From mass shootings to hate crimes and even terrorist attacks, safety can sometimes feel uncertain in the United States for both locals and visitors.
If you’re planning to travel or move somewhere new, safety is something you can’t ignore. It’s not just about avoiding danger; feeling safe plays a big role in how good life feels overall.
But safety isn’t the same everywhere. Some states are a lot riskier than others. These 12 states stand out as the most dangerous, based on different types of crime and safety concerns happening there.
Table of Contents
New Mexico
New Mexico is faced with high rates of both violent and property crimes. This state is known to have a high population density and low per capita income, both of which are high contributors to the insecurity of the state.
A good number of the violent crimes in New Mexico are also attributed to the high prevalence of drug dealings in the state. WalletHub ranked New Mexico as the state with the worst drug problem in 2023.
Besides, Albuquerque, one of the most dangerous places in the United States, is located in New Mexico. The area’s violent, and property crime rates in 2020 were found to be way higher than the national average and to be on an upward trend.
A study by Forbes found that your odds of being a victim in Albuquerque stood at 1 in 128. But this does not mean that it is the only unsafe place in the state Other cities such as Hobbs, Gallup, Farmington, and Roswell have equally higher rates of crimes such as murder, robbery, rape, and assault.
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Arkansas
Assault and bullying cases in Arkansas are some of the highest in the country. Helena, West Memphis, and Little Rock are considered the most dangerous cities in the state.
Opportunity Arkansas, an NGO based in the state, revealed that over the past two decades, violent crimes increased by 52%, aggravated assault by 74%, and homicide by an astonishing 96%.
The organization went further and attributed these concerning figures to an “unaccountable Arkansas Board of Corrections,” which gave the green light to the early release of 27,400 inmates between 2011 and 2022, some of whom had been convicted of serious felonies.
Property crime rates, including burglary, are also devastatingly high in Arkansas.
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Colorado
The FBI 2022 report ranked Colorado the 4th worst nationally for combined violent and property crime rates. In 2012, Colorado ranked 31st. This shows that there has been a concerning uptick in crime in the state for the past decade.
Statistics reveal that the number of people facing homelessness in Colorado has doubled over the last decade. Increased homelessness and lack of essential resources go hand in hand with heightened crime rates. Besides, Colorado has witnessed an increase in gun sales, which could be intertwined with the escalation of violent crimes in the state.
Finally, as of 2023, a staggering 3.2% of the state’s population was facing joblessness, which is also a strong contributing factor to its escalated crime rates.
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California
As of 2024, California’s crime rate has good and bad news. The good news is that the crime rates in the state have been steadily reducing. The bad news, however, is that despite the reduction, the crime rates in California are still among the highest in the country.
Research published by Statista revealed that California had 2,197 reported homicide cases in 2022, ranking it high above every other state.
Being one of the wealthiest states in the United States also means that California has large income inequality, which is a major contributor to the crimes in the state.
While the state has some of the safest areas in the country, some of the unsafest are also found here. California’s most dangerous areas include Oakland, San Bernardino, Stockton, Compton, Richmond and Vallejo.
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Tennessee
Tennessee is another state severely affected by property crime, with burglary and personal theft being the most common. However, violent crime is also pretty common in this state.
Memphis, one of the largest cities in Tennessee, has consistently been ranked as one of the most dangerous cities in the country. Chattanooga, also in Tennessee, is among the country’s most dangerous places.
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Recidivism was found to be a major problem behind the high crime rates in Tennessee. Recidivism entails people who committed crimes and already served time in prison but, upon release, continue to commit new crimes and become re-incarcerated.
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Missouri
Missouri ranks poorly in terms of personal and residential safety. Burglary and homicide rates are pretty high in the state. Major cities in the state were found to have violent crime rates way higher than the national average.
St.Louis, one of the unsafest areas in Missouri, reported property and violent crime rates higher than the national average over the past decade. St. Louis and Kansas City are also grappling with huge gang problems.
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South Carolina
The rates of hate crime incidents motivated by race, religion, ancestry, and sexual orientation are devastatingly high in South Carolina. Beyond hate crimes, property, and violent crime rates in South Carolina also ranked higher than the national average.
In 2021, the state reported 2,639 robbery and 21,580 aggravated assault cases, with Richland and Charleston Counties being the most affected. Dillon County has been at the forefront of violent crimes, followed closely by Marlboro County.
Myrtle Beach, one of the state’s most popular tourist destinations, is also the most dangerous city in South Carolina. In 2023, its crime rates were found to be 330% higher than the national average. The city’s insecurity can largely be attributed to its popularity as a tourist spot.
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Nevada
Nevada has always been featured on the list of states with the highest rates of homicide, kidnapping, human trafficking, assaults, and sex offenses. Generally, violent crime rates in Nevada were reported to be 30, which was higher compared to the national average rate of 22.7 in 2023.
On the other hand, Nevada’s property crime rate was 38.6, compared to the national average of 35.4. This means traveling to Nevada puts you at more risk than traveling to other states nationwide.
Las Vegas was found to be the unsafest city in Nevada, with robbery and rape, and drugging in nightclubs being quite prevalent. Arson is also another criminal offense that has been on the rise in the past decade.
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Alaska
Aggravated assault is one of the most prevalent crimes in Alaska, with 4,222 cases reported in 2022. In the same year, the state registered 1,132 sexual assault cases, making it one of the highest in the country.
Anchorage, one of the state’s major cities, has been ranked for having one of the highest combined property and violent crimes in the entire country.
Many reasons are attributed to Alaska’s high crime rates, including low police enrollment, sketchy neighborhoods, isolated cabins, and extremely long nights in winter.
Alaska was also found to be one of the states with the most relaxed gun laws, which might be a contributing factor to its high crime rates.
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Mississippi
Mississippi has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. The state is also among those with the highest poverty rates, something that goes hand in hand with elevated crime rates.
Gun violence and homicide rates were found to be significantly higher in cities like Jackson and Woodville. The state also ranks high in domestic violence-related mass shootings.
Besides violent and property crime, Mississippi has consistently ranked as the worst state in road safety.
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Louisiana
Both property and violent crime rates in Louisiana rank way higher than the average. The most dangerous cities include Shreveport, Monroe, New Orleans, Hammond, and Baton Rouge, all of which have murder, robbery, and rape rates way above the national average. For instance, in 2022, New Orleans registered a crime rate of 150% higher than the national average.
Baton Rouge, on the other hand, reported four times more burglary crimes and almost six times more murder crimes than the national average in 2022.
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Texas
Texas is another of the states that consistently ranks for high violent crime rates that include aggravated assault, robbery, and murder. Besides, burglary and motor vehicle theft are pretty prevalent in this state. The bigger urban areas like Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston often experience higher levels of property crimes than smaller cities and rural areas.
Also, Texas has been grappling with cross-border crimes, including drug trafficking and crimes against persons, which can be attributed to its proximity to the US- Mexico border.
The most dangerous cities in the states include Lubbock, Houston, Beaumont, Amarillo, Odessa, and Edinburg.
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