crimebycounty

Most Dangerous Counties in America by Crime Rate

Published May 2, 2026

Crime is not evenly distributed across America. While most counties are relatively safe, a small number report staggeringly high crime rates that demand attention. We identified the 25 most dangerous counties by total crime rate to understand where crime is most concentrated and what patterns emerge.

The counties on this list have total crime rates exceeding 5,000 per 100,000 residents — more than double the national average. These are not places where crime is a minor concern; it is a defining feature of daily life.

The 25 Most Dangerous Counties by Crime Rate

Martin County, TX has the highest total crime rate in America at 63332 per 100,000 residents. Texas (8 counties), Missouri (3 counties), Oklahoma (2 counties), Alabama (2 counties), Ohio (1 counties) are most represented in the top 25.

RankCountyStateTotal CrimeViolent CrimeProperty CrimeSafety Score
1Martin CountyTX6333212510508230
2Osage CountyOK530748969441050
3Clay CountyTX339944947290480.1
4Cass CountyMO331587370257870.1
5Loving CountyTX250000250000.1
6Delaware CountyOH187162365163510.2
7Canadian CountyOK175222981145400.2
8Hays CountyTX174612338151230.2
9Fort Bend CountyTX174013355140460.3
10Jones CountyTX162263118131090.3
11Clackamas CountyOR134431395120480.3
12Christian CountyMO132782843104360.4
13Plymouth CountyIA123961920104760.4
14Lincoln CountySD117801740100390.4
15Ogle CountyIL11761409976620.4
16Benton CountyMN1032291894040.5
17Chambers CountyTX10047114489040.5
18Bossier ParishLA9760176579950.5
19Adams CountyCO8981137876040.6
20Limestone CountyAL8724134573790.6
21Durham CountyNC8661142372380.6
22St. Louis cityMO8518144270750.7
23Collin CountyTX8082117769050.7
24Dale CountyAL7906185660500.7
25Clinton CountyMI7685212955560.8

What Drives High Crime Rates

High-crime counties share several common characteristics:

  • Poverty and inequality: Economic distress is one of the strongest correlates of crime at the county level.
  • Urban density: Most high-crime counties include major urban centers where population density creates opportunities for both violent and property crime.
  • Drug trafficking corridors: Counties along major interstate corridors often experience elevated crime linked to drug distribution networks.
  • Transient populations: Counties with large seasonal, tourist, or migrant populations report higher property crime rates.
  • Reporting completeness: Some counties appear higher on this list because they have more complete crime reporting than comparable areas.

Methodology

Crime data comes from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program (2022 data year). Total crime rate combines violent crime (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) and property crime (burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft) per 100,000 residents. Counties without crime data are excluded from the ranking.

Data sources: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program (2022), County Health Rankings (2024). All figures are estimates and may differ from other published analyses due to methodology differences.

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