The 15 Most Dangerous Cities In America
The FBI has broken down data on violent crimes throughout the U.S. Murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault fall into that category. All of them have increased, while property crimes have decreased, during first six months of 2015 when compared to 2014.
15. Odessa, Texas – 51.8
Odessa has a population of a little over 113,500 people. There was a slight increase in violent crimes in the first half of 2015 – a total of 589 compared to 496 in the same period in 2014.
14. Tallahassee, Florida – 52.8
Tallahassee has about 188,000 people. A total of 990 violent crimes were committed between January and June 2015, 50 more than the previous year. The biggest increases were in the numbers of rapes and aggravated assaults.
13. Anchorage, Alaska – 53.6
About 301,000 people live in Anchorage, the largest city in the south-central part of the state on the Cook Inlet. There was a significant increase in the violent crimes rate in one year – from 1,209 to 1,615 in January-June 2015. The number of murders went up from 6 to 16, of rapes from 193 to 323, and of aggravated assaults from 763 to 1,005. See: Safety Tips for Women Traveling Alone
12. Springfield, Massachusetts – 54.4
Springfield has a population of 117,134. The numbers of various crimes that are considered violent has remained almost the same. The total in the first half of 2015 was 558, just seven more than the same period in 2014.
11. Atlanta, Georgia – 55.7
The city of almost half a million people has seen fewer violent crimes overall (2,529 compared to 2,580 in 2014), largely due to fewer robberies. There were slightly more murders, rapes and aggravated assaults.
10. Hartford, Connecticut – 55.8
The capital of Connecticut and its 125,000 people owe the increased rate in violent crimes – 671 between January and June in 2014 compared to 697 in the same period a year later – due to twice as many murders in 2015 and more robberies. There were fewer rapes.
9. Cleveland, Ohio – 61.5
There were more murders and aggravated assaults but fewer rapes and robberies in Cleveland, a city of 389,000 people. The total number of violent crimes went down by more than 100 from 2,499 to 2,390.
8. Milwaukee, Wisconsin – 65.3
Milwaukee, with a population of 600,374 people, also saw a slight decrease in the total number of violent crimes – from 3,957 between January and June 2014 down to 3,921 in the same period the following year. There were more murders but fewer rapes and robberies.
7. Stockton, California – 67.4
The city of almost 300,000 people has a total of 2,019 reported violent crimes between January and June 2015, 47 more than the same period in 2014. There were fewer murders, more robberies and about the same number of aggravated assaults.
6. Baltimore, Maryland – 67.7
The violent crime rate in Baltimore, the third most populated city on the list with just over 623,000 people, has increased from 3,989 to 4,224 per 10,000 people. The biggest difference is in the number of murders – from 99 between January and June 2014 to 144 a year later. There were more robberies as well, but slightly fewer aggravated assaults.
5. Rockford, Illinois – 76.3
The number of violent crimes in Rockford, the third largest city in Illinois with about 150,000 people, has gone up from 927 to 1,142. There was a significant increase in every category except in murder – the number went down from 10 to 9.
4. Birmingham, Alabama – 82.8
Birmingham has a population of 212,115 people. There were a total of 1,756 violent crimes reported between January and June 2015, compared to 1,619 the same period in 2014. There was an increase in every kind of violent crime, except rape.
3. Detroit, Michigan – 83.6
Detroit, the most populated city in this list with more than 684,000 people, saw a decrease in every violent crime category according to FBI data. The total number went down 6,292 to from 5,711 – there 28 fewer murders, 461 fewer robberies, 50 fewer rapes, and 42 fewer aggravated assaults.
2. Memphis, Tennessee – 84.2
Memphis, the city along the Mississippi River, known for its music and food, has a population of 655,000 people. There, too, was a decrease in overall violent crime rates – from 5,633 to 5,517. The numbers were down in almost every category except aggravated assault.
1. St. Louis, Missouri – 88.1
This iconic city in Missouri has more than 318,500 residents. There was a significant increase in every category of violent crime, except rape, which was down from 144 to 127 reported cases. However, there were 34 more murders, 238 more robberies, and 267 more aggravated assaults. See: The Safest Cities in the World