Rockford, Illinois, is the most dangerous city in the U.S. with a population between 100,000-200,000 people, displacing Little Rock, Arkansas, which now ranks as #2. Tallahassee, Florida moved onto the list at #8 after just missing the cut at #12 last year; Odessa, Texas also moved from #11 to #9. Many of the rest of the positions held steady and only saw small increases or decreases in their violent crime rates.

All statistics are based on 2015 data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report. Check out the slideshow below for the Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities Under 200,000.

Click here for the Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities Over 200,000

Click here for the Top 10 Safest Cities Over 200,000

#1 Rockford, Illinois

Image courtesy of Alexbaumgarner via Wikimedia Commons

Rockford, Illinois has displaced Little Rock, Arkansas, as the most dangerous city with a population between 100,000-200,000 people. Rockford saw a 28 percent increase in its violent crime rate last year, after a 10 percent decrease the year before. However, Rockford’s murder rate only increased slightly, from 11 per 100,000 people in 2014 to 13 per 100,000 people in 2015. The most dramatic jumps came from increases in the numbers of robbery and aggravated assault, rising by 22 percent and 30 percent respectively.

Violent Crime Rate:  1,585/100,000 people
Murder Rate: 13/100,000 people
Population: 148,178
Officer to Population Ratio: 1:529
Rank Last Year: #2

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

Click here for additional information on Law Street’s crime-ranking methodology.

Source:

FBI: Violent crime, population, murder, and officer statistics, measured January – December 2015.

Editor’s Note: This post was updated to remedy a spelling issue. 

Kevin Rizzo

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.

The post Crime in America 2017: Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities Under 200,000 appeared first on Law Street.

St. Louis, Missouri moved from #4 to #1 this year on Law Street’s list of Dangerous Cities Over 200,000 after its violent crime rate rose by more than 8 percent. As violent crime increased nationally by nearly 4 percent, many cities in the top 10 saw substantial increases. Detroit is #2 on this year’s list, moving down after three consecutive years at the top of the list due to an 11.5 percent decrease in its overall violent crime rate. Notably missing from this year’s list is Cleveland, Ohio, which had ranked #8 on last year’s list. The FBI did not provide information for Cleveland this year, and therefore the city cannot be ranked.

All statistics are based on 2015 data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report. Check out the slideshow below for the Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities Over 200,000.

CLICK HERE FOR THE TOP 10 MOST DANGEROUS CITIES UNDER 200,000

CLICK HERE FOR THE TOP 10 SAFEST CITIES OVER 200,000

#1  St. Louis, Missouri

Image courtesy of Kevin McCoy via Wikimedia Commons

A significant violent crime spike in St. Louis, Missouri put the city at the top of Law Street’s list of the Most Dangerous Cities Over 200,000. The violent crime rate in St. Louis went up by more than 8 percent in 2015, going from 1,679 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2014 to 1,817 per 100,000 last year. That increase moved the city up from the #4 spot in last year’s rankings. St. Louis also saw 29 additional murders in 2015, going from 159 in 2014 to 188 in 2015. The city had a murder rate of 59 murders per 100,000 in 2015. Additionally, the number of robberies and aggravated assaults both experienced notable increases last year, going up 15 percent and 5 percent respectively.

Violent Crime Rate:  1,817/100,000 people
Murder Rate: 59/100,000 people
Population: 317,095
Officer to Population Ratio: 1:258
Rank Last Year: #4

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

Click here for additional information on Law Street’s crime-ranking methodology.

Source:

FBI: Violent crime, population, murder, and officer statistics, measured January – December 2015.

Kevin Rizzo

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.

The post Crime in America 2017: Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities Over 200,000 appeared first on Law Street.

Law Street’s annual Crime in America Rankings take an in-depth look at crime rates and important crime statistics for major cities across the country. The following infographic gives a visual summary of the report’s highlights and major findings:

Image copyright Law Street Media

Using statistics from the FBI, Law Street ranked cities, states, and metro areas according to their violent crime rates. Topping the list of most dangerous cities with populations over 200,000 is Detroit, Michigan with 1,989 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. The Memphis-TN metro area is the most dangerous metro and Alaska is the most dangerous state based on their violent crime rates per 100,000 people. The city with the lowest crime rate based on Law Street’s criteria is Irvine, California, which continues its streak at the top of the list of safest cities. Maine has the lowest crime rate out of all 50 states.

Read More: Crime in America 2016

One of the more interesting findings of Law Street’s reporting is the wide range in the number of police officers relative to the number of city residents, which Law Street termed the officer to population ratio. Among cities with populations greater than 200,000, Washington, D.C. has the most sworn officers relative to its population size. On the other end of the spectrum is Santa Ana, California, which has just one police officer for every 1,274 residents. When taking a closer look at the rankings, many of the cities with fewer police officers relative to their size are also some of the safest cities in the country while some of the most dangerous cities have notably high ratios.

There are some important exceptions to those trends. For example, Stockton, California has one police officer for every 807 citizens, which is notably higher than other cities on the Most Dangerous Cities list. Stockton ranks in the top 20 in terms of its officer to population ratio but makes the top 10 list of dangerous cities. A likely explanation for this case is the fact that Stockton recently went through bankruptcy, which caused cutbacks in many government offices. This case may be an example of an understaffed and underresourced police department that, among other things, contributes to an above average crime rate.

Law Street’s analysis of the FBI’s half year data for 2015 shows how crime rates changed from January to June compared the year prior. The graph at the bottom of the infographic depicts the changes among the most dangerous cities over 200,000. While Detroit, Michigan experienced a notable decrease in its violent crime rate, St. Louis saw its rate increase by nearly 23 percent in the first half of 2015.

For an even more in-depth look at Law Street’s crime coverage check out Crime in America 2016.

Kevin Rizzo

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.

The post Infographic: Visualizing Crime in America 2016 appeared first on Law Street.

Crime across the United States has generally trended down over the years despite what you may gather every time you turn on the evening news. Not sure how your home compares? Check out the interactive crime map below, which details the latest violent crime statistics from the FBI by metro area. The darker the red, the higher the violent crime rate. All rates below are calculated per 100,000 people.

Zoom in by double-clicking on the map and click the home button on the top left to reset the view. Searching for a specific location will automatically zoom-in to that metro area. Click here to read more information about Metropolitan Statistical Areas and these rankings.

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

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

If you are on mobile, view in landscape mode for best results. If you are having trouble viewing the map click here.

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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.

Kevin Rizzo

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.

The post Crime in America 2016: Interactive Crime Map of U.S. Metro Areas appeared first on Law Street.

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

Click to enlarge.

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

Click to enlarge.

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

Click to enlarge.

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

Click to enlarge.

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

Click to enlarge.

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

Click to enlarge.

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

Click to enlarge.

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

Click to enlarge.

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

Click to enlarge.

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

Click to enlarge.

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

Click to enlarge.

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

Click to enlarge.

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

Click to enlarge.

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

Click to enlarge.

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

Click to enlarge.

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

Click to enlarge.

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

Click to enlarge.

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

Click to enlarge.

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

Click to enlarge.

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

Click to enlarge.

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.

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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

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.

The post Crime in America 2016: Safest & Most Dangerous Metros in the Northeast appeared first on Law Street.

The Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area tops the list of the most dangerous metro area in the South for the second year in a row. Memphis is also the most dangerous metro area overall according to its violent crime rate per 100,000 people, which in 2014 was 1,034. In contrast, the Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY metro area is the safest metro in the South for a second year with a violent crime rate of just 92 per 100,000 people. In 2014, the South had about 38 percent of the U.S. population, but 42 percent of the nation’s violent crime. All of the data comes from the FBI’s Crime in America publication, which details crime statistics for the 2014 calendar year.

Check out the rankings below to see the Top 10 Safest and Top 10 Most Dangerous metros in 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: Crime Rankings for the Midwest, Northeast, 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 South

#1 Memphis, TN-MS-AR Metro Area

Click to enlarge

Overall Rank: #1
Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 1,034
– Murder: 13
– Rape: 51
– Robbery: 270 
– Aggravated Assault: 699
Population: 1,348,092

The Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area includes Crittenden County, AR; Benton, DeSoto, Marshall, Tate, and Tunica Counties, MS; and Fayette, Shelby, and Tipton Counties, TN as well as the city of Memphis, TN.

#2 Alexandria, LA

Click to enlarge.

Overall Rank: #3
Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 812
– Murder: 7
– Rape: 31
– Robbery: 126
– Aggravated Assault: 648
Population: 155,023

The Alexandria, LA metro area includes Grant and Rapides Parishes as well as the city of Alexandria.

#3 Hammond, LA

Click to enlarge.

Overall Rank: #5
Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 761
– Murder: 8
– Rape: 41
– Robbery: 97
– Aggravated Assault: 615
Population: 126,481

The Hammond, LA metro area includes Tangipahoa Parish and the city of Hammond.

#4 Jackson, TN

Click to enlarge.

Overall Rank: #6
Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 756
– Murder: 9
– Rape: 34
– Robbery: 113
– Aggravated Assault: 600
Population: 131,143

The Jackson, TN metro area includes Chester, Crockett, and Madison Counties as well as the city of Jackson.

#5 Lubbock, TX

Click to enlarge.

Overall Rank: #10
Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 738
– Murder: 5
– Rape: 52
– Robbery: 113
– Aggravated Assault: 568
Population: 305,514

The Lubbock, TX metro area includes Crosby, Lubbock, and Lynn Counties as well as the city of Lubbock.

#6 Lawton, OK

Click to enlarge.

Overall Rank: #12
Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 705
– Murder: 8
– Rape: 62
– Robbery: 150
– Aggravated Assault: 484
Population: 131,086

The Lawton, OK metro area includes Comanche and Cotton Counties as well as the city of Lawton.

#7 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR

Click to enlarge.

Overall Rank: #13
Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 696
– Murder: 8
– Rape: 50
– Robbery: 140
– Aggravated Assault: 499
Population: 729,360

The Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR metro area includes Faulkner, Grant, Lonoke, Perry, Pulaski, and Saline Counties as well as the city of Little Rock, the city of North Little Rock, and the city of Conway.

#8 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL

Click to enlarge.

Overall Rank: #14
Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 685.45
– Murder: 7
– Rape: 63
– Robbery: 154
– Aggravated Assault: 462
Population: 2,319,802

The Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL metro area includes Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole Counties as well as the city of Orlando, the city of Kissimmee, and the city of Sanford.

#9 Pine Bluff, AR

Click to enlarge.

Overall Rank: #15
Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 685.37
– Murder: 18
– Rape: 63
– Robbery: 150
– Aggravated Assault: 454
Population: 94,694

The Pine Bluff, AR metro area includes Cleveland, Jefferson, and Lincoln Counties as well as the city of Pine Bluff.

#10 Tallahassee, FL

Click to enlarge.

Overall Rank: #16
Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 679
– Murder: 5
– Rape: 70
– Robbery: 94
– Aggravated Assault: 510
Population: 377,234

The Tallahassee, FL metro area includes the Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, and Wakulla Counties as well as the city of Tallahassee.

Top 10 Safest Metros in the South

#1 Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY

Click to enlarge.

Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 92
– Murder: 0.7
– Rape: 28
– Robbery: 17
– Aggravated Assault: 47
Population: 152,068

The Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, KY metro area includes Hardin, Larue, and Meade Counties as well as the city of Elizabethtown.

#2 Owensboro, KY

Click to enlarge.

Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 128
– Murder: 0
– Rape: 29
– Robbery: 36
– Aggravated Assault: 63
Population: 116,963

The Owensboro, KY metro area includes Daviess, Hancock, and McLean Counties as well as the city of Owensboro.

#3 Harrisonburg, VA

Click to enlarge.

Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 141
– Murder: 2
– Rape: 32
– Robbery: 13
– Aggravated Assault: 93
Population: 130,160

The Harrisonburg, VA metro area includes Rockingham County and the city of Harrisburg.

#4 Staunton-Waynesboro, VA

Click to enlarge.

Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 148
– Murder: 5
– Rape: 28
– Robbery: 21
– Aggravated Assault: 93
Population: 119,879

The Staunton-Waynesboro, VA metro area includes Augusta County as well as the city of Staunton and the city of Waynesboro.

#5 Bowling Green, KY

Click to enlarge.

Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 157
– Murder: 0.6
– Rape: 38
– Robbery: 44
– Aggravated Assault: 74
Population: 164,892

The Bowling Green, KY metro area includes Allen, Butler, Edmonson, and Warren Counties as well as the city of Bowling Green.

#6 Charlottesville, VA

Click to enlarge.

Rates/100,000 people: 
– Violent Crime: 162
– Murder: 4
– Rape: 27
– Robbery: 26
– Aggravated Assault: 106
Population: 225,461

The Charlottesville, VA metro area includes Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, and Nelson Counties as well as the city of Charlottesville.

#7 Decatur, AL

Click to enlarge.

Rates/100,000 people: 
– Violent Crime: 167
– Murder: 1
– Rape: 24
– Robbery: 27
– Aggravated Assault: 114
Population: 153,346

The Decatur, AL metro area includes Lawrence and Morgan Counties as well as the city of Decatur.

#8 Winchester, VA-WV

Click to enlarge.

Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 176
– Murder: 2
– Rape: 57
– Robbery: 27
– Aggravated Assault: 90
Population: 132,823

The Winchester, VA-WV metro area includes Frederick County and Winchester City, VA and Hampshire County, WV as well as the city of Winchester, VA.

#9 Gainesville, GA

Click to enlarge.

Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 177
– Murder: 4
– Rape: 16
– Robbery: 38
– Aggravated Assault: 118
Population: 190,345

The Gainesville, GA metro area includes Hall County as well as the city of Gainesville.

#10 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV

Click to enlarge.

Rates/100,000 people: 
– Violent Crime: 182
– Murder: 1
– Rape: 26
– Robbery: 8
– Aggravated Assault: 148
Population: 92,202

The Parkersburg-Vienna, WV metro area includes Wirt and Wood counties as well as the city of Parkersburg and the city of Vienna.

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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.

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

Kevin Rizzo

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.

The post Crime in America 2016: Safest & Most Dangerous Metros in the South appeared first on Law Street.

The Anchorage, AK metro area is the number one most dangerous metro in the West for the second year in a row as well as the number two most dangerous metro area overall. According to the most recent FBI data, which covers the full 2014 calendar year, Anchorage had 844 violent crimes per 100,000 people, an increase of over 6 percent from the previous year. California had four of the top 10 most dangerous metro areas while Oregon had three of the top 10 safest metros. In total, the West had roughly 23 percent of the U.S. population in 2014 as well as about 23 percent of the total violent crime.

Check out the rankings below to see the Top 10 Safest and Top 10 Most Dangerous metro areas across the West. 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, Northeast, and South

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 West

#1 Anchorage, AK

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Overall Rank: #2
Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 844
– Murder: 4
– Rape: 127
– Robbery: 159
– Aggravated Assault: 554
Population: 316,696

The Anchorage, AK metro area includes the Anchorage Municipality, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, and the city of Anchorage.

#2 Stockton-Lodi, CA

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Overall Rank: #7
Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 750
– Murder: 9
– Rape: 25
– Robbery: 209
– Aggravated Assault: 508
Population: 712,619

The Stockton-Lodi, CA metro area includes San Joaquin County as well as the city of Stockton and the City of Lodi.

#3 Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV

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Overall Rank: #8
Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 743
– Murder: 7
– Rape: 48
– Robbery: 268
– Aggravated Assault: 420
Population: 2,066,423

The Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV metro area includes Clark County, the city of Las Vegas, and the city of Henderson.

#4 Albuquerque, NM

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Overall Rank: #9
Rates/100,000 people:
– Violent Crime: 740
– Murder: 5
– Rape: 54
– Robbery: 171
– Aggravated Assault: 510
Population: 903,982

The Albuquerque, NM metro area includes Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia counties, as well as the city of Albuquerque.

#5 Redding, CA

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Overall Rank: # 11
Rates/100,000 people: 
– Violent Crime: 707
– Murder: 4
– Rape: 62
– Robbery: 95
– Aggravated Assault: 546
Population: 180,406

The Redding, CA metro area includes Shasta County and the city of Redding.

#6 Fairbanks, AK*

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Overall Rank: #23
Rates/100,000 people: 
– Violent Crime: 648
– Murder: 12
– Rape: 110
– Robbery: 158
– Aggravated Assault: 369
Population: 34,712

The Fairbanks, AL metro area includes the Fairbanks, North Star Borough and the City of Fairbanks.

*A large portion of the North Star Borough is policed by Alaskan State Troopers, which report their data as one agency. As a result, data is only available for a portion of the Fairbanks metropolitan area.

#7 Madera, CA

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Overall Rank: #34
Rates/100,000 people: 
– Violent Crime: 578
– Murder: 6
– Rape: 25
– Robbery: 65 
– Aggravated Assault: 483
Population: 153,544

The Madera, CA metro area includes Madera County and the city of Madera.

#8 Pueblo, CO

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Overall Rank: #36
Rates/100,000 people: 
– Violent Crime: 575
– Murder: 6
– Rape: 96
– Robbery: 116
– Aggravated Assault: 357
Population: 162,854

The Pueblo, CO metro area includes Pueblo County and the city of Pueblo.

#9 Merced, CA

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Overall Rank: #42
Rates/100,000 people: 
– Violent Crime: 558
– Murder: 11
– Rape: 16
– Robbery: 91
– Aggravated Assault: 440
Population: 266,350

The Merced, CA metro area includes Merced County and the city of Merced.

#10 Farmington, NM

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Overall Rank: #46
Rates/100,000 people: 
– Violent Crime: 535
– Murder: 4
– Rape: 81
– Robbery: 46 
– Aggravated Assault: 405
Population: 125,309

The Farmington, NM metro area includes San Juan County and the city of Farmington.

Top 10 Safest Metros in the West

#1 Albany, OR

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Rates/100,000 people: 
– Violent Crime: 98
– Murder: 3
– Rape: 15
– Robbery: 32 
– Aggravated Assault: 48
Population: 119,734

The Albany, OR metro area includes Linn County and the city of Albany.

#2 Wenatchee, WA

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Rates/100,000 people: 
– Violent Crime: 117
– Murder: 0
– Rape: 22
– Robbery: 19 
– Aggravated Assault:  76
Population: 114,491

The Wenatchee, WA metro area includes Chelan and Douglas Counties as well as the city of Wenatchee.

#3 Corvallis, OR

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Rates/100,000 people: 120
– Violent Crime: 120
– Murder: 0
– Rape: 25
– Robbery: 18
– Aggravated Assault: 77
Population: 87,222

The Corvallis, OR metro area includes Benton County and the city of Corvallis.

#4 St. George, UT

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Rates/100,000 people: 
– Violent Crime: 135
– Murder: 1
– Rape: 33
– Robbery: 19
– Aggravated Assault: 81
Population: 150,723

The St. George, UT metro area includes Washington County and the city of St. George.

#5 Idaho Falls, ID

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Rates/100,000 people: 
– Violent Crime: 155
– Murder: 0
– Rape: 35
– Robbery: 7
– Aggravated Assault: 114
Population: 138,893

The Idaho Falls, ID metro area includes Bonneville, Butte, and Jefferson Counties as well as the city of Idaho Falls.

#6 Ogden-Clearfield, UT

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Rates/100,000 people: 
– Violent Crime: 155
– Murder: 2
– Rape: 50
– Robbery: 25
– Aggravated Assault: 78
Population: 629,218

The Ogden-Clearfield, UT metro area includes Box Elder, Davis, Morgan, and Weber Counties as well as the city of Ogden and the city of Clearfield.

#7 Cheyenne, WY

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Rates/100,000 people: 
– Violent Crime: 160
– Murder: 3
– Rape: 19
– Robbery: 18
– Aggravated Assault: 121
Population: 96,236

The Cheyenne, WY metro area includes Laramie County and the city of Cheyenne.

#8 Bend-Redmond, OR

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Rates/100,000 people: 
– Violent Crime: 168
– Murder: 0
– Rape: 30
– Robbery: 30
– Aggravated Assault: 109
Population: 168,749

The Bend-Redmond, OR metro area includes Deschutes County, the city of Bend, and the city of Redmond.

#9 Casper, WY

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Rates/100,000 people: 
– Violent Crime: 184
– Murder: 4
– Rape: 23
– Robbery: 16
– Aggravated Assault: 142
Population: 81,960

The Casper, WY metro area includes Natrona County and the City of Casper.

#10 Lewiston, ID-WA

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Rates/100,000 people: 
– Violent Crime: 188
– Murder: 5
– Rape: 26
– Robbery: 22
– Aggravated Assault: 136
Population: 62,666

The Lewiston, ID-WA metro area includes Nez Perce County, ID and Asotin County, WA as well as the city of Lewiston, ID.

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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

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.

The post Crime in America 2016: Safest & Most Dangerous Metros in the West appeared first on Law Street.