Most Dangerous City in Every State

There were 3,434 violent crimes — a category comprising rape, robbery, aggrevated assault, and murder — for every 100,000 people in Aniston, Alabama, by far the highest violent crime rate in the state and the highest of any major city. For reference, Alabama’s violent crime rate is 524 per 100,000 and the U.S. rate is 383 per 100,000.

Crime rates are typically higher in poorer areas, and a large share of Anniston residents are financially insecure. Nearly 20% of the city’s 22,000 residents live below the poverty line, well above the state poverty rate of 18.0% and the nationwide rate of 14.6%.

Alaska is the most dangerous state in the country, with 829 violent crimes for 100,000 residents — more than double the national violent crime rate of 383 per 100,000. Alaska’s high violent crime rate is mostly attributable to violence in Anchorage, the most dangerous city in the state. There were 1,203 violent crimes per 100,000 people in the city in 2017. Nearly half of the 62 murders and more than half of the 4,257 aggravated assaults in Alaska in 2017 were committed in Anchorage.

Property crime is also more common in Anchorage than any other city in the state. There were 5,416 burglaries, larcenies, and motor vehicle thefts for every 100,000 people in the city in 2017. Meanwhile, the state property crime rate was 575 per 100,000 people.

Tucson, Arizona’s second most populous city, is the most dangerous city in the state. There were 802 violent crimes for every 100,000 city residents in 2017, well above the state violent crime rate of 508 per 100,000.

As is typically the case, aggravated assault was the most common violent crime in Tucson. There were 431 aggravated assaults per 100,000 city residents in 2017, more than quadruple the 106 per 100,000 state rate.

Pine Bluff is the most dangerous city in Arkansas and one of the most dangerous cities in the United States. There were 1,847 violent crimes per 100,000 people in the city in 2017, more than triple the state violent crime rate.

Crime tends to be more common in poor areas, and in Pine Bluff, 30.4% of the population lives below the poverty line compared with a poverty rate of 18.1% across Arkansas.

Of the hundreds of cities in California, Stockton has the highest violent crime rate. Driven largely by aggravated assault and robbery, there were 1,415 violent crimes per 100,000 people in Stockton in 2017. For reference, California’s violent crime rate is 449 per 100,000.

If current trends continue, Stockton will likely remain the most dangerous city in the state. Recent figures released by the Stockton Police Department reveal a 13% increase in violent crime in the city from the same period in 2018.