USA Ranking

Most Dangerous Cities in the US (2026)

A data-driven ranking of the most dangerous US cities, scored on violent and property crime per 100,000 residents using the latest FBI UCR estimates and safety indices. Use it as a relocation-risk filter, not a verdict on any neighborhood.

Methodology

Each city is scored on violent-crime rate (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault per 100,000) and property-crime rate (burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft per 100,000), using the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Reporting estimates blended with NeighborhoodScout and Numbeo safety indices. Danger score = (violent / 10) + (property / 200). Higher score = more dangerous. We restrict the list to cities with population > 190,000 to avoid the small-town distortion that plagues most "most dangerous" lists.

Top 10 — Most Dangerous US Cities

Memphis, TNDanger 232Murder 47/100kSafety idx 23

Highest reported violent-crime rate among major US metros; auto-theft and aggravated assault drive the totals. Violent crime runs at 2,003 per 100,000 residents and property crime at 6,418 per 100,000 — both well above the US averages of ~380 and ~1,950 respectively.

Detroit, MIDanger 223Murder 49/100kSafety idx 26

Long-standing high homicide rate, though violent crime has trended down from its 2010s peak. Violent crime runs at 2,057 per 100,000 residents and property crime at 3,520 per 100,000 — both well above the US averages of ~380 and ~1,950 respectively.

St. Louis, MODanger 221Murder 65/100kSafety idx 22

Consistently near the top of FBI violent-crime lists; severe homicide rate concentrated in north city neighborhoods. Violent crime runs at 1,927 per 100,000 residents and property crime at 5,621 per 100,000 — both well above the US averages of ~380 and ~1,950 respectively.

Oakland, CADanger 209Murder 28/100kSafety idx 38

Worst property-crime rate among California metros; high-profile retail thefts and car break-ins. Violent crime runs at 1,736 per 100,000 residents and property crime at 7,110 per 100,000 — both well above the US averages of ~380 and ~1,950 respectively.

Baltimore, MDDanger 199Murder 51/100kSafety idx 28

One of the highest per-capita murder rates in the country; sharp neighborhood-level variation. Violent crime runs at 1,779 per 100,000 residents and property crime at 4,150 per 100,000 — both well above the US averages of ~380 and ~1,950 respectively.

Little Rock, ARDanger 195Murder 35/100kSafety idx 38

Smallest top-10 metro but one of the highest violent-crime rates per capita. Violent crime runs at 1,633 per 100,000 residents and property crime at 6,420 per 100,000 — both well above the US averages of ~380 and ~1,950 respectively.

Kansas City, MODanger 194Murder 32/100kSafety idx 34

Persistent gun-violence problem; one of the highest US homicide rates outside the deep south. Violent crime runs at 1,647 per 100,000 residents and property crime at 5,870 per 100,000 — both well above the US averages of ~380 and ~1,950 respectively.

Birmingham, ALDanger 188Murder 60/100kSafety idx 30

Small population masks one of the country's worst homicide rates per capita. Violent crime runs at 1,626 per 100,000 residents and property crime at 5,050 per 100,000 — both well above the US averages of ~380 and ~1,950 respectively.

Cleveland, OHDanger 179Murder 43/100kSafety idx 31

Elevated violent-crime concentrated on the east side; property crime widespread. Violent crime runs at 1,557 per 100,000 residents and property crime at 4,640 per 100,000 — both well above the US averages of ~380 and ~1,950 respectively.

Milwaukee, WIDanger 171Murder 36/100kSafety idx 33

Homicides surged through the early 2020s before plateauing; carjackings remain a major issue. Violent crime runs at 1,494 per 100,000 residents and property crime at 4,310 per 100,000 — both well above the US averages of ~380 and ~1,950 respectively.

Highest Murder Rate (per 100,000)

A separate cut of the same dataset focused only on homicide. Murder rates are the most reliably reported crime statistic across departments and the best single proxy for severe violence.

1
St. Louis, MOpop. 286k
1,927 violent
65/100k
2
Birmingham, ALpop. 197k
1,626 violent
60/100k
3
Baltimore, MDpop. 569k
1,779 violent
51/100k
4
Detroit, MIpop. 633k
2,057 violent
49/100k
5
Memphis, TNpop. 628k
2,003 violent
47/100k
6
Cleveland, OHpop. 367k
1,557 violent
43/100k
7
New Orleans, LApop. 384k
1,217 violent
41/100k
8
Milwaukee, WIpop. 569k
1,494 violent
36/100k
9
Little Rock, ARpop. 202k
1,633 violent
35/100k
10
Kansas City, MOpop. 510k
1,647 violent
32/100k

Full Comparison Table

#	City	Pop.	Violent /100k	Property /100k	Murder /100k	Safety idx	Danger
1	Memphis, TN	628k	2,003	6,418	47	23	232
2	Detroit, MI	633k	2,057	3,520	49	26	223
3	St. Louis, MO	286k	1,927	5,621	65	22	221
4	Oakland, CA	433k	1,736	7,110	28	38	209
5	Baltimore, MD	569k	1,779	4,150	51	28	199
6	Little Rock, AR	202k	1,633	6,420	35	38	195
7	Kansas City, MO	510k	1,647	5,870	32	34	194
8	Birmingham, AL	197k	1,626	5,050	60	30	188
9	Cleveland, OH	367k	1,557	4,640	43	31	179
10	Milwaukee, WI	569k	1,494	4,310	36	33	171
11	Albuquerque, NM	561k	1,322	5,980	22	36	162
12	Indianapolis, IN	880k	1,335	4,720	26	37	157
13	Stockton, CA	320k	1,339	3,590	18	35	152
14	New Orleans, LA	384k	1,217	4,910	41	39	146
15	Houston, TX	2310k	1,109	4,810	18	41	135
16	Atlanta, GA	499k	1,063	5,120	25	44	132
17	Anchorage, AK	287k	1,093	4,360	9	47	131
18	Tulsa, OK	411k	1,015	4,870	19	45	126
19	Chicago, IL	2660k	1,004	3,580	24	43	118
20	Philadelphia, PA	1550k	953	3,320	27	42	112

How to read this ranking

A "most dangerous cities" list is a blunt instrument. Citywide crime rates are dominated by a handful of neighborhoods — in St. Louis, Baltimore and Memphis, most violent crime is concentrated in 5–10% of census tracts, and the rest of the city looks statistically similar to the suburbs of much "safer" metros. Treat this ranking as a relocation-risk filter that flags cities where you should research neighborhoods carefully, not as a verdict on every block.

We also restrict the list to cities with populations above ~190,000. Small towns dominate raw "highest crime rate" lists every year because a handful of incidents pushes their per-capita numbers into the stratosphere; that's a statistical artefact, not a useful relocation signal.

Why these cities top the list

The leaders cluster around three structural problems: concentrated poverty in legacy industrial cities (Detroit, Cleveland, Baltimore, St. Louis), persistent gang-driven gun violence in mid-sized southern metros (Memphis, Birmingham, New Orleans, Little Rock), and the post-2020 spike that hit West Coast property crime hardest (Stockton, Oakland). Cities like Chicago and Houston attract a lot of national headlines but actually sit well outside the top tier when violent crime is measured per capita rather than in absolute terms.

If you're relocating — what to do with this

Use the ranking to narrow your shortlist, then drill into neighborhoods. Pair it with our cost-of-living guide and relocation guide before committing. If you want the opposite cut, our safest cities ranking and best US states to live in cover the high-safety end of the spectrum.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most dangerous city in the US?

On a combined violent and property crime score, Memphis, TN ranks #1 with 2,003 violent crimes and 6,418 property crimes per 100,000 residents. Detroit and St. Louis round out the top three.

Which US city has the highest murder rate?

St. Louis, MO has the highest murder rate among major US cities at roughly 65 per 100,000 residents — many multiples of the US average of ~6 per 100,000. Birmingham and Baltimore are next.

Is Chicago really one of the most dangerous US cities?

By absolute number of homicides Chicago is consistently near the top, but per capita it sits below St. Louis, Memphis, Detroit, Baltimore, Birmingham and several other smaller metros. Its national reputation reflects its size and media coverage more than its per-resident risk.

Where does the data come from?

Violent and property crime rates are pulled from the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) estimates, cross-checked against NeighborhoodScout and Numbeo safety indices. The danger score is computed in-house: violent/10 + property/200.

How often is this ranking updated?

We refresh the underlying figures whenever the FBI publishes a new UCR release (typically annually) and revise the ranking position when the new numbers change the order.