Crime in America 2015: Top 10 Safest & Most Dangerous Metros in the Midwest

By Kevin Rizzo | April 20, 2015

The Springfield, Illinois metro area is the number one most dangerous metro in the Midwest. According to the latest crime data from the FBI, which covers calendar year 2013, the Springfield metro had a rate of 768 violent crimes per 100,000 people. On the other end of the spectrum, the Wausau, Wisconsin metro is the safest in the Midwest with 93 violent crimes per 100,000 people. Of all violent crime across the nation 19.4 percent occurred in the Midwest, which is home to 21.4 percent of the nation’s population. The rankings below detail the violent crime rate for cities and their surrounding metropolitan area across the Midwest. Check out the rankings below to see the Top 10 Safest and Top 10 Most Dangerous metro areas across the South. All rates below are calculated per 100,000 people. Click here to read more information about Metropolitan Statistical Areas and these rankings.

READ MORE: 2015 CRIME RANKINGS FOR THE NORTHEAST, THE SOUTH, AND THE WEST

READ MORE: SLIDESHOW: TOP 15 MOST DANGEROUS METROS IN THE UNITED STATES

READ MORE: CRIME MAP OF THE UNITED STATES

---

TOP 10 MOST DANGEROUS METROS IN THE MIDWEST

#1 Springfield, IL Metro Area

 

Overall Rank: #7
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 768
– Murder: 17
– Rape: 74
– Robbery: 165
– Aggravated Assault: 512
Population: 212,387

 

The Springfield, IL metro area includes: Menard and Sangamon counties in Illinois, as well as the city of Springfield.

---

#2 Saginaw, MI Metro Area

Overall Rank: #8
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 752
– Murder: 19
– Rape: 75
– Robbery: 96
– Aggravated Assault: 562
Population: 198,026

 

 

The Saginaw, MI metro area includes: Saginaw County, Michigan as well as the city of Saginaw.

---

#3 Flint, MI Metro Area

Overall Rank: #10
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 721
– Murder: 14
– Rape: 82
– Robbery: 168
– Aggravated Assault: 458
Population: 416,606

 

 

The Flint, MI metro area includes: Genesee County, Michigan as well as the city of Flint.

Flint, Michigan missed this year’s rankings, but was ranked the #1 most dangerous city with a population under 200,000 last year.

---

#4 Rockford, IL Metro Area

Overall Rank: #12
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 711
– Murder: 8
– Rape: 58
– Robbery: 133
– Aggravated Assault: 513
Population: 344,806

 

The Rockford, IL metro area includes: Boone and Winnebago counties in Illinois, as well as the city of Rockford.

Rockford, Illinois is ranked the #2 most dangerous city with a population under 200,00 in 2015.

---

#5 Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI Metro Area

Overall Rank: #27
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 587
– Murder: 7
– Rape: 34
– Robbery: 235
– Aggravated Assault: 311
Population: 1,571,468

 

The Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI metro area includes: Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha counties in Wisconsin, as well as the cities of Milwaukee, Waukesha, and West Allis.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin is ranked the #7 most dangerous city with a population over 200,000 in 2015.

---

#6 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI Metro Area

Overall Rank: #34
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 570
– Murder: 10
– Rape: 50
– Robbery: 164
– Aggravated Assault: 346
Population: 4,296,628

 

The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area includes: the Metropolitan Divisions of Detroit-Dearborn-Livonia and Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills in Michigan, as well as the cities of Detroit, Warren, Dearborn, Livonia, Troy, Farmington Hills, Southfield, Taylor, and Novi.

Detroit, Michigan is ranked the #1 most dangerous city with a population over 200,000 in 2015.

---

#7 Wichita, KS Metro Area

Overall Rank: #35
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 568
– Murder: 4
– Rape: 52
– Robbery: 78
– Aggravated Assault: 434
Population: 637,215

 

The Wichita, KS metro area includes: Butler, Harvey, Kingman, Sedgwick, and Sumner counties in Kansas, as well as the city of Wichita.

---

#8 Springfield, MO Metro Area

Overall Rank: #46
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 533
– Murder: 3
– Rape: 76
– Robbery: 95
– Aggravated Assault: 359
Population: 448,011

 

The Springfield, MO metro area includes: Christian, Dallas, Greene, Polk, and Webster counties in Missouri, as well as the city of Springfield.

Springfield, Missouri is ranked the #5 most dangerous city with a population under 200,000 in 2015.

---

#9 Toledo, OH Metro Area

Overall Rank: #49
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 530
– Murder: 5
– Rape: 34
– Robbery: 173
– Aggravated Assault: 318
Population: 609,674

 

 

The Toledo, OH metro area includes: Fulton, Lucas, and Wood counties in Ohio, as well as the city of Toledo.

---

#10 Cape Girardeau, MO-IL Metro Area

Overall Rank: #66
Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 490
– Murder: 7
– Rape: 24
– Robbery: 103
– Aggravated Assault: 357
Population: 97,510

 

 

The Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area includes: Alexander County in Illinois; and Bollinger and Cape Girardeau counties in Missouri, as well as the city of Cape Girardeau.

---

---

 TOP 10 SAFEST METROS IN THE MIDWEST

#1 Wausau, WI Metro Area

Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 93
– Murder: 2
– Rape: 13
– Robbery: 13
– Aggravated Assault: 66
Population: 135,041

 

 

The Wausau, WI metro area includes: Marathon County, Wisconsin as well as the city of Wausau.

---

#2 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN Metro Area

Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 123
– Murder: 2
– Rape: 19
– Robbery: 21
– Aggravated Assault: 81
Population: 135,914

 

 

The La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN metro area includes: Houston County, Minnesota; and La Crosse County, Wisconsin, as well as the cities of La Crosse and Onalaska.

---

#3 Appleton, WI Metro Area

Rates/100,00 people
– Violent Crime: 124
– Murder: 0.4
– Rape: 17
– Robbery: 8
– Aggravated Assault: 99
Population: 229,465

 

 

The Appleton, WI metro area includes: Calumet and Outagamie counties in Wisconsin, as well as the city of Appleton.

---

#4 Eau Claire, WI Metro Area

Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 125
– Murder: 1
– Rape: 21
– Robbery: 14
– Aggravated Assault: 89
Population: 164,463

 

 

The Eau Claire, WI metro area includes: Chippewa and Eau Claire counties in Wisconsin, as well as the city of Eau Claire.

---

#5 Sheboygan, WI Metro Area

Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 142
– Murder: 0.9
– Rape: 24
– Robbery: 17
– Aggravated Assault: 101
Population: 114,951

 

 

The Sheboygan, WI metro area includes: Sheboygan County, Wisconsin as well as the city of Sheboygan.

---

#6 Rochester, MN Metro Area

Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 142
– Murder: 0
– Rape: 31
– Robbery: 27
– Aggravated Assault: 85
Population: 211,141

 

 

The Rochester, MN metro area includes: Dodge, Fillmore, Olmsted, and Wabasha counties in Wisconsin, as well as the city of Rochester.

---

#7 Ames, IA Metro Area

Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime:152
– Murder: 0
– Rape: 52
– Robbery: 16
– Aggravated Assault: 84
Population: 91,897

 

 

The Ames, IA metro area includes: Story County, Iowa as well as the city of Ames.

---

#8 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI Metro Area

Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 159
– Murder: 0
– Rape: 12
– Robbery: 17
– Aggravated Assault: 130
Population: 169,484

 

 

The Oshkosh-Neenah, WI metro area includes: Winnebago County, Wisconsin, as well as the cities of Oshkosh and Neenah.

---

#9 Dubuque, IA Metro Area

Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 160
– Murder: 0
– Rape: 17
– Robbery: 39
– Aggravated Assault: 104
Population: 95,753

 

 

The Dubuque, IA metro area includes: Dubuque County, Iowa as well as the city of Dubuque.

---

#10 St. Cloud, MN Metro Area

Rates/100,000 people
– Violent Crime: 168
– Murder: 1
– Rape: 47
– Robbery: 26
– Aggravated Assault: 95
Population: 191,531

 

 

The St. Cloud, MN metro area includes: Benton and Stearns counties in Minnesota, as well as the city of St. Cloud.

---

The Office of Management and Budget began delineating Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in the 1950s in order to provide an established level of analysis for government reports and statistics. MSAs are characterized as having an urban core with more than 50,000 people and surrounding areas that have close social and economic integration. The FBI does not provide data on all of the 388 MSAs defined by the Office of Management and Budget. Click here to see the FBI’s explanation for why all MSAs are not included. MSAs are organized by counties or their equivalent. All statistics in Law Street’s Crime in America metro rankings are presented as rates per 100,000 people, and they are taken from the FBI’s annual Crime in the United States publication section on metropolitan statistical areas. To see the FBI’s data click here.

—

Research and analysis by Law Street’s Crime in America Team: Kevin Rizzo, Alexis Evans, Chelsey Goff, Anneliese Mahoney.

CLICK HERE TO SEE FULL CRIME IN AMERICA 2015 COVERAGE, INCLUDING THE SAFEST & MOST DANGEROUS CITIES AND STATES.