Most Dangerous Counties in the United States (2024)
Ranking of 2,944 U.S. counties by crime rate per 100,000 residents, based on
FBI NIBRS data.
Broken down by assault, homicide, robbery, and sex offense rates.
Explore the full data on our interactive crime map.
Also see: Safest counties in the US.
Not all agencies report every offense category consistently. Some counties may show unusually low rates for specific crime types due to differences in classification or reporting practices, rather than actual low incidence.
#
County
Population
Assault
Homicide
Robbery
Sex Offenses
Frequently Asked Questions
Which are the most dangerous counties in the United States?
Based on 2024 FBI NIBRS data, the counties with the highest overall crime rates are: Fairfax County, Virginia (138,975 per 100K), Loving County, Texas (81,250 per 100K), Kenedy County, Texas (52,121 per 100K), Franklin County, Virginia (25,057 per 100K), St. Louis County, Missouri (16,081 per 100K).
Which are the safest counties in the United States?
The counties with the lowest overall crime rates are: Newton County, Mississippi (104 per 100K), Dearborn County, Indiana (113 per 100K), Delaware County, New York (118 per 100K), St. Johns County, Florida (122 per 100K), Keya Paha County, Nebraska (122 per 100K).
Which counties have the most homicides per capita?
The counties with the highest homicide rates per 100,000 residents are: Madison County, Louisiana (66 per 100K), St. Louis City County, Missouri (58 per 100K), Tyrrell County, North Carolina (57 per 100K), Fairfax County, Virginia (57 per 100K), Macon County, Alabama (55 per 100K).
Which counties have the most robberies per capita?
The counties with the highest robbery rates are: Fairfax County, Virginia (1,591 per 100K), Baltimore City County, Maryland (575 per 100K), Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania (270 per 100K), St. Louis City County, Missouri (253 per 100K), Shelby County, Tennessee (246 per 100K).
Which counties have the most sex offenses per capita?
The counties with the highest sex offense rates are: Fairfax County, Virginia (1,036 per 100K), Sullivan County, Pennsylvania (472 per 100K), Potter County, Pennsylvania (469 per 100K), Franklin County, Virginia (466 per 100K), Eureka County, Nevada (426 per 100K). Note: reporting practices for sex offenses vary significantly between agencies.
What data is this based on?
This ranking uses data from the FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) for 2024. NIBRS collects detailed information about each criminal incident from participating law enforcement agencies across the United States.
How is the crime rate calculated?
Crime rates are calculated as the number of reported offenses per 100,000 residents. This allows fair comparison between counties of different sizes.
Why are some counties missing?
Not all law enforcement agencies participate in NIBRS. Counties where no agency reports to NIBRS are excluded, as are those with fewer than 100 total offenses per 100K.
What's the difference between NIBRS and UCR?
UCR collected aggregate monthly counts. NIBRS replaced it with detailed per-incident data including victims, offenders, weapons, and locations. As of 2024, the FBI only accepts NIBRS data.
Methodology
Crime rates are per 100,000 residents.
Assault — aggravated assault, simple assault, and intimidation.
Homicide — murder, non-negligent manslaughter, and negligent manslaughter.
Robbery — taking property by force or threat of force.
Sex Offenses — forcible rape, sodomy, sexual assault with an object, and fondling.
Reporting caveat: Individual crime categories may be underreported by some agencies due to differences in classification practices.