It used to be the biggest trick to avoiding danger in Indiana was to avoid Gary, Indiana. Sadly, that’s no longer the case.
While Gary has its fair share of problems, it’s no longer the state’s most dangerous place. We’re here to show you the location of the most dangerous places in Indiana for 2026
To determine Indiana‘s most dangerous places, we used Saturday Night Science to compare the FBI’s latest crime report for violent crime and property crime statistics for the 93 cities with over 5,000 residents.
Most of The Hoosier State’s crime centers around cities like Indianapolis and Evansville.
Not sold on Indiana? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
1,206 violent crimes /100k · 3,679 property crimes /100k · #1 most violent in Indiana
Located in
Vanderburgh County, IndianaIndiana’s third-biggest city, Evansville, goes by “Pocket City.” However, we think that “Pickpocket City” would be a more apt nickname, given that Evansville had 3,235 larceny cases in 2024.
Overall, Evansville residents had a 1 in 27 chance of being the victim of a property crime over the year. So definitely keep your winnings quiet after a big night out at Tropicana Casino.
Unfortunately, it’s not just small-time crime in Evansville — the city also had the third highest rate of rape cases in Indiana.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers | Compare
878 violent crimes /100k · 3,336 property crimes /100k · #4 most violent in Indiana
Located in
Marion County, IndianaIndianapolis is the biggest city in Indiana. As such, it comes with its share of amenities. You can enjoy NBA and NFL games. Or, if you have a more artsy sensibility, you can go to Newfields, an art museum and nature park. Plenty to do. Just make sure you check your wallet and stay out of dark alleys.
Indianapolis isn’t just the state capital. It’s the capital of certain types of crimes. It suffers the number 2 highest pace of robberies in Indiana. Residents also have to worry about the 178 murders that happen in a year.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers | Compare
995 violent crimes /100k · 2,599 property crimes /100k · #2 most violent in Indiana
Located in
Elkhart County, IndianaElkhart, the third most dangerous place to live in Indiana, is plagued by high crime rates and a concerning level of violence. With a population of 53,357, this city in Elkhart County has experienced 531 violent crimes, including 1 murders, 45 rapes, 39 robberies, and 446 aggravated assaults. The property crime rate is also alarmingly high, with 1,387 reported incidents, including 316 burglaries.
Located east of South Bend and about 100 miles east of Chicago, Elkhart is strategically located within Indiana. By prioritizing crime prevention strategies and enhancing law enforcement efforts, there is hope for a safer future for the residents of Elkhart.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
741 violent crimes /100k · 3,072 property crimes /100k · #6 most violent in Indiana
Located in
Lake County, IndianaSituated a half-hour south of Chicago, Hammond “earned” its position on this list thanks to steadily high rates of both property and violent crime.
Hammond had the third highest murder rate in Indiana, logging 11 murders over 2024. Overall, the city reported 561 violent crimes over the year.
Don’t go showing off your winnings from Horseshoe Hammond Casino while you’re here because Hammond also saw 1,863 larceny cases over the year.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
550 violent crimes /100k · 3,427 property crimes /100k · #10 most violent in Indiana
Located in
Vigo County, IndianaFrom the outside, it doesn’t seem scary. Located along the Wabash River, just east of the Illinois border, Terre Haute sits in the middle of rural Indiana. It provides the home to educational and cultural institutions, like the Indiana State University and the Swope Art Museum.
Yet, don’t let the amenities or the rural surroundings fool you. This ranks as the number 5 most dangerous community in Indiana. This includes a high rate of burglaries, with 396 such crimes in a city with 58,536 people. Terre Haute also experiences high numbers of arsons and car thefts.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
602 violent crimes /100k · 2,257 property crimes /100k · #8 most violent in Indiana
Located in
Delaware County, IndianaMuncie is an incorporated city and the seat of Delaware County, Indiana. It is located in East Central Indiana, about 50 miles northeast of Indianapolis. The United States Census for 2010 reported the city’s population was 70,085. It is the principal city of the Muncie metropolitan statistical area, which has a population of 117,671.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
965 violent crimes /100k · 2,044 property crimes /100k · #3 most violent in Indiana
Located in
St. Joseph County, IndianaHome to the University of Notre Dame and Mayor Pete Buttigieg, South Bend is the seventh most dangerous place to live in Indiana for 2026.
South Bend is not a great place to leave the door to your house or car unlocked, seeing as the city had the 12th highest burglary rate in Indiana and 449 car thefts recorded in 2024.
The bigger issue, though, is violent crime — folks in South Bend had a 1 in 103 chance of being the victim of an attack over the year, representing the third highest worst violent crime rate in Indiana.
Which kind of makes South Bend’s motto — “Peace” — seem like a wish rather than a reflection of the current state of affairs.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers | Compare
335 violent crimes /100k · 2,344 property crimes /100k · #15 most violent in Indiana
Located in
Marion County, IndianaLocated on the outer fringes of the Indianapolis metro area, Cumberland sits about a half hour from the center of the biggest city in Indiana. Not exactly the inner city. Yet, still, it suffers from some of the problems you’d expect to find in an inner-city environment. Namely, Cumberland ranks as the number 8 most dangerous spot in Indiana.
In terms of violence, you can feel relatively secure in town. But Cumberland represents a hotbed of property crime. Its rate of larcenies sits at the number 13 highest level in the state. Residents also deal with a high number of robberies and burglaries.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
419 violent crimes /100k · 2,256 property crimes /100k · #12 most violent in Indiana
Located in
Madison County, IndianaLocated about 45 minutes northwest of Indianapolis, Anderson comes in as the ninth most dangerous place to live in Indiana.
Anderson averaged more than one rape case per week in 2024, giving the city the 11th highest rate of rape cases in the state.
While you can enjoy a lovely day out hiking at Mounds State Park, you should definitely triple lock your house before going out, considering Anderson also had the tenth highest burglary rate in Indiana.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
287 violent crimes /100k · 2,718 property crimes /100k · #22 most violent in Indiana
Located in
Monroe County, IndianaLocated more than an hour southwest of Indianapolis, Bloomington serves as the home of Indiana University, a campus of more than 45,000 students. Given that the surrounding community boasts 78,762 residents, the school dominates the town.
You know how college students can be. It’s no surprise that the town falls victim to some pranks or drunken revelry. However, the crime rate goes beyond simple undergrad hijinx. Bloomington has more than its share of serious criminal activity.
In a year, the town suffers 3 murders and 48 sexual assaults. These violations contribute to the state’s number 22 highest rate of violent crime.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Indiana’s statewide median.
On the map
Where crime hits hardest in Indiana
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the most dangerous cities in Indiana for 2026?
Every year the FBI release two crime datasets on cities in Indiana. First a preliminary dataset limited to the biggest cities in Indiana, 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 Indiana.
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 Indiana cities over 5,000 in population. That left us with 93 cities in Indiana.
We then ranked each city from 1 to 93 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 Indiana — Evansville. 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 Indiana and is updated for 2026.
The full plate
Crime By City In Indiana
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 | Evansville | 1.00 | 114,660 | 4,885 | 1,206 | 3,679 | 12 |
| 2 | Indianapolis | 3.50 | 890,685 | 4,214 | 878 | 3,336 | 178 |
| 3 | Elkhart | 5.00 | 53,357 | 3,595 | 995 | 2,599 | 1 |
| 4 | Hammond | 5.50 | 75,677 | 3,814 | 741 | 3,072 | 11 |
| 5 | Terre Haute | 6.00 | 58,536 | 3,977 | 550 | 3,427 | 2 |
| 6 | Muncie | 11.50 | 65,072 | 2,860 | 602 | 2,257 | 3 |
| 7 | South Bend | 11.50 | 103,415 | 3,009 | 965 | 2,044 | 3 |
| 8 | Cumberland | 14.00 | 6,571 | 2,678 | 335 | 2,344 | 0 |
| 9 | Anderson | 14.00 | 55,355 | 2,675 | 419 | 2,256 | 3 |
| 10 | Bloomington | 14.00 | 78,762 | 3,005 | 287 | 2,718 | 3 |
| 11 | Brazil | 15.00 | 8,228 | 2,491 | 644 | 1,847 | 0 |
| 12 | Lafayette | 15.00 | 71,374 | 2,642 | 600 | 2,043 | 5 |
| 13 | Clarksville | 17.00 | 22,174 | 3,527 | 239 | 3,288 | 0 |
| 14 | Warsaw | 18.50 | 16,195 | 2,174 | 414 | 1,760 | 0 |
| 15 | East Chicago | 18.50 | 25,662 | 2,416 | 826 | 1,590 | 3 |
| 16 | Fort Wayne | 18.50 | 271,892 | 2,531 | 307 | 2,224 | 30 |
| 17 | New Albany | 19.50 | 37,174 | 2,687 | 266 | 2,421 | 3 |
| 18 | Boonville | 20.00 | 6,681 | 2,081 | 404 | 1,676 | 0 |
| 19 | Michigan City | 20.00 | 31,543 | 2,406 | 292 | 2,115 | 2 |
| 20 | Mishawaka | 20.00 | 50,776 | 2,806 | 236 | 2,570 | 0 |
| 21 | Lawrence | 22.50 | 49,200 | 2,020 | 293 | 1,728 | 6 |
| 22 | Jeffersonville | 22.50 | 51,804 | 1,988 | 322 | 1,666 | 2 |
| 23 | Goshen | 23.00 | 34,308 | 2,696 | 222 | 2,475 | 0 |
| 24 | Kokomo | 23.50 | 59,995 | 1,902 | 485 | 1,417 | 2 |
| 25 | Beech Grove | 25.50 | 14,335 | 1,932 | 279 | 1,653 | 1 |
| 26 | Speedway | 26.50 | 14,229 | 2,776 | 162 | 2,614 | 1 |
| 27 | Linton | 27.50 | 5,213 | 2,129 | 230 | 1,899 | 0 |
| 28 | Hobart | 31.00 | 29,306 | 2,423 | 150 | 2,273 | 0 |
| 29 | Vincennes | 31.50 | 16,535 | 2,631 | 121 | 2,510 | 1 |
| 30 | Plainfield | 32.00 | 37,790 | 1,694 | 246 | 1,447 | 0 |
| 31 | La Porte | 32.50 | 22,511 | 1,848 | 209 | 1,639 | 0 |
| 32 | Lebanon | 33.50 | 17,435 | 1,296 | 333 | 964 | 0 |
| 33 | Mount Vernon | 36.50 | 6,315 | 1,140 | 333 | 808 | 0 |
| 34 | Angola | 37.50 | 9,488 | 2,350 | 105 | 2,245 | 0 |
| 35 | Whitestown | 37.50 | 14,097 | 1,518 | 206 | 1,312 | 0 |
| 36 | Portage | 37.50 | 38,700 | 1,344 | 235 | 1,109 | 4 |
| 37 | North Vernon | 38.00 | 6,553 | 1,343 | 229 | 1,114 | 0 |
| 38 | Shelbyville | 38.50 | 20,773 | 1,276 | 255 | 1,021 | 0 |
| 39 | Greensburg | 39.00 | 12,374 | 1,608 | 194 | 1,414 | 0 |
| 40 | Avon | 39.50 | 25,147 | 1,742 | 135 | 1,607 | 2 |
| 41 | McCordsville | 41.50 | 12,208 | 1,032 | 270 | 762 | 0 |
| 42 | New Haven | 42.50 | 16,098 | 1,292 | 205 | 1,087 | 1 |
| 43 | Greenwood | 45.00 | 67,086 | 1,638 | 109 | 1,529 | 1 |
| 44 | Schererville | 45.50 | 29,656 | 1,389 | 125 | 1,264 | 0 |
| 45 | Highland | 46.00 | 23,381 | 1,694 | 98 | 1,595 | 0 |
| 46 | Tell City | 49.50 | 7,480 | 1,043 | 160 | 882 | 0 |
| 47 | Washington | 50.00 | 12,674 | 742 | 268 | 473 | 1 |
| 48 | Griffith | 50.00 | 16,122 | 1,116 | 130 | 986 | 0 |
| 49 | Kendallville | 50.50 | 10,229 | 909 | 205 | 704 | 0 |
| 50 | Marion | 50.50 | 28,057 | 1,212 | 107 | 1,105 | 0 |
| 51 | Frankfort | 51.00 | 16,313 | 1,171 | 110 | 1,061 | 0 |
| 52 | Bluffton | 51.50 | 10,519 | 913 | 181 | 732 | 0 |
| 53 | Columbia City | 52.00 | 10,186 | 992 | 128 | 864 | 0 |
| 54 | West Lafayette | 52.00 | 44,906 | 1,298 | 94 | 1,205 | 0 |
| 55 | Huntingburg | 52.50 | 6,527 | 582 | 276 | 306 | 0 |
| 56 | Nappanee | 53.00 | 6,845 | 862 | 205 | 657 | 0 |
| 57 | Decatur | 54.50 | 10,053 | 846 | 169 | 676 | 1 |
| 58 | Crawfordsville | 55.00 | 16,662 | 828 | 186 | 642 | 0 |
| 59 | Franklin | 55.00 | 26,089 | 1,173 | 84 | 1,089 | 0 |
| 60 | Logansport | 55.50 | 18,197 | 1,286 | 71 | 1,214 | 1 |
| 61 | Seymour | 58.00 | 21,678 | 1,610 | 46 | 1,564 | 0 |
| 62 | Charlestown | 60.50 | 8,685 | 829 | 104 | 725 | 0 |
| 63 | Jasper | 62.00 | 16,806 | 726 | 119 | 607 | 1 |
| 64 | Tipton | 63.00 | 5,230 | 478 | 172 | 306 | 0 |
| 65 | Danville | 63.00 | 11,830 | 811 | 93 | 719 | 0 |
| 66 | Munster | 63.00 | 23,524 | 1,080 | 51 | 1,029 | 0 |
| 67 | New Castle | 64.00 | 17,306 | 809 | 75 | 734 | 4 |
| 68 | Valparaiso | 64.00 | 34,784 | 874 | 66 | 808 | 0 |
| 69 | Carmel | 64.00 | 103,107 | 879 | 66 | 813 | 0 |
| 70 | Whiteland | 64.50 | 5,699 | 877 | 70 | 807 | 0 |
| 71 | Fishers | 67.50 | 105,680 | 731 | 73 | 659 | 1 |
| 72 | Elwood | 68.50 | 8,430 | 558 | 95 | 463 | 0 |
| 73 | Noblesville | 69.00 | 75,216 | 622 | 84 | 538 | 0 |
| 74 | Crown Point | 70.50 | 35,185 | 608 | 77 | 531 | 1 |
| 75 | Brownsburg | 73.50 | 33,343 | 663 | 63 | 600 | 0 |
| 76 | Cicero | 74.50 | 5,737 | 296 | 105 | 192 | 0 |
| 77 | Winona Lake | 75.00 | 5,112 | 372 | 78 | 293 | 0 |
| 78 | Gas City | 75.00 | 6,075 | 658 | 49 | 609 | 0 |
| 79 | Westfield | 75.50 | 61,845 | 686 | 42 | 644 | 0 |
| 80 | Bargersville | 76.50 | 11,568 | 484 | 61 | 424 | 0 |
| 81 | Cedar Lake | 80.00 | 16,748 | 328 | 66 | 263 | 0 |
| 82 | Huntington | 80.00 | 16,985 | 394 | 47 | 347 | 0 |
| 83 | Yorktown | 83.00 | 11,810 | 271 | 51 | 220 | 0 |
| 84 | Bedford | 83.00 | 13,872 | 303 | 50 | 252 | 1 |
| 85 | Batesville | 85.00 | 7,403 | 324 | 14 | 311 | 0 |
| 86 | Auburn | 85.00 | 14,010 | 428 | 7 | 421 | 0 |
| 87 | Dyer | 85.50 | 16,278 | 356 | 12 | 344 | 0 |
| 88 | Zionsville | 86.00 | 33,121 | 299 | 21 | 278 | 1 |
| 89 | Lowell | 87.00 | 11,422 | 228 | 26 | 201 | 0 |
| 90 | Porter | 89.00 | 5,205 | 211 | 19 | 192 | 0 |
| 91 | Pendleton | 89.00 | 5,933 | 84 | 34 | 51 | 0 |
| 92 | St. John | 89.00 | 24,790 | 153 | 24 | 129 | 0 |
| 93 | Columbus | 91.50 | 51,867 | 96 | 13 | 83 | 0 |
Source: FBI UCR 2024. 93 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Locking It All Up In Indiana
So what is the most dangerous city in Indiana? After analyzing 93 cities in Indiana, Evansville takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in Indiana based on the most recently reported FBI data — 2024.
The latest FBI crime data shows that Evansville ranks as the most dangerous city in Indiana for 2026.
The most dangerous cities in Indiana are Evansville, Indianapolis, Elkhart, Hammond, Terre Haute, Muncie, South Bend, Cumberland, Anderson, and Bloomington.
We want to point out again that there’s still safes places in Evansville and that this isn’t a comment on the people that live there. So please don’t beat us up. Wondering how Evansville stacks up against a bigger name? See Evansville, IN vs. Fort Wayne, IN side by side.
Questions and answers
Most Dangerous Places To Live In Indiana FAQs
Is Indiana a dangerous state?
No, Indiana is not a dangerous state as it ranks as the #22 safest state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in Indiana ranks 27th most dangerous in the United States — 3.28% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Hoosier State ranks 30th most dangerous in the United States — 8.76% better than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022.
Is Indianapolis, IN a dangerous city?
Yes, Indianapolis is a dangerous city. Indianapolis ranks as the #66 most dangerous 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 Indianapolis might be considered dangerous you still need to be aware of where you are.
Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Indianapolis ranks 37th highest in America — 85.64% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 87th highest in the United States — 23.74% worse 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.
