Do you live in one of the most dangerous small towns in America?
We all watch the news with horror when we hear about a crime that happens pretty close by. While a major crime blocks or towns away from your house would make anyone uneasy, most likely, where you live is relatively safe in the long run.
We wanted to get the facts straight and dug into the FBI crime data using Saturday Night Science to identify the most dangerous small towns with populations over 5,000 and under 50,000. That left us with 2,699 places in the U.S. to measure.
These are the small cities in the United States with big crime problems.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Dangerous Small Cities In America For 2024
Looks like 6 of the 10 cities are in the South.
The safest small town to live in America? Iron Mountain, MI. More on that later.
Check out more about America here:
- Best Cities In The United States To Raise A Family
- Most Affordable States In The United States
- Most Dangerous States In The United States
The 10 Most Dangerous Small Cities To Live In America For 2024
/10
Population: 19,099
Crime Per Capita: 0.1326
Violent Crime Per Capita: 0.0234
Property Crime Per Capita: 0.1093
Murders: 8
More on Lumberton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
I’m from Lumberton, I work in Lumberton, I live in Fayetteville and I have been in every region of this state.
NC is an incredibly blessed state. We have great weather, beautiful beaches, the mountains, the coastal Plains, the piedmont, and several advanced large cities.
Yes, crime is there, there is no doubt. Sometimes it’s a cycle passed from generation to generation. Sometimes it’s desperation, and sometimes it’s laziness.
I will tell you though, the majority of the people and places in North Carolina are good, proud North Carolinians. Some are born here, some are transplants, but we’re all eventually Tar Heels.
Lumberton is a good place to raise a family. So is Fayetteville. We are blessed to be the home of Fort Bragg and Pope AAF, supporting the greatest military in the world.
/10
Population: 8,232
Crime Per Capita: 0.1036
Violent Crime Per Capita: 0.0276
Property Crime Per Capita: 0.076
Murders: 6
More on Berkeley: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 5,004
Crime Per Capita: 0.1045
Violent Crime Per Capita: 0.0264
Property Crime Per Capita: 0.0781
Murders: 2
More on Wadesboro: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
I live in wadesboro it really isn’t as bad as they make it out to be…. I don’t think so anyway….lol.
/10
Population: 6,454
Crime Per Capita: 0.1018
Violent Crime Per Capita: 0.0246
Property Crime Per Capita: 0.0772
Murders: 2
More on Dillon: Data | Cost Of Living
I live in Dillon County, wouldn’t live anywhere else. Any one who don’t like SC. Don’t have to live here.
/10
Population: 38,487
Crime Per Capita: 0.0973
Violent Crime Per Capita: 0.0169
Property Crime Per Capita: 0.0804
Murders: 7
More on Atlantic City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Everything runs fine, but tall building and beach life really goes hand and hand and not a whole lot of crime besides summer party goers.
Casinos, and good food. It’s a time and place to relax and could find work if needed to move.
/10
Population: 47,631
Crime Per Capita: 0.0932
Violent Crime Per Capita: 0.027
Property Crime Per Capita: 0.0662
Murders: 18
More on Monroe: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 10,887
Crime Per Capita: 0.1372
Violent Crime Per Capita: 0.0156
Property Crime Per Capita: 0.1216
Murders: 1
More on Fife: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 12,253
Crime Per Capita: 0.1483
Violent Crime Per Capita: 0.0149
Property Crime Per Capita: 0.1334
Murders: 6
More on Commerce: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 25,890
Crime Per Capita: 0.0901
Violent Crime Per Capita: 0.0178
Property Crime Per Capita: 0.0723
Murders: 10
More on Bessemer: Data | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 7,450
Crime Per Capita: 0.0887
Violent Crime Per Capita: 0.0179
Property Crime Per Capita: 0.0709
Murders: 1
More on Hartsville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
How We Determined The Most Dangerous Small Cities In The US
To rank the most dangerous small towns in America, we turned to Saturday Night Science to research FBI crime data.
We defined a “small city” as a population under 50,000 and over 5,000. And then we measured the following two criteria for each of these 2,699 US cities:
- Violent Crime Per Capita
- Property Crime Per Capita
We ranked each city on both criteria and averaged the rankings together to create a “Crime Index.” The city with the highest Crime Index, Lumberton, was named the most dangerous small city in the United States.
We updated this report for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the most dangerous small cities in America. This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment — don’t freak out.
There You Have It — The Most Dangerous Small Cities In The US
We looked at FBI crime data to find the most dangerous small cities in the U.S. for 2024. We analyzed each city’s violent and property crime rates per capita and combined them into a Crime Index.
The most dangerous small cities in the United States are Lumberton, NC, Berkeley, MO, Wadesboro, NC, Dillon, SC, Atlantic City, NJ, Monroe, LA, Fife, WA, Commerce, CA, Bessemer, AL, and Hartsville, SC.
Lumberton, , is the most dangerous, and Iron Mountain, MI is the safest for cities with populations between 5,000 and 50,000.
Here’s a look at the best small cities in America according to the data:
- Iron Mountain
- Campton Hills
- Spring Grove
Most Dangerous Small Cities To Live In America
| Rank | City | Population | Total Crime Rate | Violent Crime Rate | Property Crime Rate | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lumberton, NC | 19,099 | 0.1326 | 0.0234 | 0.1093 | 8 |
| 2 | Berkeley, MO | 8,232 | 0.1036 | 0.0276 | 0.076 | 6 |
| 3 | Wadesboro, NC | 5,004 | 0.1045 | 0.0264 | 0.0781 | 2 |
| 4 | Dillon, SC | 6,454 | 0.1018 | 0.0246 | 0.0772 | 2 |
| 5 | Atlantic City, NJ | 38,487 | 0.0973 | 0.0169 | 0.0804 | 7 |
| 6 | Monroe, LA | 47,631 | 0.0932 | 0.027 | 0.0662 | 18 |
| 7 | Fife, WA | 10,887 | 0.1372 | 0.0156 | 0.1216 | 1 |
| 8 | Commerce, CA | 12,253 | 0.1483 | 0.0149 | 0.1334 | 6 |
| 9 | Bessemer, AL | 25,890 | 0.0901 | 0.0178 | 0.0723 | 10 |
| 10 | Hartsville, SC | 7,450 | 0.0887 | 0.0179 | 0.0709 | 1 |
| 11 | Opelousas, LA | 15,810 | 0.0817 | 0.0213 | 0.0604 | 11 |
| 12 | Alexandria, LA | 45,133 | 0.0797 | 0.0175 | 0.0621 | 18 |
| 13 | West Monroe, LA | 12,987 | 0.0798 | 0.0168 | 0.0631 | 0 |
| 14 | Darlington, SC | 6,172 | 0.0821 | 0.0138 | 0.0684 | 7 |
| 15 | Emeryville, CA | 12,840 | 0.1612 | 0.0111 | 0.1502 | 0 |
| 16 | Hammond, LA | 20,239 | 0.0805 | 0.0126 | 0.0678 | 0 |
| 17 | Florida City, FL | 12,841 | 0.078 | 0.0268 | 0.0512 | 3 |
| 18 | Crescent City, CA | 6,379 | 0.0767 | 0.0129 | 0.0638 | 0 |
| 19 | Orangeburg, SC | 13,220 | 0.0729 | 0.0158 | 0.0571 | 10 |
| 20 | Humble, TX | 16,563 | 0.1157 | 0.0107 | 0.105 | 2 |
| 21 | Tolleson, AZ | 7,221 | 0.1221 | 0.0105 | 0.1116 | 1 |
| 22 | Lake City, FL | 12,307 | 0.07 | 0.0157 | 0.0544 | 2 |
| 23 | Myrtle Beach, SC | 36,064 | 0.0815 | 0.0107 | 0.0708 | 6 |
| 24 | Spartanburg, SC | 38,301 | 0.0706 | 0.0119 | 0.0587 | 2 |
| 25 | Globe, AZ | 7,230 | 0.0654 | 0.0158 | 0.0497 | 0 |
| 26 | West Memphis, AR | 24,351 | 0.0722 | 0.0258 | 0.0464 | 12 |
| 27 | Cheraw, SC | 5,056 | 0.0708 | 0.0113 | 0.0595 | 1 |
| 28 | South Salt Lake, UT | 26,315 | 0.0835 | 0.0099 | 0.0736 | 3 |
| 29 | Pine Bluff, AR | 41,172 | 0.0648 | 0.0156 | 0.0492 | 17 |
| 30 | Marksville, LA | 5,034 | 0.0642 | 0.0163 | 0.0479 | 1 |
| 31 | Walterboro, SC | 5,515 | 0.0814 | 0.0094 | 0.072 | 1 |
| 32 | Natchitoches, LA | 17,908 | 0.07 | 0.0107 | 0.0592 | 6 |
| 33 | Cordele, GA | 10,210 | 0.063 | 0.0167 | 0.0463 | 3 |
| 34 | Yreka, CA | 7,833 | 0.0623 | 0.0151 | 0.0472 | 0 |
| 35 | Gallup, NM | 21,672 | 0.0622 | 0.0152 | 0.047 | 2 |
| 36 | Tarrant, AL | 6,077 | 0.0689 | 0.0245 | 0.0444 | 0 |
| 37 | Dyersburg, TN | 16,170 | 0.0609 | 0.0113 | 0.0495 | 4 |
| 38 | Laurinburg, NC | 14,971 | 0.0612 | 0.0158 | 0.0454 | 7 |
| 39 | West Hollywood, CA | 35,358 | 0.073 | 0.0092 | 0.0638 | 0 |
| 40 | Toppenish, WA | 8,820 | 0.0822 | 0.0086 | 0.0736 | 2 |
| 41 | Cocoa, FL | 19,073 | 0.0605 | 0.0112 | 0.0493 | 0 |
| 42 | Goldsboro, NC | 33,566 | 0.0604 | 0.0109 | 0.0495 | 6 |
| 43 | Polson, MT | 5,218 | 0.0588 | 0.0111 | 0.0477 | 0 |
| 44 | Tukwila, WA | 21,569 | 0.2067 | 0.0077 | 0.199 | 3 |
| 45 | Nevada, MO | 8,128 | 0.0636 | 0.0092 | 0.0544 | 0 |
| 46 | Jacksonville, AR | 29,332 | 0.0572 | 0.0111 | 0.046 | 4 |
| 47 | Whitehall, OH | 20,035 | 0.069 | 0.0085 | 0.0605 | 1 |
| 48 | Englewood, CO | 33,634 | 0.0792 | 0.0081 | 0.0711 | 4 |
| 49 | Ontario, OR | 11,610 | 0.0686 | 0.0084 | 0.0602 | 0 |
| 50 | Moraine, OH | 6,484 | 0.0743 | 0.0082 | 0.0662 | 1 |
| 51 | Atmore, AL | 8,465 | 0.0581 | 0.015 | 0.0431 | 0 |
| 52 | Bogalusa, LA | 10,689 | 0.057 | 0.0135 | 0.0435 | 6 |
| 53 | Roxboro, NC | 8,131 | 0.0567 | 0.0128 | 0.0439 | 5 |
| 54 | Leesville, LA | 5,681 | 0.0692 | 0.0083 | 0.0609 | 0 |
| 55 | Belen, NM | 7,367 | 0.0563 | 0.0111 | 0.0452 | 1 |
| 56 | Forrest City, AR | 13,010 | 0.0622 | 0.0218 | 0.0404 | 12 |
| 57 | Pineville, LA | 14,357 | 0.0582 | 0.0093 | 0.0489 | 1 |
| 58 | Red Bluff, CA | 14,576 | 0.0587 | 0.0091 | 0.0495 | 1 |
| 59 | Hobbs, NM | 39,782 | 0.0566 | 0.0093 | 0.0473 | 3 |
| 60 | Alamosa, CO | 9,792 | 0.07 | 0.0078 | 0.0622 | 4 |
| 61 | Anniston, AL | 21,502 | 0.0618 | 0.0082 | 0.0536 | 4 |
| 62 | Beckley, WV | 17,132 | 0.083 | 0.0073 | 0.0757 | 1 |
| 63 | Williamston, NC | 5,224 | 0.0557 | 0.0159 | 0.0398 | 1 |
| 64 | Taos, NM | 6,458 | 0.0725 | 0.0071 | 0.0653 | 0 |
| 65 | Morrow, GA | 6,563 | 0.0946 | 0.0067 | 0.0879 | 2 |
| 66 | Mckeesport, PA | 17,749 | 0.0606 | 0.0228 | 0.0378 | 10 |
| 67 | Fitzgerald, GA | 8,972 | 0.0513 | 0.0114 | 0.0399 | 1 |
| 68 | Milledgeville, GA | 17,021 | 0.0543 | 0.0083 | 0.046 | 0 |
| 69 | West Columbia, SC | 17,459 | 0.063 | 0.0074 | 0.0556 | 2 |
| 70 | Moultrie, GA | 14,533 | 0.0542 | 0.0083 | 0.0459 | 2 |
| 71 | Hutchins, TX | 5,633 | 0.065 | 0.0073 | 0.0577 | 0 |
| 72 | Waycross, GA | 13,856 | 0.0534 | 0.0087 | 0.0447 | 6 |
| 73 | Dunn, NC | 8,549 | 0.0536 | 0.0084 | 0.0452 | 3 |
| 74 | Deming, NM | 14,756 | 0.0532 | 0.0085 | 0.0447 | 0 |
| 75 | Signal Hill, CA | 11,678 | 0.067 | 0.0071 | 0.0599 | 0 |
| 76 | Breaux Bridge, LA | 7,544 | 0.0525 | 0.0087 | 0.0437 | 2 |
| 77 | Vidalia, GA | 10,732 | 0.0585 | 0.0075 | 0.0511 | 3 |
| 78 | Bemidji, MN | 15,441 | 0.0848 | 0.0065 | 0.0783 | 0 |
| 79 | Paragould, AR | 29,690 | 0.0505 | 0.0117 | 0.0388 | 0 |
| 80 | Culver City, CA | 40,357 | 0.0607 | 0.0072 | 0.0535 | 0 |
| 81 | Winslow, AZ | 8,943 | 0.0505 | 0.012 | 0.0386 | 2 |
| 82 | Cayce, SC | 13,755 | 0.0499 | 0.01 | 0.0399 | 3 |
| 83 | Elkton, MD | 15,830 | 0.0603 | 0.0071 | 0.0532 | 4 |
| 84 | Dover, DE | 38,879 | 0.0529 | 0.0081 | 0.0448 | 3 |
| 85 | Santa Fe Springs, CA | 18,840 | 0.077 | 0.0065 | 0.0705 | 3 |
| 86 | Fairbanks, AK | 32,496 | 0.0516 | 0.0083 | 0.0433 | 10 |
| 87 | Statesville, NC | 28,576 | 0.0499 | 0.0113 | 0.0386 | 2 |
| 88 | Benton Harbor, MI | 9,101 | 0.0621 | 0.0258 | 0.0363 | 4 |
| 89 | Calumet Park, IL | 7,193 | 0.0498 | 0.0092 | 0.0406 | 4 |
| 90 | Alexander City, AL | 14,788 | 0.0531 | 0.0078 | 0.0453 | 2 |
| 91 | Anadarko, OK | 5,723 | 0.0498 | 0.0096 | 0.0402 | 0 |
| 92 | Merriam, KS | 11,070 | 0.0626 | 0.0068 | 0.0558 | 2 |
| 93 | Page, AZ | 7,444 | 0.052 | 0.0081 | 0.0439 | 1 |
| 94 | Lake Park, FL | 8,996 | 0.0666 | 0.0066 | 0.06 | 0 |
| 95 | Palm Springs, CA | 44,935 | 0.0572 | 0.0071 | 0.0501 | 5 |
| 96 | Havre, MT | 9,332 | 0.0492 | 0.0099 | 0.0393 | 0 |
| 97 | El Segundo, CA | 17,081 | 0.0594 | 0.0068 | 0.0525 | 1 |
| 98 | Chester, PA | 33,048 | 0.0541 | 0.018 | 0.0361 | 27 |
| 99 | Douglasville, GA | 35,252 | 0.0588 | 0.0068 | 0.0521 | 3 |
| 100 | Albion, MI | 7,732 | 0.0489 | 0.0113 | 0.0376 | 0 |
Dangerous Small Places By State
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I live near South Tucson. It’s a square mile city surrounded on all sides by Tucson. As a teenager I briefly live in Ft Defiance, AZ the nearest shopping was Gallup, NM; it was the drunk driving capitol of America.
You listed #9 as Ringgold, FL in the section with pictures and descriptions. It’s supposed to be Ringgold, GA.
This is a little misleading in that many of these are subdivisions of large metropolitan populations. South Tucson is, as Fred mentioned, only one square mile and located just a few blocks south of downtown Tucson… only 6,000 people but completely enveloped in what I think I last read was the 34th largest city in the country. Same goes for Lake City and College Park which are at, and next to, the Atlanta airport. Yes these places have their own unincorporated governments, but they are more like neighborhoods located in large cities. And as far as South Tucson… great food (home of Bill Clintons favorite Tucson Eatery, and some claim South Tucson as the birthplace of the Sonoran hotdog), exciting Norteno festivals, and the crime is nothing like it was in the 80’s and 90’s.
Why aren’t there many towns or cities from New England on your list?? We know Hartford is NYC North. You omitted places like Lawrence, MA (HQ for dope dealing), most of Rhode Island, Bridgeport-New Haven, CT (very high crime), Berlin, NH (one employer: the state Super max prison), and Rumford, ME (declining paper mills, high substance abuse and AIDS).
New England also got slammed by the opoid problem.
The pictures you have for Ringgold Georgia are not depicting Ringgold. They are from some other city. In addition, as noted above, you have confused Ringgold Ga. with Ringgold Florida.
A 2 man crime wave near dc and a few serious school shootings did not qualify. Why