As in other states, the statewide crime rate in Florida dipped last year. Statistics from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement show 76,523 fewer total crimes reported in 2020 than in the previous year — a 14.1% drop.
The decrease wasn’t across all categories, though. The state saw a 17% decline in property crimes, but violent crimes increased by 2.3%. (The FBI defines violent crime as murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rаpe, robbery, and aggravated assault. Property crime includes burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.)
The Sunshine State follows a trend seen across the nation during the time of COVID-19. That is, an overall drop in crime even as some kinds of crime increased. (See where it ranks on our list of America’s most dangerous states.)
To determine the 25 most dangerous cities in Florida, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on violent crimes from the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer. Cities and towns with a population of at least 2,500 were ranked based on the number of violent crimes reported in 2020 per 100,000 residents. Data on population and property crimes also came from the FBI. Supplemental data on median household income and poverty rate came from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey and are five-year estimates. (Nationwide, these are America’s 50 most dangerous cities.)
Click here to see the 25 most dangerous cities in Florida
In Florida, property crimes outnumber violent offenses in every city on this list. Furthermore, the cities with the highest crime rates tended to be smaller. The Miami-Dade County town of Florida City, south of Miami, ranked number one with a population of less than 12,000. Yet violent crimes totaled 344 in 2020, for a ratio of 2,908.8 per 100,000 citizens. Property crimes were higher at 657, factoring out to a 5,555.6 per 100,000 residents.
No. 2 on the list is Marianna, a city of less than 6,000 in the Florida Panhandle. Perhaps because of its low population, its crime rate is skewed a bit. Its violent crime total of 93 gave it a ratio of 1,647.8 per 100,000 residents, while property crimes amounted to 159, for a ratio of 2,817.2 per 100,000.
The most populous city on the list — Orlando, with some 293,363 residents — came in at number 20. A property crime tally of 11,158 equates to a ratio of 3,803.5 per 100,000. Violent crimes totaled 2,524 for a ratio of 860.4 per 100,000 residents.
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25. Gainesville
> Violent crimes in 2020: 771.4 per 100,000 (1,042 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 3,181.2 per 100,000 (4,297 total)
> Median household income: $37,264
> Poverty rate: 2.6%
> Population: 135,076
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24. Tallahassee
> Violent crimes in 2020: 773.4 per 100,000 (1,516 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 2,951.9 per 100,000 (5,786 total)
> Median household income: $45,734
> Poverty rate: 1.9%
> Population: 196,012
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23. Sanford
> Violent crimes in 2020: 819.7 per 100,000 (511 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 2,239.3 per 100,000 (1,396 total)
> Median household income: $47,217
> Poverty rate: 3.3%
> Population: 62,342
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22. Live Oak
> Violent crimes in 2020: 830.4 per 100,000 (58 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 3,564.8 per 100,000 (249 total)
> Median household income: $47,859
> Poverty rate: 11.7%
> Population: 6,985
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21. Wildwood
> Violent crimes in 2020: 845.7 per 100,000 (64 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 2,087.7 per 100,000 (158 total)
> Median household income: $41,968
> Poverty rate: 7.7%
> Population: 7,568
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20. Orlando
> Violent crimes in 2020: 860.4 per 100,000 (2,524 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 3,803.5 per 100,000 (11,158 total)
> Median household income: $51,757
> Poverty rate: 1.3%
> Population: 293,363
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19. Homestead
> Violent crimes in 2020: 864.8 per 100,000 (610 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 2,415.7 per 100,000 (1,704 total)
> Median household income: $47,508
> Poverty rate: 3.3%
> Population: 70,538
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18. Lauderhill
> Violent crimes in 2020: 872.7 per 100,000 (632 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 2,636 per 100,000 (1,909 total)
> Median household income: $41,723
> Poverty rate: 3.3%
> Population: 72,421
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17. Panama City
> Violent crimes in 2020: 873.9 per 100,000 (303 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 4,190.7 per 100,000 (1,453 total)
> Median household income: $43,953
> Poverty rate: 2.8%
> Population: 34,672
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16. Pahokee
> Violent crimes in 2020: 894.5 per 100,000 (57 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 2,730.7 per 100,000 (174 total)
> Median household income: $27,095
> Poverty rate: 8.8%
> Population: 6,372
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15. Melbourne
> Violent crimes in 2020: 903.3 per 100,000 (757 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 3,020.1 per 100,000 (2,531 total)
> Median household income: $48,673
> Poverty rate: 2.5%
> Population: 83,806
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14. Belle Glade
> Violent crimes in 2020: 908.8 per 100,000 (185 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 2,574.1 per 100,000 (524 total)
> Median household income: $24,322
> Poverty rate: 9.5%
> Population: 20,357
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13. Bunnell
> Violent crimes in 2020: 1,000.3 per 100,000 (30 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 2,834.3 per 100,000 (85 total)
> Median household income: $31,875
> Poverty rate: 23%
> Population: 2,999
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12. Perry
> Violent crimes in 2020: 1,019.7 per 100,000 (70 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 4,996.4 per 100,000 (343 total)
> Median household income: $34,806
> Poverty rate: 21.3%
> Population: 6,865
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11. Panama City Beach
> Violent crimes in 2020: 1,031.3 per 100,000 (131 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 5,951.4 per 100,000 (756 total)
> Median household income: $63,912
> Poverty rate: 4.6%
> Population: 12,703
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10. Daytona Beach
> Violent crimes in 2020: 1,034.5 per 100,000 (725 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 3,060.6 per 100,000 (2,145 total)
> Median household income: $35,893
> Poverty rate: 3%
> Population: 70,084
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9. Chattahoochee
> Violent crimes in 2020: 1,045.3 per 100,000 (33 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 3,674.4 per 100,000 (116 total)
> Median household income: $28,478
> Poverty rate: 28.4%
> Population: 3,157
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8. Lake Worth
> Violent crimes in 2020: 1,052.8 per 100,000 (410 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 3,212.2 per 100,000 (1,251 total)
> Median household income: $42,500
> Poverty rate: 5.4%
> Population: 38,945
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7. Palm Springs
> Violent crimes in 2020: 1,131.6 per 100,000 (288 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 3,080.4 per 100,000 (784 total)
> Median household income: $44,162
> Poverty rate: 4.5%
> Population: 25,451
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6. Cocoa
> Violent crimes in 2020: 1,140.2 per 100,000 (214 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 5,866.1 per 100,000 (1,101 total)
> Median household income: $38,892
> Poverty rate: 5.6%
> Population: 18,769
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5. Starke
> Violent crimes in 2020: 1,145 per 100,000 (62 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 3,471.8 per 100,000 (188 total)
> Median household income: $32,177
> Poverty rate: 17.7%
> Population: 5,415
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4. Riviera Beach
> Violent crimes in 2020: 1,195.6 per 100,000 (428 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 3,279.5 per 100,000 (1,174 total)
> Median household income: $47,193
> Poverty rate: 5%
> Population: 35,798
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3. Lake City
> Violent crimes in 2020: 1,556.1 per 100,000 (193 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 5,393.9 per 100,000 (669 total)
> Median household income: $38,000
> Poverty rate: 6.6%
> Population: 12,403
Source: Ken Badgley / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
2. Marianna
> Violent crimes in 2020: 1,647.8 per 100,000 (93 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 2,817.2 per 100,000 (159 total)
> Median household income: $22,909
> Poverty rate: 13.5%
> Population: 5,644
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1. Florida City
> Violent crimes in 2020: 2,908.8 per 100,000 (344 total)
> Property crimes in 2020: 5,555.6 per 100,000 (657 total)
> Median household income: $35,253
> Poverty rate: 14%
> Population: 11,826
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