Crime in America 2016: Safest & Most Dangerous Metros in the Northeast

The Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ metro area is the number one most dangerous metro in the Northeast United States for the second year in a row. According to the latest crime data from the FBI, which covers the 2014 calendar year, the Vineland-Bridgeton metro had a violent crime rate of 511 per 100,000 people. The Bangor, ME metro area also retains its spot atop the top 10 safest northeast metro areas with only 77 violent crimes per 100,000 people. While the Northeast is home to about 18 percent of the U.S. population, it had just 15 percent of the nation’s total violent crime last year.

Check out the rankings below to see the Top 10 Safest and Top 10 Most Dangerous metro areas across the Northeast. All rates below are calculated per 100,000 people. Click here to read more information about Metropolitan Statistical Areas and these rankings.

Read More: Crime Rankings for the Midwest, South, and West
Read More: Slideshow: Top 15 Most Dangerous Metros in the United States
Read More: Interactive Crime Map of the United States

Top 10 Most Dangerous Metros in the Northeast

#1 Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ

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Overall Rank: #54
Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 511
– Murder: 11
– Rape: 29
– Robbery: 211
– Aggravated Assault: 261
Population: 157,616

 

 

The Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ metro area includes Cumberland County as well as the city of Vineland and the city of Bridgeton.


#2 Springfield, MA

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Overall Rank: #56
Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 507
– Murder: 3
– Rape: 51
– Robbery:  136
– Aggravated Assault: 318
Population: 629,676

 

 

The Springfield, MA metro area includes Hampden and Hampshire Counties as well as the city of Springfield.


#3 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

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Overall Rank: #75
Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 460
– Murder: 7
– Rape: 34
– Robbery:  180
– Aggravated Assault: 239
Population: 6,054,007

 

 

The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro includes the Metropolitan Divisions of Camden, NJ; Montgomery County-Bucks County-Chester County, PA; Philadelphia, PA; and Wilmington, DE-MD-NJ as well as the city of Philadelphia, PA and the City of Wilmington, DE.


#4 Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY

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Overall Rank: #85
Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 436
– Murder: 6
– Rape: 31
– Robbery:  156
– Aggravated Assault: 243
Population: 1,135,581

 

 

The Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY metro area includes Erie and Niagara Counties as well as the city of Cheektowaga Town and the city of Niagara Falls.


#5 Barnstable Town, MA

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Overall Rank: #91
Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 426
– Murder: 1
– Rape: 40
– Robbery:  32
– Aggravated Assault: 352
Population: 215,384

 

 

The Barnstable Town, MA metro area includes Barnstable County and the city of Barnstable.


#6 Worcester, MA-CT

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Overall Rank: #97
Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 421
– Murder: 0.9
– Rape: 25
– Robbery:  74
– Aggravated Assault: 321
Population: 856,152

 

 

The Worcester, MA-CT metro area includes Windham County, CT and Worcester County MA as well as the city of Worcester, MA.


#7 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ

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Overall Rank: #123
Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 384
– Murder: 6
– Rape: 20
– Robbery:  177
– Aggravated Assault: 181
Population: 276,587

 

 

The Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ metro area includes Atlantic County as well as Atlantic City and the city of Hammonton.


#8 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA

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Overall Rank: #133
Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 371
– Murder: 3
– Rape: 17
– Robbery:  135
– Aggravated Assault: 216
Population: 20,070,688

 

 

Includes the Metropolitan Divisions of Dutchess County-Putnam County, NY; Nassau County-Suffolk County, NY; Newark, NJ-PA; and New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ as well as New York, NY; Newark, NJ; Jersey City, NJ; White Plains, NY; the city of New Brunswick, NJ; and Lakewood Township, NJ.


#9 Trenton, NJ

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Overall Rank: #151
Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 347
– Murder: 9
– Rape: 11
– Robbery:  150
– Aggravated Assault: 177
Population: 371,608

 

 

The Trenton, NJ metro area includes Mercer county and the city of Trenton.


#10 Norwich-New London, CT

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Overall Rank: #159
Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 340
– Murder: 0
– Rape: 45
– Robbery:  62
– Aggravated Assault: 232
Population:  146,061

 

 

The Norwich-New London, CT metro area includes New London County, the city of Norwich and the city of New London.



Top 10 Safest Most Dangerous Metros in the Northeast

#1 Bangor, ME

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Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 77
– Murder: 3
– Rape: 12
– Robbery:  23
– Aggravated Assault: 40
Population: 153,425

 

 

 

The Bangor, ME metro area includes Penobscot County and the city of Bangor.


#2 State College, PA

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Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 82
– Murder: 0
– Rape: 25
– Robbery:  8
– Aggravated Assault: 49
Population: 155,684

 

 

 

The State College, PA metro area includes Centre County and the city of State College.


#3 Gettysburg, PA

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Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 102
– Murder: 0
– Rape: 20
– Robbery:  10
– Aggravated Assault: 73
Population: 101,545

 

 

 

The Gettysburg, PA metro area includes Adams County and the city of Gettysburgh.


#4 Glens Falls, NY

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Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 111
– Murder: 0
– Rape: 47
– Robbery:  8
– Aggravated Assault: 57
Population: 128,487

 

 

The Glens Falls, NY metro area includes Warren and Washington Counties as well as the city of Glens Falls.


#5 Portland-South Portland, ME

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Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 128
– Murder: 1
– Rape: 26
– Robbery:  27
– Aggravated Assault: 73
Population: 522,033

 

 

 

The Portland-South Portland, ME metro area includes Cumberland, Sagadahoc, and York Counties as well as the city of Portland and the city of South Portland.


#6 Lewiston-Auburn, ME

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Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 142
– Murder: 2
– Rape: 42
– Robbery:  38
– Aggravated Assault: 60
Population: 107,711

 

 

 

The Lewiston-Auburn, ME metro area includes Androscoggin County as well as the city of Lewiston and the city of Auburn.


#7 Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA

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Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 149
– Murder: 3
– Rape: 27
– Robbery:  40
– Aggravated Assault: 79
Population: 152,602

 

 

The Chambersburg-Waynesboro, PA metro area includes Franklin County as well as the city of Chambersburg and the city of Waynesboro.


#8 Lebanon, PA

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Rates/100,000 people: 154
– Violent Crime: 154
– Murder: 5
– Rape: 21
– Robbery:  34
– Aggravated Assault: 94
Population: 135,898

 

 

 

The Lebanon, PA metro area includes Lebanon County and the city of Lebanon.


#9 Lancaster, PA

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Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 165.1
– Murder: 2
– Rape: 38
– Robbery:  51
– Aggravated Assault: 74
Population: 531,837

 

 

 

The Lancaster, PA metro area includes Lancaster County and the city of Lancaster.


#10 Johnstown, PA

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Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 165.3
– Murder: 5
– Rape: 10
– Robbery:  35
– Aggravated Assault: 115
Population: 139,742

 

 

 

The Johnstown, PA metro area includes Cambria County and the city of Johnstown.


More info on metro areas:

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.

Click here to see full Crime in America 2016 Coverage, including the Safest & Most Dangerous Cities and States.

Kevin Rizzo is the Crime in America Editor at Law Street Media. An Ohio Native, the George Washington University graduate is a founding member of the company. Contact Kevin at krizzo@LawStreetMedia.com.