Do you live in one of the murder capitals of Iowa?
We all watch the news with horror when we hear about a homicide that happens not that far away from us. While a murder just blocks or even a couple of towns away from your house would make anyone uneasy, in the long run, most likely, where you live is relatively safe.
To find the cities in Iowa with the most murders and the highest murder rates per capita, we used Saturday Night Science to compare the FBI crime data on murders for the 18 cities in the Hawkeye State with over 5,000 residents.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Cities With Highest Murder Rates In Iowa
What city has the highest murder rate in Iowa? The city with the highest murder rate in Iowa is Perry with 24.9 murders per 100,000 people.
What is the city in Iowa with highest number of murders? The city in Iowa with the highest number of murders is Des Moines with 9 murders.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town in Iowa ranked. There were ‘only’ 18 cities in Iowa where a city reported a murder to the FBI, meaning 59 places had no murder.
For more reading on the Hawkeye State check out:
The 10 Murder Capitals Of Iowa For 2026
/10
Population: 8,022
Murders: 2 (8th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 24.9 (Most)
More on Perry: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 10,624
Murders: 2 (8th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 18.8 (2nd Most)
More on Le Mars: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 5,617
Murders: 1 (15th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 17.8 (3rd Most)
More on Osceola: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 9,392
Murders: 1 (15th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 10.6 (4th Most)
More on Keokuk: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 23,444
Murders: 2 (8th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 8.5 (5th Most)
More on Burlington: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 99,926
Murders: 8 (2nd Most)
Murders Per 100k: 8.0 (6th Most)
More on Davenport: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 25,185
Murders: 2 (8th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 7.9 (7th Most)
More on Ottumwa: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 27,576
Murders: 2 (8th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 7.3 (8th Most)
More on Marshalltown: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 42,420
Murders: 2 (8th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 4.7 (9th Most)
More on Marion: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 66,385
Murders: 3 (3rd Most)
Murders Per 100k: 4.5 (10th Most)
More on Waterloo: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How we calculated the murder capitals of Iowa
While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in a state are the most dangerous, we wanted to rely on something other than speculation and opinion. Instead, we used Saturday Night Science to compare the hard numbers from the FBI’s last year of reporting. Specifically, we analyzed the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, which summarizes the number of murders in each city annually.
We only looked at every single city in Iowa for which FBI data was available for the most recent FBI Crime In The United States. That left us with 18 cities to rank.
We took the number of murders per capita as the ranking factor. The place with the most murders per capita based on the most recent data is Perry. It is our eleventh time ranking the places with the most murders per capita in Iowa. We updated the list for 2026.
Summary: The Places With The Most Murders In Iowa For 2026
If you’re looking at the places in Iowa with the most murders, and where residents have the highest chances of being killed themselves, this is an accurate list. Again, these statistics are an indication of where crimes occur, not a statement about the effectiveness of the law enforcement in the areas they serve.
The cities with the highest murder per capita in Iowa are Perry, Le Mars, Osceola, Keokuk, Burlington, Davenport, Ottumwa, Marshalltown, Marion, and Waterloo.
For more Iowa reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Iowa
- Fastest Growing Cities In Iowa
- Safest Places In Iowa
- Best Cities For Singles In Iowa
- Worst Places To Live In Iowa
Murder Rates By City In Iowa
| Rank | City | Population | Murders | Murders/100K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Perry, IA | 8022 | 2 | 24.93 |
| 2 | Le Mars, IA | 10624 | 2 | 18.83 |
| 3 | Osceola, IA | 5617 | 1 | 17.8 |
| 4 | Keokuk, IA | 9392 | 1 | 10.65 |
| 5 | Burlington, IA | 23444 | 2 | 8.53 |
| 6 | Davenport, IA | 99926 | 8 | 8.01 |
| 7 | Ottumwa, IA | 25185 | 2 | 7.94 |
| 8 | Marshalltown, IA | 27576 | 2 | 7.25 |
| 9 | Marion, IA | 42420 | 2 | 4.71 |
| 10 | Waterloo, IA | 66385 | 3 | 4.52 |
| 11 | Des Moines, IA | 209245 | 9 | 4.3 |
| 12 | Fort Dodge, IA | 24502 | 1 | 4.08 |
| 13 | Johnston, IA | 24819 | 1 | 4.03 |
| 14 | Sioux City, IA | 85711 | 3 | 3.5 |
| 15 | Council Bluffs, IA | 62269 | 2 | 3.21 |
| 16 | Waukee, IA | 34520 | 1 | 2.9 |
| 17 | Dubuque, IA | 58620 | 1 | 1.71 |
| 18 | Cedar Rapids, IA | 135363 | 1 | 0.74 |