The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In Connecticut


The most dangerous places in Connecticut are New Haven and Derby for 2024 based on Saturday Night Science.

Most dangerous cities in Connecticut research summary. We analyzed the most recent FBI crime data using Saturday Night Science to determine the most dangerous cities in Connecticut.

We examined the violent and property crime per capita statistics for every place with over 7,000 residents. In total, we analyzed 93 Connecticut cities. Here are the results of our analysis:

  • The most dangerous city in Connecticut is New Haven based on the most recent FBI crime data.

  • The violent crime rate in Connecticut is 555 per 100k people.

  • The property crime rate in Connecticut is 3,101 per 100k people.

  • The safest city in Connecticut is Ridgefield.

  • Connecticut is the 43rd most dangerous state in the United States.

Most Dangerous Cities In Connecticut Map


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Table | Methodology | FAQs | References


Connecticut has its fair share of dangerous places, and we’re here to tell you where those places are. We’ve done the hard work and created a list of the top ten most dangerous places in Connecticut for 2024.

How’d we determine the most dangerous places in horse country? We compared 93 cities using the FBI’s latest crime report for violent and property crime per capita for every place with over 7,000 residents.

Connecticut is one of the safer states in America, but like all places, some areas are safer than others. With cities like Bridgeport recording some of the highest numbers of property crimes and violent crimes in the state’s history, we are not shocked that Connecticut houses two of the most dangerous cities in the country.

The Most Dangerous Cities In Connecticut For 2024

  1. New Haven
  2. Derby
  3. Waterbury
  4. Hartford
  5. Hamden
  6. East Hartford
  7. East Haven
  8. Meriden
  9. New Britain
  10. Manchester

What is the most dangerous place to live in Connecticut? According to the most recent FBI data, the most dangerous place in Connecticut is New Haven.

If you already live in Connecticut and want to move, or if you’re thinking about moving to Connecticut for the first time, we recommend reading our report below.

For more Connecticut reading, check out:

The 10 Most Dangerous Places To Live In Connecticut For 2024

New Haven, CT

Source: Wikipedia User Versageek | GFDL

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 136,205
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 555 (Second most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,101 (Second most dangerous)
Murders: 15
More on New Haven: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

The numbers do not lie when it comes to the dangers of New Haven. The area can thank its criminals for helping it earn the title of most dangerous city in Connecticut for 2024 after the community ranked lowest in 2023.

Property crime seems to have been their specialty — a staggering 4,224 property crimes were recorded in 2022. If that is not enough to keep you up at night maybe the thought of the 395 burglaries that occurred will. Fingers crossed the Yale University Art Gallery was not the victim of one.

People making off with the possessions of others was not all the New Haven Police Department dealt with. Their community was also rattled by a whopping 756 violent crimes. And as the number 2 city in the state for total crime, the officers here had their work cut out for them.

Derby, CT

Source: Wikipedia User John Phelan | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 12,243
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 359 (Sixth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,046 (Fourth most dangerous)
Murders: 0
More on Derby: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Built at the conjunction of the Housatonic and Naugatuck Rivers, Derby has a history that dates back to at least to 1642. The town provided the home for a serial killer — Lydia Sherman, “The Derby Poisoner,” who murdered three husbands and eight children during the 1860s and 1870s.

Even with this gruesome past, murder really isn’t a huge problem in Derby these days. Rather, property crime represents a bigger danger. The town suffered 373 of these violations last year, all in a community of just 12,243 residents. This gives it the number 4 highest rate of property crime in the state.

Waterbury, CT

Source: Wikipedia User Daniel Case, Grossus | GFDL

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 113,464
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 389 (Fourth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,874 (Seventh most dangerous)
Murders: 16
More on Waterbury: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Sticky fingers are abundant in Waterbury. Just ask the area’s 2,302 victims of larceny in 2022. That number is almost as shocking as the fact that there is a one in 34 chance that a property crime will happen to you while in this city.

Those startling odds are not the only reason you should be concerned. Violent crime is an issue in Waterbury as well. Though not as many were committed here as in other Connecticut cities, 442 reports are nothing to laugh at.

The city’s criminal activity may be hard to overlook, but you can at least try and get your mind off it by visiting Fulton Park.

Hartford, CT

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 120,196
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 569 (Most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,477 (14th most dangerous)
Murders: 37
More on Hartford: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Not just the home of The Mark Twain House & Museum, Hartford is also known as the “Insurance Capital of the World.” However, “Murder Capital of Connecticut” would be a more fitting nickname. This city ranks highest in the state for it.

Along with the 37 people that lost their lives in 2022, plenty of others were hurt during the 498 aggravated assaults that happened in Hartford.

With this tally, it comes as no surprise that the violent crime rate here is higher than that of Connecticut. If you thought things couldn’t get worse, think again. The state capital also ranks as a leader in the number of cases of arson. Residents can blame that on the 36 that occurred in 2022.

5. Hamden

Hamden, CT

Source: Wikipedia User Morrowlong | CC BY-SA 4.0

Population: 60,831
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 358 (Seventh most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,525 (12th most dangerous)
Murders: 5
More on Hamden:

Let’s just say you do not live in Hamden if you like feeling so safe you would leave your doors unlocked. Considering that the town ranks seventh highest for violent crime, it is more like the kind of place that makes you want to get a guard dog. If you do, at least you can enjoy walks on the Farmington Canal State Park Trail together.

We should probably mention that the community ranks ninth highest in the state for total crime too. If you did not already believe things were amok, consider the fact that Hamden used to be the fifth most dangerous city in Connecticut but is now the fifth.

East Hartford, CT

Source: Public domain

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 50,579
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 189 (13th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,673 (Eighth most dangerous)
Murders: 3
More on East Hartford: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Hartford is the capital city of Connecticut — also known as the “Insurance Capital of the World.” Head a little east and you can really put that insurance to good use. That’s because East Hartford represents the number 6 most dangerous spot in Connecticut.

As you’re filling out those forms and pricing brokers, concentrate on securing car insurance first. Park in East Hartford and you may not see your vehicle again. In a city of 50,579 residents, the area reported 198 car thefts in a year. To put it in perspective, that figure gave the community the number 6.0 highest rate of car thefts in the state.

East Haven, CT

Source: Wikipedia User Common Good | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 27,725
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 173 (14th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,600 (Tenth most dangerous)
Murders: 1
More on East Haven: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

East Haven, located in New Haven County, Connecticut, ranks as the seventh most dangerous place to live in the state for 2023. The town has a population of 27,725 and is situated just three miles east of New Haven. East Haven’s dangerous reputation is primarily due to its crime statistics. In terms of violent crime, the town recorded 48 incidents, including 1 murder cases, 6 rapes, 13 robberies, and 28 aggravated assaults. Additionally, property crime is also a concern, with 721 reported cases, including 34 burglaries.

Meriden, CT

Source: Wikipedia User John Phelan | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 60,332
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 291 (Ninth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,345 (15th most dangerous)
Murders: 1
More on Meriden: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

You will find Meriden located between New Haven and Hartford. A population of 60,332 residents makes up this city.

And a decent number of people in this community are comfortable with the idea of theft. Criminals carried out 1,042 larcenies in 2022.

Sadly, things may not improve any time soon. The fact that the city went from being the tenth most dangerous in Connecticut in 2023 to the eighth in 2024 does not bode well for its future. We just hope you can still find a way to enjoy an event at the Meriden Green while you are there.

New Britain, CT

Source: Wikipedia User Bmr1987 | CC BY 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 73,621
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 362 (Fifth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,061 (19th most dangerous)
Murders: 3
More on New Britain: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

You could argue that life in New Britain is looking up. The town has moved several pots from its previous ranking in 2023. However, 2022 was not all sunshine and rainbows for this community in central Connecticut. The crime rate there is quite a bit higher than the national average after all.

When it came to violent crime, 175 aggravated assaults made up most of the 267 incidents that were recorded.

If you managed to avoid bodily harm in New Britain, it might have been your car that criminals got to — thieves made off with 237 of them. That is a real bummer if you were planning to use one of those sets of wheels to visit sights like Little Poland.

Manchester, CT

Source: Wikipedia User John Phelan | CC BY-SA 3.0

Overall SnackAbility

7.5
/10

Population: 59,293
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 163 (15th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,585 (11th most dangerous)
Murders: 0
More on Manchester: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living

Located in Hartford County, this town also moved up significantly on our list. The community ended up as the tenth most dangerous city in the state for 2024 but in 2023 it was in ninth lowest place.

The change is partly due to the 1,533 property crimes that occurred. Those also help explain its 11th highest place ranking for property crime in Connecticut. Based on these statistics, it seems like people here would prefer to keep the books they borrow from the Manchester Public Library than return them, but that is just a hunch.

Crime By City In Connecticut

Rank City Population Total Crimes Per 100K Violent Crimes Per 100K Property Crimes Per 100K Murders
1 New Haven 136,205 3,656 555 3,101 15
2 Derby 12,243 3,406 359 3,046 0
3 Waterbury 113,464 3,263 389 2,874 16
4 Hartford 120,196 3,047 569 2,477 37
5 Hamden 60,831 2,883 358 2,525 5
6 East Hartford 50,579 2,862 189 2,673 3
7 East Haven 27,725 2,773 173 2,600 1
8 Meriden 60,332 2,637 291 2,345 1
9 New Britain 73,621 2,424 362 2,061 3
10 Manchester 59,293 2,749 163 2,585 0
11 Newington 30,277 2,642 135 2,506 0
12 Orange 14,239 4,220 84 4,136 0
13 East Windsor 11,148 2,269 125 2,143 0
14 Bloomfield 21,461 3,098 83 3,014 0
15 Norwich 40,096 1,965 301 1,663 2
16 Rocky Hill 20,692 1,976 140 1,836 0
17 New London 27,667 1,926 238 1,687 2
18 West Haven 55,133 2,192 121 2,071 0
19 Ansonia 18,750 2,101 122 1,978 1
20 Cromwell 14,360 3,161 69 3,091 0
21 North Haven 24,119 3,014 74 2,939 0
22 Plainville 17,413 2,050 114 1,935 0
23 Stratford 52,320 1,972 112 1,859 0
24 Milford 52,694 2,423 81 2,341 2
25 Norwalk 91,414 1,854 123 1,730 1
26 Bridgeport 148,395 1,650 408 1,241 15
27 Clinton 13,566 1,946 110 1,835 0
28 West Hartford 63,934 2,719 59 2,660 0
29 Danbury 87,164 1,443 137 1,305 4
30 Branford 28,138 1,791 85 1,705 1
31 Middletown 47,256 1,733 101 1,631 0
32 Stamford 136,936 1,361 192 1,169 2
33 Old Saybrook 10,613 1,648 103 1,545 1
34 Wethersfield 27,038 1,594 96 1,497 1
35 Groton 8,823 1,122 238 884 0
36 Farmington 26,618 1,885 63 1,822 1
37 Trumbull 37,192 1,938 59 1,879 0
38 Southington 43,564 1,893 59 1,834 1
39 Enfield 41,912 1,374 104 1,269 1
40 Berlin 20,109 1,964 49 1,914 0
41 Putnam 9,244 1,103 129 973 0
42 Windsor 29,326 1,704 61 1,643 0
43 Bristol 60,657 1,391 79 1,312 4
44 South Windsor 26,695 1,610 56 1,554 0
45 Naugatuck 31,356 1,278 79 1,199 1
46 Fairfield 62,270 1,797 36 1,760 1
47 Windsor Locks 12,497 1,344 56 1,288 0
48 Groton Town 28,608 1,083 69 1,013 0
49 Watertown 22,122 1,473 40 1,432 0
50 Plainfield 15,053 571 159 411 0

Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous cities in Connecticut for 2024?

Every year the FBI release two crime datasets on cities in Connecticut. First a preliminary dataset limited to the biggest cities in Connecticut, followed by a more detailed release at the end of the year.

For our analysis, we focused on the 2022 data, specifically the 2022 Crime In The United States Report for Connecticut.

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 Connecticut cities over 7,000 in population. That left us with 93 cities in Connecticut.

We then ranked each city from 1 to 93 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 Connecticut — New Haven. Any ties went to the smaller city.

This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. It is our tenth time ranking the most dangerous places to live in Connecticut and is updated for 2024.

Most Dangerous Places To Live In Connecticut FAQs

No, Connecticut is not a dangerous state as it ranks as the #8 safest state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in Connecticut ranks 47th most dangerous in the United States — 50.9% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Constitution State ranks 37th most dangerous in the United States — 19.92% better than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022.

No, Bridgeport is not a dangerous city. Bridgeport ranks as the #45 safest out of 328 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 Bridgeport might be considered safe you still need to be aware of where you are.

Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Bridgeport ranks 190th highest in America — 26.22% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 298th highest in the United States — 54.49% better than US average property crime rate. Note the latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022 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 Connecticut

Most Dangerous Cities In Connecticut Graph

Click To Enlarge

Summary: Locking It All Up In Connecticut

So what is the most dangerous city in Connecticut? After analyzing 93 cities in Connecticut, New Haven takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in Connecticut based on the most recently reported FBI data — 2022.

The latest FBI crime data shows that New Haven ranks as the most dangerous city in Connecticut for 2024.

The most dangerous cities in Connecticut are .

We want to point out again that there’s still safes places in New Haven and that this isn’t a comment on the people that live there. So please don’t beat us up.

What is the most dangerous place to live in Connecticut? According to the most recent FBI data, the most dangerous place in Connecticut is New Haven.

If you already live in Connecticut and want to move, or if you’re thinking about moving to Connecticut for the first time, we recommend reading our report below.

Learn more about the safest places in Connecticut.

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 Connecticut:

  1. Canton (Pop. 10,068)
  2. East Hampton (Pop. 12,943)
  3. Easton (Pop. 7,613)
  4. Monroe (Pop. 18,772)
  5. Madison (Pop. 17,581)
  6. Redding (Pop. 8,732)
  7. Middlebury (Pop. 7,793)
  8. Granby (Pop. 11,011)
  9. Weston (Pop. 10,350)
  10. Ridgefield (Pop. 25,048)

For more Connecticut reading, check out:

References

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.

4 thoughts on “The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In Connecticut

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *