You’ve probably seen the scary headlines. They pop up every year when the FBI or a major think tank releases a new batch of spreadsheets. One day it’s "The Most Dangerous Place in America," and the next, it’s a different zip code. Honestly, looking at cities with highest crime in us isn't as simple as just checking a leaderboard. It’s messy.
Crime isn't a single "score." It’s a mix of different problems. Some cities struggle with stolen Kias and broken windows, while others are dealing with a staggering rate of homicides. To really understand what’s happening in 2026, we have to look past the surface-level rankings and see the actual numbers from 2024 and 2025.
The Cities Leading the Lists Right Now
Let's talk about Memphis. It’s basically at the top of every list for a reason. In 2024, Memphis, Tennessee, recorded a total crime rate of 9,400.3 per 100,000 residents. That is more than three times the national average. It’s not just one type of crime either; they lead in aggravated assault and motor vehicle theft.
Then you have Detroit and Baltimore. For decades, these cities have been the face of urban struggle. But the data shows something interesting. While their violent crime rates remain high—Detroit sat at 1,781.3 per 100,000 in recent reports—they are actually seeing significant drops in homicides. Baltimore’s homicide rate dropped roughly 40% when compared to 2019 levels. Progress is real, even if the "danger" labels stick around.
A Breakdown of the Numbers
- Memphis, TN: Highest violent crime rate (2,501.3 per 100,000).
- Oakland, CA: Leading the pack in property crime (over 7,200 per 100,000).
- St. Louis, MO: Consistently high murder rates, though dropping by 33% since 2019.
- Portland and Seattle: Surprisingly high property crime, specifically larceny and burglary.
Why Property Crime is the New Focus
We often focus on violence, but property crime is what most people actually experience. You might feel safe walking to dinner, but you come back to find your car window smashed. That’s the reality in places like Portland and Seattle right now.
In 2024, Portland’s property crime rate was over 5,500 per 100,000. Seattle wasn't far behind. Interestingly, while violent crime is "cooling" across the country—dropping about 4.5% nationally—shoplifting and organized retail theft actually went up by 14% in many major metros. It’s a weird disconnect. People feel less safe because they see empty shelves and boarded-up windows, even if the "scary" crimes are statistically trending down.
The Mid-Sized City Surprise
It’s easy to pick on Chicago or New York. People do it all the time. But if you look at the per capita data, the "big guys" are often safer than smaller cities you’d never expect.
Take Little Rock, Arkansas. It saw one of the largest homicide decreases recently—a 43% drop—yet it still has a violent crime rate that dwarfs many larger cities. Same with Birmingham, Alabama. With a violent crime rate of 1,694 per 1,000 people, it’s a outlier for its size. Economic disparity is usually the culprit here. When a small population has concentrated areas of poverty, the crime "rate" spikes even if the total number of incidents is lower than a place like LA.
What Most People Get Wrong About These Rankings
Rankings are kinda deceptive. They treat an entire city like a monolithic block of "danger." In reality, crime is hyper-local. In a city like Chicago, the "dangerous" areas are often concentrated in specific neighborhoods, while other parts of the city have crime rates lower than the national average.
Also, reporting matters. A city with a high "crime rate" might just be a city with a very efficient police department that actually logs every single call. If a city has a low rate, is it actually safe, or are people just tired of calling a police force that never shows up? That's the nuance the spreadsheets miss.
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Navigating a High-Crime City Safely
If you live in or are traveling to one of these areas, "dangerous" doesn't mean "unlivable." It just means you need to be situationally aware. Most crime, especially property crime, is a crime of opportunity.
Next Steps for Residents and Travelers:
- Check Neighborhood-Level Data: Use tools like NeighborhoodScout or local police dashboards to see specific blocks rather than city-wide averages.
- Secure Your Vehicle: With motor vehicle theft being one of the only categories that remained elevated in early 2025, use steering wheel locks or trackers, especially if you drive a high-target model like a Kia or Hyundai.
- Focus on the Trend, Not the Rank: A city that is #5 but has a 20% year-over-year decrease in crime is often safer than a city that is #15 but has a 20% increase.
- Engagement Matters: Neighborhood watch programs and community-led initiatives in cities like Milwaukee have been credited with recent double-digit drops in homicides.
The national trend is clearly moving toward a "cooling" period. While the cities with highest crime in us still have a long way to go, the massive spikes seen during 2020-2022 are largely fading into the background.