The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In The United States For 2026

Source: Wikipedia User Thomas R Machnitzki | GFDL

Now to Tennessee we go, and we visit Memphis, the most dangerous city in America. Memphis is the largest city in the top ten, and it’s also the most violent of all the cities we’re going to talk about.

That means Memphis is rough.

Memphis may just be the worst city in America in many categories. Residents faced a 1 in 49 chance of being raped, assaulted, or murdered last year which is a 5% higher rate than the previous reporting year. There are perhaps 10,000 gang members in Shelby County. Why is Tennessee so violent? Like many of the states we’ve discussed earlier, poverty, high drug use and a lack of solid jobs are all contributing factors. A lot of property crime from druggies and other low lifes breaking into property, looking for drugs or money for drugs

Seems like they can’t find enough cops in Memphis to deal with the some of the people who make their city such a dangerous one.

Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers

Source: Wikipedia User Basil D Soufi | CC BY-SA 3.0

Oakland, Oaktown, O-Town, Bump City. You get the point.

While people continue to migrate from San Francisco to Oakland to avoid insane property prices, they aren’t moving to avoid crime. Oakland ranks over thirty spots higher than San Francisco on the crime ranking. Oakland has the 10th highest violent crime rank in the country and the fifteenth highest property crime rate. There’s even a Wikipedia page devoted to crime in Oakland.

In many areas of Oakland, you don’t want to drive through at night. About 80 people a year get killed in Oakland – which is about once every four days. If you’re young, black and poor, statistically, you will look like you’re in a gang. And if you’re a white guy driving a Prius, looking for directions, well, that just won’t go over very well.

Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers

Source: Wikipedia User xnatedawgx | CC BY 2.0

We go a couple of states over, in Arkansas, where we visit Little Rock.

Arkansas is another poor state in the south with a far-higher than average number of murders, rapes, assaults and robberies per capita. If you live in the Natural State, don’t leave your car doors unlocked; there were more than 7,100 vehicles stolen in the state of Arkansas in 2017.

Little Rock is rough. It’s in the top 5 for both violent AND property crimes in America. It’s always on some list of most dangerous places in the US for one year or another. For a city its size, 50 murders a year is sky high. It’s not Memphis rough, but in a lot of places, it’s straight dangerous.

Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers

Source: Flickr User Arch_Sam | CC BY 2.0

And where’s the 4th most dangerous city in the United States? That would be St. Louis.

St. Louis ranks as the 10th most violent place you can live in the nation. And have you ever heard of East St. Louis? That’s not even in the same state of St. Louis, and that place makes most small towns look like a fairytale. Last year, more than 200 people were murdered in St Louis. That’s like 2 out of three days that someone here gets ghosted.

Sure, most of the crimes that happen here are between rival gangs, and within certain neighborhoods. But that doesn’t mean the violence doesn’t spill into other parts of St. Louis. Fact is, if you live in St. Louis, you can’t feel safe at all.

As the sun sets in St. Louis each day, MOST of the city’s hard working, church going, community loving people are safe. But never really safe.

Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers

Source: Wikipedia User John Wark | CC BY-SA 3.0

Making our way out west, we take a quick stop in the city of Pueblo, Colorado.

There are many people who live in Colorado, who defend Colorado, but you can’t defend Pueblo. This small city of around 100,000 people ranks as the 11th worst place in the nation for property crimes. That means lots of stolen cars, cell phones and even toys.

Now if you read the forums, it sounds like people who live in Pueblo are pretty defensive about their city being classified as dangerous. Either they’re in denial, or they don’t really seem to notice how bad things really are in their city. Hopefully the people who do want Pueblo to clean up its act get the support from their law enforcement agencies.

Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers

Source: Wikipedia User | CC-BY-SA-3.0

Kansas City is better known for barbecue and jazz, but it also carries one of the highest violent crime rates in the country. In 2024 the city posted a violent crime rate of 1,547 per 100k people, which ranks it 6th most dangerous in America. That is well above what most of its 511,535 residents would guess.

Crime is not spread evenly throughout the city. Plenty of neighborhoods are calm. But the citywide numbers are still high enough to keep Kansas City near the top of the most dangerous cities.

Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers

Source: Flickr User Tim Evanson | CC BY-SA 2.0

Like many former industrial hubs scattered along the Great Lakes, Cleveland has faced economic dislocation in recent decades. The changing financial situation has manifested itself in increased crime, leaving this city of 362,762 one of the country’s most violent places.

Violent crimes happen at a rate of 1,561 per 100k people. That means that over the course of a year, Cleveland will see 5,663 such incidents. This includes 109 murders.

Still, life in Cleveland isn’t all bad. The city has its attractions, such as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers

Source: Wikipedia User User:AE at Quicken Loans | CC BY-SA 1.0

Detroit has been on a comeback, but its crime data still ranks among the country’s worst. The city posted a violent crime rate of 1,781 per 100k people in 2024, putting it 7th most dangerous in America. For the roughly 651,171 people who live there, that is a daily backdrop.

Downtown and Midtown have drawn investment and new residents, which has improved the crimeparts of the city. The citywide rate is the number that keeps it on the list.

Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers

Source: Wikipedia User FlickreviewR 2 | CC BY-SA 2.0

Tacoma proves the Pacific Northwest is not all coffee and evergreens. Sitting just south of Seattle, the city ranks 9th most dangerous in America, with a violent crime rate of 1,063 per 100k people in 2024. Property crime is the bigger headache though, running 5,603 per 100k people for its 223,980 residents.

That property number is high enough that locals learn to lock up out of habit. The setting on Puget Sound is gorgeous, the stats less so.

Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers

Source: Public domain

Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers