You might think that most of Pennsylvania’s crime problems occur in the two largest cities: Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Surprisingly, Pennsylvania has done a fair job of spreading its crime evenly across the state.
But the fact remains, you want to be informed about where you’re going to move in Pennsylvania.
So let’s get you informaed.
To determine the most dangerous places in Pennsylvania, we used Saturday Night Science to review the FBI’s latest crime report for violent crime and property crime statistics for the 337 cities with over 5,000 residents. The following Pennsylvania cities have higher average crime rates than their neighbors.
Not sold on Pennsylvania? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
909 violent crimes /100k · 4,548 property crimes /100k · #4 most violent in Pennsylvania
Located in
Philadelphia County, PennsylvaniaTurns out the City of Brotherly Love has a bit of work to do on the crime front. I mean, have they even figured out who broke Liberty Bell yet?
Seriously though, Philadelphia has the 16th highest murder rate in the state, and residents have a 1 in 110 chance of being the victim of a violent crime each year. The property crime rate also ranks as the third highest in the state.
But, for a big city, Philadelphia outshines some of its worst suburbs in terms of keeping crime rates reasonable. And if you stay out of Philadelphia’s worst neighborhoods, your odds of having a safe experience rise dramatically.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers | Compare
857 violent crimes /100k · 3,291 property crimes /100k · #5 most violent in Pennsylvania
Located in
Fayette County, PennsylvaniaUniontown wasn’t even in the top 50 most dangerous places in Pennsylvania last year, so its jump to the #2 spot represents quite a big fall from grace. Located along the Historic National Road, Uniontown had an uncomfortable amount of crime in 2024.
A violent crime occurred about once every three days, while more than one property crime took place each day over the last year of available data. That’s good (or bad) enough to give Uniontown the fifth highest rate of violent crime and fifth highest property crime rate in Pennsylvania.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
737 violent crimes /100k · 3,104 property crimes /100k · #12 most violent in Pennsylvania
Coming in as Pennsylvania’s third most dangerous city is Pottstown. While Pottstown had the least violent crime per capita of cities in the top five, it does have one troubling statistic — the second highest rate of rape cases in the state. That’s about three cases per month, which, for a borough of just 23,324, is all too common.
Pottstown also had the seventh highest property crime rate in the state. Maybe the local Steel River Playhouse should stage a production of Crime and Punishment to educate residents on the perils of a criminal life.
Pottstown is located about 40 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
843 violent crimes /100k · 2,704 property crimes /100k · #6 most violent in Pennsylvania
Located in
McKean County, PennsylvaniaBradford is a city in McKean County, Pennsylvania, United States, close to the border with New York State and approximately 78 miles south of Buffalo, New York. Bradford is the principal city in the Bradford, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
1,694 violent crimes /100k · 2,565 property crimes /100k · #1 most violent in Pennsylvania
Located in
Allegheny County, PennsylvaniaLocated a half-hour southeast of Pittsburgh, McKeesport ranks as the fifth most dangerous place to call home in Pennsylvania.The overall crime rate in McKeesport is 150% higher than the national average, and more than 250% higher than the statewide average.
McKeesport had the highest violent crime rate in Pennsylvania, with 6 murders in 2024. That’s enough for anyone to seek sanctuary at the nearby Renziehausen Park Rose Garden.
McKeesport isn’t exactly low on property crime either. To give you an idea, McKeesport had the highest rate of burglaries in the state, so it’s not the sort of place where it’s okay to leave your door unlocked.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
831 violent crimes /100k · 2,626 property crimes /100k · #9 most violent in Pennsylvania
Located in
Delaware County, PennsylvaniaDarby is a borough of 10,586 located just outside of southwest Philadelphia. Darby earned its #6 spot on this list thanks to having the ninth highest rate of violent crime in Pennsylvania. What’s especially bad is that Darby had the 23rd most rapes per capita in the whole state, with about one case happening every three weeks — yikes.
It’s not like property crime is super low in Darby either — each year, residents face a 1 in 38 chance of having their property damaged or stolen. Making it a good practice to check you still have all your valuables when you leave a show at Tower Theater.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
586 violent crimes /100k · 2,634 property crimes /100k · #16 most violent in Pennsylvania
Located in
Cambria County, PennsylvaniaUp next on our list of Pennsylvania’s most dangerous places is Johnstown, a city of 20,120 in Cambria County. Johnstown ranks as the 16th most violent place statewide, with residents facing a 1 in 170 chance of being attacked or killed in 2024.
While property crime as a whole is pretty low in Johnstown, the burglary rate here actually ranks as the third highest in Pennsylvania, so it’s not a bad idea to keep your doors and windows locked at all times.
Johnstown wasn’t even in the top 20 most dangerous last year, so with some luck, it might vanish off this list by next year.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
1,063 violent crimes /100k · 2,007 property crimes /100k · #3 most violent in Pennsylvania
Located in
Westmoreland County, PennsylvaniaMonessen is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,720 at the 2010 census. In 1940, 20,257 people lived there. In 1990 the population was 13,026. Monessen is the most southwestern municipality of Westmoreland County. Steel-making was a prominent industry in Monessen, which was a Rust Belt borough in the “Mon Valley” of southwestern Pennsylvania that became a third-class city in 1921.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
586 violent crimes /100k · 2,440 property crimes /100k · #17 most violent in Pennsylvania
Located in
Allegheny County, PennsylvaniaThe Wilkinsburg Police Department have their work cut out for them. That’s because the borough has the 2highest murder rate in PA, with 2 murders occurring over 2024 — crazy high for a place with only 13,646 people.
On top of that, Wilkinsburg averaged more than one property crime each day of the year and had the second highest burglary rate in Pennsylvania. Those numbers are enough to put both Wilkinsburg’s violent and property crime rates in the top ten statewide.
Wilkinsburg is located less than 10 miles east of Pittsburgh.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
536 violent crimes /100k · 2,263 property crimes /100k · #19 most violent in Pennsylvania
Located in
Delaware County, PennsylvaniaFolcroft is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,606 at the 2010 census, down from 6,978 at the 2000 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Pennsylvania’s statewide median.
On the map
Where crime hits hardest in Pennsylvania
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the most dangerous cities in Pennsylvania for 2026?
Every year the FBI release two crime datasets on cities in Pennsylvania. First a preliminary dataset limited to the biggest cities in Pennsylvania, 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 Pennsylvania.
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 Pennsylvania cities over 5,000 in population. That left us with 337 cities in Pennsylvania.
We then ranked each city from 1 to 337 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 Pennsylvania — Philadelphia. 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 Pennsylvania and is updated for 2026.
The full plate
Crime By City In Pennsylvania
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 | Philadelphia | 3.50 | 1,549,259 | 5,457 | 909 | 4,548 | 262 |
| 2 | Uniontown | 5.00 | 9,451 | 4,148 | 857 | 3,291 | 5 |
| 3 | Pottstown | 9.50 | 23,324 | 3,842 | 737 | 3,104 | 0 |
| 4 | Bradford | 10.00 | 7,471 | 3,547 | 843 | 2,704 | 0 |
| 5 | McKeesport | 11.00 | 18,480 | 4,259 | 1,694 | 2,565 | 6 |
| 6 | Darby | 13.50 | 10,586 | 3,457 | 831 | 2,626 | 2 |
| 7 | Johnstown | 16.50 | 20,120 | 3,221 | 586 | 2,634 | 6 |
| 8 | Monessen | 20.00 | 6,678 | 3,070 | 1,063 | 2,007 | 0 |
| 9 | Wilkinsburg | 20.00 | 13,646 | 3,027 | 586 | 2,440 | 2 |
| 10 | Folcroft | 23.00 | 6,717 | 2,799 | 536 | 2,263 | 2 |
| 11 | Connellsville | 23.50 | 8,426 | 3,133 | 380 | 2,753 | 0 |
| 12 | Chester | 24.50 | 33,944 | 2,819 | 831 | 1,989 | 20 |
| 13 | Harrisburg | 24.50 | 49,985 | 2,755 | 762 | 1,993 | 15 |
| 14 | West Mifflin | 25.50 | 18,705 | 3,021 | 380 | 2,641 | 2 |
| 15 | New Kensington | 26.00 | 11,832 | 2,857 | 456 | 2,400 | 1 |
| 16 | Plymouth | 26.50 | 5,755 | 2,745 | 834 | 1,911 | 0 |
| 17 | Pittsburgh | 28.00 | 317,177 | 2,707 | 427 | 2,280 | 36 |
| 18 | Coatesville | 33.00 | 13,256 | 2,444 | 619 | 1,826 | 1 |
| 19 | Norristown | 34.00 | 35,764 | 2,410 | 450 | 1,960 | 3 |
| 20 | York | 34.00 | 44,893 | 2,392 | 530 | 1,862 | 5 |
| 21 | Stowe | 36.00 | 6,116 | 2,354 | 507 | 1,848 | 2 |
| 22 | Dickson City | 38.50 | 5,995 | 2,919 | 267 | 2,652 | 1 |
| 23 | Cheltenham | 39.00 | 38,819 | 5,124 | 201 | 4,923 | 0 |
| 24 | Erie | 39.50 | 92,379 | 2,305 | 376 | 1,929 | 5 |
| 25 | Steelton | 40.00 | 6,322 | 2,309 | 838 | 1,471 | 1 |
| 26 | Chambersburg | 40.50 | 22,366 | 2,218 | 465 | 1,753 | 2 |
| 27 | Butler | 41.50 | 12,973 | 2,112 | 501 | 1,611 | 1 |
| 28 | Upper Darby | 41.50 | 84,668 | 3,046 | 214 | 2,832 | 4 |
| 29 | Columbia | 44.00 | 10,445 | 2,326 | 297 | 2,030 | 0 |
| 30 | Sharon | 44.50 | 12,709 | 2,117 | 653 | 1,464 | 6 |
| 31 | Swissvale | 47.00 | 8,188 | 2,235 | 318 | 1,917 | 0 |
| 32 | Altoona | 47.00 | 42,424 | 2,185 | 335 | 1,850 | 1 |
| 33 | Ambridge | 47.50 | 6,850 | 2,686 | 1,387 | 1,299 | 0 |
| 34 | Kennedy | 48.50 | 8,351 | 2,108 | 359 | 1,748 | 0 |
| 35 | Wilkes-Barre | 48.50 | 44,254 | 1,989 | 432 | 1,557 | 4 |
| 36 | Morrisville | 49.50 | 9,675 | 3,328 | 165 | 3,163 | 1 |
| 37 | Meadville | 51.50 | 17,363 | 1,935 | 403 | 1,532 | 0 |
| 38 | Crafton | 52.00 | 6,242 | 2,307 | 224 | 2,083 | 0 |
| 39 | Sharon Hill | 55.00 | 5,942 | 2,154 | 236 | 1,919 | 1 |
| 40 | Collingdale | 55.00 | 8,813 | 2,042 | 284 | 1,759 | 3 |
| 41 | Warren | 56.00 | 9,042 | 1,836 | 520 | 1,316 | 0 |
| 42 | Swatara | 56.50 | 29,394 | 2,916 | 153 | 2,762 | 1 |
| 43 | Yeadon | 58.50 | 12,319 | 2,102 | 219 | 1,883 | 0 |
| 44 | Duquesne | 61.00 | 5,016 | 1,854 | 678 | 1,176 | 0 |
| 45 | Reading | 61.00 | 97,868 | 1,772 | 337 | 1,435 | 7 |
| 46 | Allentown | 62.50 | 124,599 | 1,841 | 272 | 1,569 | 4 |
| 47 | Lock Haven | 63.50 | 8,586 | 1,817 | 280 | 1,537 | 0 |
| 48 | West York | 64.00 | 5,073 | 1,754 | 315 | 1,439 | 0 |
| 49 | Upper Merion | 65.50 | 36,408 | 3,878 | 124 | 3,755 | 0 |
| 50 | Pottsville | 66.50 | 13,361 | 1,677 | 329 | 1,347 | 0 |
| 51 | Pocono | 67.50 | 10,739 | 2,393 | 149 | 2,244 | 0 |
| 52 | Nanticoke | 68.50 | 10,616 | 1,733 | 264 | 1,469 | 1 |
| 53 | Media | 70.50 | 5,853 | 1,794 | 205 | 1,589 | 0 |
| 54 | Clairton | 70.50 | 5,877 | 1,599 | 425 | 1,174 | 1 |
| 55 | Scranton | 71.00 | 75,683 | 1,627 | 281 | 1,345 | 7 |
| 56 | Monroeville | 76.00 | 27,753 | 2,540 | 123 | 2,418 | 0 |
| 57 | DuBois | 77.00 | 7,263 | 1,611 | 207 | 1,404 | 0 |
| 58 | Caln | 79.00 | 15,170 | 1,549 | 277 | 1,272 | 0 |
| 59 | Bethlehem | 79.50 | 79,194 | 1,575 | 206 | 1,369 | 2 |
| 60 | Milton | 80.00 | 6,458 | 1,548 | 263 | 1,285 | 0 |
| 61 | Franklin | 80.50 | 5,893 | 2,240 | 119 | 2,121 | 0 |
| 62 | Springettsbury | 81.00 | 27,604 | 2,087 | 130 | 1,956 | 2 |
| 63 | Clifton Heights | 82.50 | 6,778 | 1,431 | 339 | 1,092 | 0 |
| 64 | East Norriton | 83.00 | 14,019 | 2,254 | 114 | 2,140 | 0 |
| 65 | Hanover | 83.00 | 16,616 | 2,618 | 108 | 2,510 | 0 |
| 66 | Penn Hills | 83.00 | 39,203 | 1,423 | 370 | 1,053 | 1 |
| 67 | Moosic | 83.50 | 5,994 | 1,435 | 484 | 951 | 0 |
| 68 | Brentwood | 83.50 | 9,588 | 1,554 | 177 | 1,377 | 0 |
| 69 | Glenolden | 84.00 | 7,151 | 2,293 | 112 | 2,182 | 0 |
| 70 | Upper Chichester | 85.00 | 16,747 | 1,594 | 167 | 1,427 | 0 |
| 71 | Quakertown | 86.00 | 9,215 | 1,378 | 380 | 998 | 0 |
| 72 | West Chester | 86.00 | 20,004 | 1,465 | 215 | 1,250 | 0 |
| 73 | Bloomsburg Town | 87.00 | 13,256 | 1,396 | 324 | 1,071 | 0 |
| 74 | Bensalem | 87.00 | 62,843 | 2,971 | 94 | 2,877 | 1 |
| 75 | Lansdowne | 87.50 | 11,071 | 1,743 | 135 | 1,608 | 1 |
| 76 | North Versailles | 88.00 | 9,587 | 1,732 | 136 | 1,596 | 0 |
| 77 | Bridgeport | 88.50 | 5,411 | 1,700 | 148 | 1,552 | 0 |
| 78 | Upper Moreland | 89.00 | 26,020 | 2,221 | 108 | 2,114 | 1 |
| 79 | Coraopolis | 90.00 | 5,279 | 1,326 | 379 | 947 | 1 |
| 80 | Greenville | 90.50 | 5,468 | 1,317 | 366 | 951 | 0 |
| 81 | South Strabane | 91.50 | 9,603 | 4,676 | 83 | 4,592 | 0 |
| 82 | Center | 91.50 | 12,275 | 2,004 | 114 | 1,890 | 0 |
| 83 | West Goshen | 91.50 | 23,889 | 1,340 | 289 | 1,051 | 1 |
| 84 | Kingston | 93.50 | 14,233 | 1,595 | 141 | 1,454 | 0 |
| 85 | Easton | 93.50 | 30,064 | 1,387 | 196 | 1,191 | 0 |
| 86 | West Manchester | 95.00 | 19,209 | 3,051 | 83 | 2,967 | 0 |
| 87 | West Norriton | 96.50 | 16,257 | 1,821 | 117 | 1,704 | 0 |
| 88 | Downingtown | 97.50 | 8,421 | 2,185 | 95 | 2,090 | 0 |
| 89 | Beaver Falls | 97.50 | 11,696 | 1,317 | 197 | 1,120 | 4 |
| 90 | Tarentum | 102.00 | 7,227 | 1,273 | 180 | 1,093 | 0 |
| 91 | Carlisle | 102.00 | 23,144 | 1,314 | 169 | 1,145 | 5 |
| 92 | Bangor | 102.50 | 5,109 | 1,135 | 333 | 803 | 0 |
| 93 | Catasauqua | 102.50 | 6,455 | 1,348 | 155 | 1,193 | 0 |
| 94 | Chippewa | 103.00 | 8,029 | 2,192 | 87 | 2,105 | 0 |
| 95 | Shamokin | 103.50 | 6,761 | 1,154 | 459 | 695 | 0 |
| 96 | Mount Carmel | 104.00 | 5,605 | 1,231 | 214 | 1,017 | 0 |
| 97 | Bellevue | 105.00 | 7,902 | 1,253 | 177 | 1,076 | 0 |
| 98 | Munhall | 108.00 | 10,255 | 1,492 | 117 | 1,375 | 0 |
| 99 | Lehighton | 109.00 | 5,259 | 1,312 | 152 | 1,160 | 0 |
| 100 | Wilson | 109.50 | 8,100 | 1,691 | 99 | 1,593 | 0 |
Source: FBI UCR 2024. 337 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Locking It All Up In Pennsylvania
So what is the most dangerous city in Pennsylvania? After analyzing 337 cities in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in Pennsylvania based on the most recently reported FBI data — 2024.
The latest FBI crime data shows that Philadelphia ranks as the most dangerous city in Pennsylvania for 2026.
The most dangerous cities in Pennsylvania are Philadelphia, Uniontown, Pottstown, Bradford, McKeesport, Darby, Johnstown, Monessen, Wilkinsburg, and Folcroft.
We want to point out again that there’s still safes places in Philadelphia and that this isn’t a comment on the people that live there. So please don’t beat us up. Wondering how Philadelphia stacks up against a bigger name? See Philadelphia, PA vs. Jersey City, NJ side by side.
Questions and answers
Most Dangerous Places To Live In Pennsylvania FAQs
Is Pennsylvania a dangerous state?
No, Pennsylvania is not a dangerous state as it ranks as the #19 safest state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in Pennsylvania ranks 24th most dangerous in the United States — 5.33% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Keystone State ranks 34th most dangerous in the United States — 15.88% better than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022.
Is Philadelphia, PA a dangerous city?
Yes, Philadelphia is a dangerous city. Philadelphia ranks as the #35 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 Philadelphia might be considered dangerous you still need to be aware of where you are. For example, Bustleton is the safest in Philadelphia, while Haddington-Carroll Park is considered dangerous by many based on recent crime stats.
Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Philadelphia ranks 34th highest in America — 88.14% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 36th highest in the United States — 58.36% 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.
