The 10 High Risk Cities in the USA

Danger lurks even in the most unlikely places, including the USA. If you are thinking of relocating from one US city into another, try to first research about and understand the risks involved with the transfer. Stop and check if your new US city is listed here. And if you still decide to live in the 10 high risk cities in the USA included in this list, be sure to mitigate the danger involved with a lot of care.

10. Newark, New Jersey

Crime Index: 50.13

The reputation of Newark as a destination for crime has been going on for many years. The Garden State is actually a dangerous place to be in, especially if there are 34 murders per 100,000 residents happening within the vicinity. The rate that you will be victimized by carjacking, burglary, larceny, or arson is 1 out of 26. That’s quite a high considering that New Jersey is a rather small state to start with.

9. Buffalo, New York

Crime Index: 65.92

New York is one of the most advanced and most prominent states in the USA. Known as the Big Apple, it could be quite interesting to some that one of its few cities is considered a high risk destination. Buffalo has a population of over a quarter a million with a crime rate is pegged at 1,238 per 100,000 residents. The poverty level of this city is also high at 30%, which makes it one of more rather dangerous cities to settle in the US.

8. Stockton, California

Crime Index: 68.10

One of the poorest cities in California is Stockton. So it is not surprising to learn that the crime rate in this city is rather high at 1,408 per 100,000 residents. Since the day that Stockton has filed for bankruptcy, it has cut back on policing which compounded the city’s worsening situation even more. Violence in Stockton has dramatically risen up since then, causing the city’s total population count of almost 300,000 to be always on their toes.

7. Cleveland, Ohio

Crime Index: 75.67

Kidnapping and violence are rather high in Cleveland, following the notorious headline about the three kidnapped young women who were held captive in the basement of their abductor all of their lives. This, along with many other instances, made city’s crime rate to go up to a high at 76 for every 1,000 residents. Aside from kidnapping, the most common criminal acts associated here are rape, aggravated assault, armed robbery, murder, and manslaughter. Vehicle theft is also pretty common out here.

6. Detroit, Michigan

Crime rate: 79.15

The crime rate of Detroit is currently at an all-time high at 2,137 per 100,000 residents. That’s fairly high even if the population of this city is over 700,000. The instances of murder and aggravated assault went down a little bit during the past years, but rape and robbery continue to rise. If you were to live in Detroit, be sure to be informed of all these unprecedented dangers.

5. Memphis, Tennessee

Crime Index: 81.25

With a violent crime rate of 1,750 per 100,000 residents, this city is not a very nice place for families with small children. Rape, robbery, and aggravated assault are rather rampant out here, although the numbers showed a decline by 4% in the recent years. Murder however, is still going up, sometimes as high as by 7%. If you don’t feel safe walking out at night, then this city is not really a good place to start a family to begin with.

4. Atlanta, Georgia

Crime Index: 84.39

According to the police, Atlanta became a hotbed of crime and violence over the past few years. There were high instances of aggravated assault, rape, and murder in this part of the US several years back. However, the local police are constantly working around the clock to do something about the situation. But even if the number of crime is significantly lower now than it was before, Atlanta is still considered one of the cities with the highest risk factor. The crime rate is currently at 1,379 per 100,000.

3. Birmingham, Alabama

Crime Index: 84.52

The average 895 aggravated assaults that were recorded in Birmingham in the past years made the city one of the high risk places to live in the US. The city’s violent crime rate is currently pegged at 1,483 per 100,000 residents. Combine that with drug problems and an equally high poverty rate, it will make you think that living in Birmingham doesn’t sound like a good idea at all. Birmingham has hit the all-time high in crime rate during the mid-1990. Although the police enforcement announced that the numbers had gone down 40% since then, the city is still considered to be a high risk for residents not used to all the disturbances and crimes.

2. Oakland, California

Crime Index: 85.87

With a violent crime rate of 1,683 per 100,000 residents, Oakland is a city where drugs and crimes combine. All of these could be due to the high poverty level of the city. As a matter of fact, the instances of robbery in Oakland are at the highest figure in all of the US. Now that you know this fact, you might just think twice about crossing the San Francisco Bridge now.

1. St. Louis, Missouri

Crime Index: 87.45

St. Louis has a population of more than 300,000 and a crime rate of 1,875 per 100,000 residents. The many problems of this city include drug trafficking, murder, and many other violent crimes. While murder has been down by 50% since the St. Louis’ notorious years when it ranked fourth nationwide, the risk factor of living here stays relatively the same.