9. Albuquerque, New Mexico
Population: 561,375
Violent Crime rate (per 100,000): 1,369.14
This most un-spellable of American cities was named after the Spanish Duke of Albuquerque -- hence the nickname 'Duke City'. Albuquerque is at one of the highest elevations of any city in the U.S. (4,900-6,700 feet above sea level).
Sadly, its rates of robbery, aggravated assault, and sexual assault are also high, which is why it ranks so highly on this list.
Photo by Andreas Dress on Unsplash Albuquerque, New Mexico
8. Stockton, California
Population: 309,566
Violent Crime rate (per 100,000): 1,414.56
Stockton is the capital of the San Joaquin farming region of the Central Valley of California. It is also surrounded by deltas and waterways, making it one of California's major inland ports.
The reason Stockton features so prominently on this list is its very high rate of aggravated assaults (956.82 per 100,000), which is nearly triple the rate of robberies.
LPS.1/Wikimedia Downtown Stockton, California
7. Cleveland, Ohio
Population: 385,351
Violent Crime rate (per 100,000): 1,556.76
Once a great manufacturing city, Cleveland was hit hard by deindustrialization. However, things have turned around appreciably, and times are not as hard here as they once seemed. The city's most famous attraction, of course, is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Although the city does have a moderate murder rate, it owes its high ranking to appalling rates of other serious crimes: sexual assaults (128.97/100,000), robberies (699.88), and aggravated assaults (700.14).
6. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Population: 595,168
Violent Crime rate (per 100,000): 1,597.36
Milwaukee has undergone a mass revitalization scheme in the past couple decades, building up and expanding its public transit and downtown attractions.
Unfortunately, the city has a huge problem with aggravated assaults, clocking in at a rate of 1014.17 per 100,000 residents. That means a random citizen of Milwaukee has a better than 1% chance of being seriously assaulted in a given year.
Seriously, America: what's with the aggravated assaults?!
Image by Milwaukee, Wisconsin
5. Kansas City, Missouri
Population: 484,948
Violent Crime rate (per 100,000): 1,724.31
Confusingly located in Missouri instead of Kansas, Kansas City is the home of the Chiefs. Also a ton of crime, unfortunately. The murder rate is comparable to Detroit, at 30.93/100,000. But (again!) the real difference maker is the aggravated assault rate -- a ludicrous 1218.48.
Image by Kansas City, Missouri
4. Memphis, Tennessee
Population: 652,765
Violent Crime rate (per 100,000): 2,003.32
Memphis is, of course, one of America’s great cities, a hub of music and history. Unfortunately, it has also suffered from a number of serious problems. In 2011, it was named the poorest major city in America. While things aren't quite that dire, the crime remains a concern.
Again, we're forced to confront a tsunami of assaults, 1355.62 per 100,000 residents.
Image by Beale Street in Memphis, one of the most famous streets in America
3. Baltimore, Maryland
Population: 613,217
Violent Crime rate (per 100,000): 2,027.01
This one may not be a surprise to devotees of The Wire, many of whom will know the city by the moniker “Bodymore, Murderland”. But what’s sad is how little seems to have changed; in fact, the violence has worsened considerably in recent years.
The murder rate is 55.77 per 100,000, good for second worst in the U.S. The robbery rate (958.71) is the highest in the nation.
Image by The downtown harbor, Baltimore, Maryland.
2. Detroit, Michigan
Population: 670,792
Violent Crime rate (per 100,000): 2,056.67
Believe it or not, Detroit has actually started to grow again -- though slowly. But nothing can undo the ruination that the past decades have visited on the city that was once (literally) the engine room of American industry.
Although the murder and sexual assault rates are both high, the city would be a low crime environment per capita but for the aggravated assault rate (1519.55). For context, that means you have a 1.5% chance of being assaulted this year if you live in Detroit, the highest probability in America.
Photo by Doug Zuba on Unsplash
1. St. Louis, Missouri
Population: 310,284
Violent Crime rate (per 100,000): 2,082.29
St. Louis is a great city facing serious problems right now. Violent crime in particular is very much on the rise, and St. Louis is, lamentably, the new ‘most dangerous city in America.’ In 2017, there were 205 murders in this city of 300,000, making it comparable to Detroit by raw numbers, even though the latter has a much larger population.
As you might expect, the city has the highest murder rate in the country at 66.07 per 100,000.
Photo by Joshua Ness on Unsplash The Gateway Arch, St. Louis' most famous landmark
