15th highest murder rate in Virginia.
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Population: 7,528
Rank Last Year: 9 (Down 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 385 (15th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,201 (Seventh most dangerous)
More on South Boston: | Cost Of Living | Crime Report
Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous cities in Virginia 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 Virginia cities over 5,000 in population. That left us with 62 cities in Virginia.
We then ranked each city from 1 to 62 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 Virginia -- Portsmouth. Any ties went to the smaller city. You can download the data here.
Most Dangerous Places To Live In Virginia FAQs
Is Virginia a dangerous state?
No, Virginia is not a dangerous state as it ranks as the #7 safest state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in virginia ranks 45th highest in the United States -- 46.19% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Old Dominion ranks 40th highest in the United States -- 25.62% better than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2020.
Is Virginia Beach, VA a dangerous city?
No, Virginia Beach is not a dangerous city. Virginia Beach ranks as the #37 safest 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 Virginia Beach might be considered safe you still need to be aware of where you are. For example, US Navy Little Creek Amphibious Base is the safest in Virginia Beach, while North Central is considered dangerous by many based on recent crime stats.
Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Virginia Beach ranks 310th highest in America -- 82.02% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 265th highest in the United States -- 43.08% better 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 Virginia
Summary: Locking It All Up In Virginia
So what is the most dangerous city in Virginia? After analyzing 62 cities in Virginia, Portsmouth takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in Virginia based on the most recently reported FBI data -- 2020.
The latest FBI crime data shows that Portsmouth ranks as the most dangerous city in Virginia for 2022.
We want to point out again that there's still safes places in Portsmouth 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 cities this way: not enough jobs, low wages, people just don't want to work, prisons, drugs; and in Virginia's case, road rage caused by Washington, D. C's. rush hour?
We're not entirely sure. But one thing we are sure about is our number one most dangerous city in Virginia is Portsmouth.
The Virginia cities on our most dangerous list could definitely use some TLC. If you're looking for a challenge, or you're just curious to see if your city made the list, take a look at our list below. And if you don't see your city there, head to the bottom.
Learn more about the safest places in Virginia.
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 Virginia:
- Abingdon (Pop. 7,828)
- Manassas Park (Pop. 17,839)
- Vienna (Pop. 16,570)
- Bedford (Pop. 6,601)
- Lexington (Pop. 7,487)
- Blacksburg (Pop. 44,422)
- Dumfries (Pop. 6,038)
- Purcellville (Pop. 10,485)
- Buena Vista (Pop. 6,459)
- Bridgewater (Pop. 6,204)
For more Virginia reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Virginia
- Cheapest Places To Live In Virginia
- Most Dangerous Cities In Virginia
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Virginia
- Safest Places In Virginia
- Worst Cities In Virginia For 2017
Crime By City In Virginia
Rank | City | Population |
---|---|---|
1 | Portsmouth | 94,205 |
2 | Roanoke | 99,335 |
3 | Marion | 5,515 |
4 | Norfolk | 242,516 |
5 | Petersburg | 31,195 |
6 | Vinton | 8,117 |
7 | Pulaski | 8,674 |
8 | Colonial Heights | 17,360 |
9 | Emporia | 5,282 |
10 | South Boston | 7,528 |
11 | Fredericksburg | 29,592 |
12 | Franklin | 7,896 |
13 | Richmond | 233,350 |
14 | Martinsville | 12,417 |
15 | Newport News | 178,896 |
16 | Galax | 6,275 |
17 | Danville | 39,704 |
18 | Charlottesville | 47,671 |
19 | Chesapeake | 247,118 |
20 | Hampton | 134,082 |
21 | Hopewell | 22,498 |
22 | Suffolk | 92,881 |
23 | Lynchburg | 82,871 |
24 | Farmville | 7,806 |
25 | Waynesboro | 22,801 |
26 | Winchester | 28,279 |
27 | Woodstock | 5,279 |
28 | Front Royal | 15,387 |
29 | Staunton | 25,048 |
30 | Orange | 5,140 |
31 | Manassas | 41,386 |
32 | Christiansburg | 22,643 |
33 | Wytheville | 7,890 |
34 | Ashland | 7,947 |
35 | Alexandria | 161,525 |
36 | Culpeper | 19,131 |
37 | Richlands | 5,172 |
38 | Harrisonburg | 53,442 |
39 | Covington | 5,490 |
40 | Radford | 18,450 |
41 | Leesburg | 55,070 |
42 | Poquoson | 12,275 |
43 | Salem | 25,326 |
44 | Fairfax City | 24,161 |
45 | Big Stone Gap | 5,080 |
46 | Strasburg | 6,703 |
47 | Smithfield | 8,518 |
48 | Falls Church | 14,877 |
49 | Herndon | 24,739 |
50 | Williamsburg | 15,086 |