Idaho may have some of the most friendly people, but crime rates are no small potatoes in the Gem State.
You need to know the most dangerous places to live in Idaho before you decide to move. So, we’ve created a list of the most dangerous places in Idaho for 2026.
We used Saturday Night Science to analyze the FBI’s latest crime statistics for every place in Idaho with over 5,000 residents, which left us with 30 cities.
Some of Idaho’s fastest-growing cities have found a spot on the list of the most dangerous places in the state. Law enforcement in towns like Nampa and Caldwell are still trying to figure out how to meet the demands of their growing population.
656 violent crimes /100k · 1,436 property crimes /100k · #1 most violent in Idaho
Located in
Ada County, Idaho
Garden City, Idaho is a small city with a population of around 12,956 residents. Although it is nearly surrounded by the large city of Boise, it remains a separate entity. It is one of the most dangerous cities in the state of Idaho for 2026.
Garden City ranks highest with 85 violent crimes reported in the city. There were also 186 property crimes and 148 cases of larceny. When considering its relatively small population, this makes it one of the more dangerous cities in Idaho.
Garden City is quite small, with just over four square miles of space. It is located along the Boise River and State Highway 44.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
341 violent crimes /100k · 1,587 property crimes /100k · #8 most violent in Idaho
Located in
Power County, Idaho
In many different surveys and reports, Pocatello is recognized as one of the most dangerous cities to live in or visit in the state of Idaho. In the 2024 reporting year, there were 930 cases of property crimes and 697 cases of larceny. This is a huge amount of crime for a town with a population of only 58,618.
Despite its level of property and total crimes, Pocatello continues to be a town that people move to. You can see views of the Rocky Mountains and many residents love to spend time in the outdoors, exploring trails and other recreational activities with friends and family.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
357 violent crimes /100k · 1,209 property crimes /100k · #5 most violent in Idaho
Located in
Bonneville County, Idaho
Idaho Falls has 68,716 residents. That’s the number of people you’d find in a few choice blocks in Manhattan. Yet, for eastern Idaho, that counts as a massive urban center — complete with key cultural highlights, like the Museum of Idaho. You’ll also get a taste of nature with picturesque river walks along the Snake River.
This all comes with a cost, however. If Idaho Falls wants to be the big city in eastern Idaho, it has to deal with big-city problems. Like crime. The city experienced 245 violent crimes last year and suffers the number 6 highest pace of car theft in the state.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
417 violent crimes /100k · 1,126 property crimes /100k · #4 most violent in Idaho
Located in
Twin Falls County, Idaho
Twin Falls, Idaho is the gateway to the fascinating Snake River Canyon. It is a popular tourist spot because of all of the people that want to see the canyon. It also happens to be one of the most dangerous cities in the state.
It ranked fourth highest for violent crimes in our 2026 list. In the year 2024, there were 233 violent crimes, 174 aggravated assaults, and 630 property crimes reported this year. Twin Falls’ large and growing population of 55,932 residents combined with the thousands of seasonal tourists that spend time in the area each year make good targets for criminals.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
265 violent crimes /100k · 2,687 property crimes /100k · #12 most violent in Idaho
Located in
Bannock County, Idaho
Chubbuck is located north of Pocatello, Idaho and is the home to the largest tennis court in East Idaho, known as the Osborn Tennis Complex. What often is overlooked in this small, otherwise peaceful community is the crime rate. The area has a problem specifically with property crimes.
In 2024, the small town of just 16,600 residents reported 391 larceny cases and 446 property crimes. This accounts for a large 2,687/100k. This means that for 2026, Chubbuck ranks highest for property crimes and highest for total crimes committed in 2026. Having additional protections on your car and home would be well worth it if you live in this dangerous city.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
453 violent crimes /100k · 977 property crimes /100k · #3 most violent in Idaho
Located in
Canyon County, Idaho
The College of Idaho is located in Caldwell, making it a bustling college town full of young people and an active community full of restaurants and things to do. Its large and growing population of 71,115 makes it the 4th in population size.
It has been frequently recognized as one of the most dangerous cities in Idaho. Its previous rank was 9th. In 2026, it ranks third highest after it reported 322 violent crimes in 2024. 695 property crimes and 524 larceny cases were also reported.
While it is one of the more dangerous cities in Idaho, Caldwell is not one of the most dangerous cities in the United States.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
294 violent crimes /100k · 1,110 property crimes /100k · #10 most violent in Idaho
641 violent crimes /100k · 750 property crimes /100k · #2 most violent in Idaho
Located in
Minidoka County, Idaho
Rupert is the county seat and largest city of Minidoka County, Idaho, United States. It is part of the Burley Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,554 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
296 violent crimes /100k · 990 property crimes /100k · #9 most violent in Idaho
Located in
Payette County, Idaho
Payette, Idaho has a disproportionate problem with rape. In 2026, it ranks 19th highest for the number of rape cases filed in the state. This translates to 2 cases reported in 2024. While this may not seem like a lot, Payette is a very small town with only 8,790 residents. This might explain why it has a slightly declining population rate.
The area has a general lack of employment, particularly in good paying jobs. There is a large number of minimum wage jobs available, if they haven’t already been filled by other residents. This can be a contributing factor for crime.
It is located about an hour away from Boise.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
191 violent crimes /100k · 1,313 property crimes /100k · #16 most violent in Idaho
Located in
Nez Perce County, Idaho
If you are looking to move to a new city in Idaho, Lewiston might not be the best place to buy or rent a home. While there are many positive things about the city, it is among the most dangerous cities in Idaho in 2026.
In 2024, it had 102 burglary cases and 460 property crimes. This leads to its status as the sixth highest in total crime and the fourth highest in property crime. For a population the size of 35,036, this is an alarming rate of crime for residents to be concerned with protecting themselves from.
Lewiston is a relatively affordable place to live in Idaho.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Idaho’s statewide median.
On the map
Where crime hits hardest in Idaho
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the most dangerous cities in Idaho for 2026?
Every year the FBI release two crime datasets on cities in Idaho. First a preliminary dataset limited to the biggest cities in Idaho, followed by a more detailed release at the end of the year.
For our analysis, we focused on the 2024 data, specifically the 2024 Crime In The United States Report for Idaho.
So what criteria did we use? Have a look:
- Violent Crimes Per Capita
- Property Crimes Per Capita
In order to make the analysis as apples to apples as possible, we only considered Idaho cities over 5,000 in population. That left us with 30 cities in Idaho.
We then ranked each city from 1 to 30 for the two criteria with a #1 ranking being the most dangerous for the particular criteria.
Next, we averaged the two rankings into one “Dangerous Index”.
Finally, we ranked every city on the “Dangerous Index” with the lowest index being the most dangerous in Idaho — Garden City. Any ties went to the smaller city.
This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. It is our eleventh time ranking the most dangerous places to live in Idaho and is updated for 2026.
The full plate
Crime By City In Idaho
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Dangerous Index | Population | Total Crimes Per 100K | Violent Crimes Per 100K | Property Crimes Per 100K | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Garden City | 2.00 | 12,956 | 2,092 | 656 | 1,436 | 0 |
| 2 | Pocatello | 5.00 | 58,618 | 1,928 | 341 | 1,587 | 0 |
| 3 | Idaho Falls | 5.00 | 68,716 | 1,566 | 357 | 1,209 | 3 |
| 4 | Twin Falls | 5.50 | 55,932 | 1,543 | 417 | 1,126 | 3 |
| 5 | Chubbuck | 6.50 | 16,600 | 2,952 | 265 | 2,687 | 0 |
| 6 | Caldwell | 7.50 | 71,115 | 1,430 | 453 | 977 | 1 |
| 7 | Boise | 9.00 | 235,223 | 1,404 | 294 | 1,110 | 3 |
| 8 | Rupert | 9.50 | 6,399 | 1,391 | 641 | 750 | 0 |
| 9 | Payette | 10.00 | 8,790 | 1,286 | 296 | 990 | 0 |
| 10 | Lewiston | 10.00 | 35,036 | 1,504 | 191 | 1,313 | 0 |
| 11 | Rigby | 12.00 | 5,756 | 1,355 | 174 | 1,181 | 0 |
| 12 | Nampa | 12.00 | 118,950 | 1,095 | 353 | 742 | 3 |
| 13 | Blackfoot | 12.50 | 13,196 | 1,197 | 288 | 909 | 0 |
| 14 | Coeur d’Alene | 13.00 | 57,561 | 1,197 | 241 | 956 | 0 |
| 15 | Shelley | 14.50 | 5,305 | 1,093 | 207 | 886 | 0 |
| 16 | Emmett | 17.00 | 8,766 | 753 | 342 | 411 | 0 |
| 17 | Sandpoint | 17.50 | 10,498 | 1,086 | 86 | 1,000 | 0 |
| 18 | Mountain Home | 19.50 | 16,927 | 727 | 201 | 526 | 1 |
| 19 | Moscow | 19.50 | 26,684 | 1,034 | 19 | 1,016 | 0 |
| 20 | Post Falls | 19.50 | 46,835 | 794 | 152 | 643 | 1 |
| 21 | Middleton | 21.00 | 11,550 | 727 | 130 | 597 | 0 |
| 22 | Jerome | 21.00 | 13,399 | 806 | 112 | 694 | 1 |
| 23 | Meridian | 21.00 | 140,353 | 718 | 147 | 571 | 1 |
| 24 | Hailey | 21.50 | 10,039 | 657 | 179 | 478 | 0 |
| 25 | Rathdrum | 21.50 | 12,467 | 914 | 64 | 850 | 0 |
| 26 | Fruitland | 23.50 | 7,157 | 643 | 98 | 545 | 0 |
| 27 | Rexburg | 25.50 | 40,164 | 593 | 70 | 523 | 1 |
| 28 | Weiser | 26.00 | 6,194 | 178 | 129 | 48 | 0 |
| 29 | Preston | 28.00 | 6,282 | 446 | 64 | 382 | 0 |
| 30 | Kimberly | 29.00 | 5,618 | 409 | 53 | 356 | 0 |
Source: FBI UCR 2024. 30 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Locking It All Up In Idaho
So what is the most dangerous city in Idaho? After analyzing 30 cities in Idaho, Garden City takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in Idaho based on the most recently reported FBI data — 2024.
The latest FBI crime data shows that Garden City ranks as the most dangerous city in Idaho for 2026.
The most dangerous cities in Idaho are Garden City, Pocatello, Idaho Falls, Twin Falls, Chubbuck, Caldwell, Boise, Rupert, Payette, and Lewiston.
We want to point out again that there’s still safes places in Garden City and that this isn’t a comment on the people that live there. So please don’t beat us up. Not sold on Idaho? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Most Dangerous Places To Live In Idaho FAQs
Is Idaho a dangerous state?
No, Idaho is not a dangerous state as it ranks as the #5 safest state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in Idaho ranks 42nd most dangerous in the United States — 34.4% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Gem State ranks 48th most dangerous in the United States — 43.11% better than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022.
Is Meridian, ID a dangerous city?
No, Meridian is not a dangerous city. Meridian ranks as the #3 safest out of 328 major cities over 100,000 people in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. Keep in mind that are always safe and dangerous parts of any city, so even though Meridian might be considered safe you still need to be aware of where you are.
Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Meridian ranks 302nd highest in America — 74.64% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 326th highest in the United States — 76.88% better than US average property crime rate. Note the latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022 and that no city in America is ‘dangerous’. Despite the uptick in murders, it’s nothing like you’d see in Tijuana or Caracas where the murder rate is 2x any American city.
