Which US cities are getting more dangerous over time? Which are getting safer? The team at YLS tracked down FBI crime trends from 2006 to 2016 to determine which US cities have seen the sharpest increases and decreases in crime over the past ten years. Check out the below crime map to see how your city stacks up. Click on the legend below the map to toggle between safe and dangerous cities.

25 U.S. Cities Getting Safer25 U.S. Cities Getting More Dangerous

• Dangerous Cities
• Safest Cities

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25 Cities Getting More Dangerous

These 25 cities have increased in all types of crime over the past decade. Charleston, WV, tops the list with double the arson counts from 2006 to 2016—even with a population decrease. In fact, nine of the bottom 25 cities have had a decrease in population, which means their crimes per capita have increased all the more dramatically.

1. Charleston, West Virginia
2. Cleveland Heights, Ohio
3. Portland, Texas
4. Kyle, Texas
5. Port Lavaca, Texas
6. Lumberton, North Carolina
7. Elk City, Oklahoma
8. Brown Deer, Wisconsin
9. Sweetwater, Texas
10. Aiken, South Carolina
11. Burkburnett, Texas
12. Ormond Beach, Florida
13. Belton, Missouri
14. Zachary, Louisiana
15. Pueblo, Colorado
16. Central Point, Oregon
17. South Charleston, West Virginia
18. Pineville, Louisiana
19. Jamestown, New York
20. Rochester, New Hampshire
21. Hamburg Town, New York
22. Mitchell, South Dakota
23. Rapid City, South Dakota
24. Anchorage, Alaska
25. Lyndhurst, Ohio

25 Cities Getting Safer

These cities earned a spot in the Top 25 because they experienced the greatest decrease in criminal activity for the six types of crime we measured. The city with the most improvement from 2006 to 2016 is Salisbury, MD. It improved substantially in several areas, including a 100% decrease in arson and a 63% decrease in burglary.

1. Salisbury, Maryland
2. Riviera Beach, Florida
3. Norristown, Pennsylvania
4. Saginaw, Michigan
5. Ypsilanti, Michigan
6. Easton, Pennsylvania
7. Florence, South Carolina
8. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
9. Dallas, Texas
10. North Little Rock, Arkansas
11. Youngstown, Ohio
12. Reading, Pennsylvania
13. Grand Rapids, Michigan
14. Sacramento, California
15. East Orange, New Jersey
16. Newport, Kentucky
17. Flagstaff, Arizona
18. Eloy, Arizona
19. Rochester, New York
20. Casa Grande, Arizona
21. Allentown, Pennsylvania
22. Conway, South Carolina
23. Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina
24. North Charleston, South Carolina
25. Columbus, Ohio

Methodology

The YLS team looked at FBI statistics for US cities in 2006 and 2016 to determine the amount of reported crime in each city using seven data points: murder, robbery, assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, and arson. Cities were ranked based on their average numbers across the seven types of crime. Our team omitted rape numbers because the definition of rape changed between 2006 and 2016. We did not include cities that were missing any year or crime data, that had a population less than 10,000 in 2006 or 2016, or if there were changes in the state or local agency’s reporting practices. This report evaluated a total of 2,311 US cities.

Staying Safe in Your City

No matter how your city stacks up for crime, there are ways you can help keep your home and family safe. Installing a home security system is the perfect way to start.

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