Which cities in the US are becoming more dangerous with time? And which are in the list of safest cities to live in? The team at PHD tracked down FBI crime trends from 2006 to 2017 to see which cities in the US have seen the sharpest rise and decline in crime over the past ten years.
25 Cities Getting Riskier
These cities have risen in all types of crimes over the past decade. Charleston, West Virginia is on the top of the list with double arson counts from 2006 to 2017 – even with a population decrease. Nine of the 25 cities at bottom of list have had a reduction in residents, meaning their crimes per capita has increased tremendously forcing people to leave the town.
- Charleston, West Virginia
- Kyle, Texas
- Port Lavaca, Texas
- Cleveland Heights, Ohio
- Portland, Texas
- Brown Deer, Wisconsin
- Lumberton, North Carolina
- Elk City, Oklahoma
- Sweetwater, Texas
- Aiken, South Carolina
- Central Point, Oregon
- South Charleston, West Virginia
- Burkburnett, Texas
- Pueblo, Colorado
- Ormond Beach, Florida
- Belton, Missouri
- Zachary, Louisiana
- Pineville, Louisiana
- Jamestown, New York
- Rochester, New Hampshire
- Hamburg Town, New York
- Mitchell, South Dakota
- Rapid City, South Dakota
- Anchorage, Alaska
- Lyndhurst, Ohio
25 Cities Getting Safer
Here we have listed the top 25 cities which are safest and have experienced a significant reduction in criminal activity. The top city with most improvement for criminal activity is Salisbury, Maryland. It improved considerably in numerous areas, as well as a 100 percent decline in arson and a 63 percent decrease in the break-in.
- Salisbury, Maryland
- Saginaw, Michigan
- Ypsilanti, Michigan
- Riviera Beach, Florida
- Norristown, Pennsylvania
- Florence, South Carolina
- Easton, Pennsylvania
- Dallas, Texas
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- North Little Rock, Arkansas
- Reading, Pennsylvania
- Youngstown, Ohio
- Sacramento, California
- Grand Rapids, Michigan
- East Orange, New Jersey
- Newport, Kentucky
- Flagstaff, Arizona
- Eloy, Arizona
- Casa Grande, Arizona
- Allentown, Pennsylvania
- Rochester, New York
- Conway, South Carolina
- North Charleston, South Carolina
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina
- Columbus, Ohio
Method
Our team looked into FBI statistics for the US cities in 2006 and 2017 to conclude the number of reported crimes in every city using seven data collection points:
- Burglary
- Murder
- Assault
- Larceny
- Arson
- Motor Vehicle Theft
- Robbery
Cities were then ranked according to their average numbers across the seven types of crime. Our team removed the rape numbers because the definition of rape changed between 2006 and 2017. We didn’t add cities that were missing any crime data or year, that had a population of less than 10,000 in 2006 or 2017, or if there were changes in the local or state agency’s reporting activities. This report assessed a total of 2,311 US cities.
Staying Protected In Your City
No matter which city you live in and what crime level it has, there are always ways to keep yourself and your family protected. Installing the best smart home security systems is the ideal way to start.