The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In The US Were Ranked & The Midwest Is Not Looking Good
Only one city on the West Coast made it on the list.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Right: Detroit, Michigan.
Whenever we're planning a trip to another country, we tend to look for any type of information and tips we can use to keep us safe and avoid dangerous or unwanted situations. But this should also be implemented when traveling domestically.
Violent crime rates vary across the United States, and according to a report by 24/7 Wall St., half of the top 10 most dangerous cities are in the Midwest.
The financial media site gathered information from the FBI's 2018 Uniform Crime Report and reviewed violence rates in cities with at least 100,000 residents. It ranked the cities based on the rate of violent crime — which includes murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault — per 100,000 residents.
The cities on this list all have violent crime rates more than three times higher than the national rate, which was 369 per 100,000 people in 2018.
The study also looked at 2018 unemployment rates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics as well as the five-year-average poverty rate as of 2017 from the U.S. Census Bureau, noting the correlation between these rates and crime.
"The cities with the highest violent crime rates tend to share other socioeconomic characteristics — notably, a lack of economic opportunity," the report says. "In the vast majority of cities on this list, poverty and unemployment rates are higher than they are nationwide."
Based on the gathered information, these are the 10 most dangerous cities to visit in the U.S.
10. Stockton, California
This is the only West Coast city that made it to the top 10. According to FBI data, Stockton had 4,383 cases of violent crime in 2018 — a rate of 1,399.6 per 100,000 people. It had by far the lowest rate of homicides on the list, with only 33 total. (St. Louis, a city with nearly the same population, had 187.)
A total of 6.9% of residents in the city were jobless in 2018, well above the national average of 3.9%. Meanwhile, the poverty rate was 22.4%.
9. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
According to the FBI, Milwaukee had 8,416 cases of violent crime in 2018, including 99 homicides and 489 cases of rape. This put the violent crime rate at 1,413 for every 100,000 people.
The poverty rate in this city was 27.4% — nearly double the national rate of 14.9 — while the unemployment rate was around average at 4%.
8. Little Rock, Arkansas
FBI data states that Little Rock had 2,882 cases of violent crime in 2018, including 40 homicides and 218 rapes. With an overall population of just under 200,000 people, the smallest city on the list had a violent crime rate of 1,446.1 per 100,000 residents.
The poverty rate for this city was 17.8%, despite the unemployment rate being below the national average at 3.5%.
7. Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland had 5,576 cases of violent crime in 2018 — a rate of 1,449.6 per 100,000 people. This included 86 homicides, according to the FBI.
The poverty rate was well over double the national average at 35.2%, while the unemployment rate was 6.5%.
6. Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, MO, logged 7,842 cases of violent crime in 2018 — a rate of 1,590.3 per 100,000 residents, which is over four times the national average.
The poverty rate here was 17.3% — the lowest on the list, but still not below the national rate of 14.9% — while the unemployment rate was just below the national average at 3.5%.
5. St. Louis, Missouri
Missouri was the only state with more than one city in the top 10. St. Louis saw 5,525 cases of violent crime in 2018, including 187 homicides — the highest homicide rate in the country. The overall violent crime rate here was 1,800.4 per 100,00 residents.
The poverty rate was high at 25%, despite the unemployment rate being just below average at 3.8%.
4. Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore was the easternmost city to scratch the top 10, with a rate of 1,833.4 violent crimes per 100,000 residents (11,100 total). Despite having only the third-highest population on the list, it had the highest number of both homicides (309) and robberies (5,066). It simultaneously had the highest rate of robbery and the lowest rate of rape on the top-10 list.
The poverty rate for this Maryland city was 22.4%, while the unemployment rate was 5.7%.
3. Birmingham, Alabama
With a population of only 210,000, Birmingham was the second-smallest city in the top 10. It had 4,025 cases of violent crime in 2018, which is a rate of 1,911.5 per 100,000 — over five times the national rate.
The poverty rate for Birmingham was 28.1% — nearly double the national average — while the unemployment rate was 4.6%.
2. Memphis, Tennessee
Per FBI data, Memphis had 12,674 cases of violent crime in 2018 — a rate of 1,943.2 per 100,000 people. This included 186 homicides and 491 cases of rape.
The poverty rate in this city was 26.9%, and the unemployment rate was 4.6%.
1. Detroit, Michigan
Detroit tops the list with 13,478 cases of violent crime in 2018, according to the FBI. It had the highest overall violent crime rate in the country (2007.8 per 100,000), as well as the highest rates of rape and aggravated assault.
The poverty rate in Detroit was a staggering 37.9% and the unemployment rate was 9% — both the highest of any city on the list.
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.