crimebycounty

Iowa Crime & Safety

Crime rates and safety scores for all 99 counties.

Avg Violent Crime Rate

217.0

per 100K

Avg Property Crime Rate

879.0

per 100K

Avg Safety Score

60/100

State Overview

Crime & Safety in Iowa

National Context

Iowa Maintains a Significant Safety Edge

Iowa’s average total crime rate of 1,095.3 per 100,000 residents is less than half the national average of 2,385.5. This low frequency positions the Hawkeye State as one of the safest regions in the country for residents and businesses alike.

Violent vs. Property Crime

Property Offenses Drive Most Local Reports

Property crimes account for 878.7 reports per 100,000 people, significantly outpacing the violent crime rate of 216.5. Even with this disparity, Iowa’s violent crime figures remain well below the national benchmark of 369.8 per 100,000 residents.

Safest Counties

Rural Iowa Leads the Way in Safety

Decatur, Shelby, and Winnebago counties all report a total crime rate of 0.0 per 100,000, representing the pinnacle of public safety in the state. These rural communities stand out for having zero reported violent or property crimes in the current dataset.

Crime Hotspots

Understanding Variations in Local Crime Data

Plymouth County records a high total rate of 12,396.1 per 100,000, driven largely by property incidents. Des Moines and Wapello counties also see higher activity with rates of 3,809.5 and 3,479.5 respectively, though they remain outliers compared to the state median.

The Takeaway

A Secure Choice for Residents and Movers

Iowa offers a high level of security, with a total crime rate roughly 54% lower than the U.S. average. With 100% of counties reporting data, prospective movers can feel confident in the state’s overall safety and transparent law enforcement reporting.

All Iowa Counties

CountySafety Score
Decatur County98/100
Shelby County98/100
Winnebago County98/100
Woodbury County93/100
Butler County92/100
Davis County90/100
Calhoun County89/100
Kossuth County89/100
Adair County89/100
Adams County89/100
Grundy County88/100
Madison County88/100
Winneshiek County87/100
Clayton County86/100
Sioux County86/100
Taylor County86/100
Osceola County86/100
Chickasaw County86/100
Pocahontas County86/100
Worth County85/100
Ida County85/100
Howard County84/100
Franklin County84/100
Mitchell County83/100
Ringgold County83/100
Wright County83/100
Cherokee County83/100
Van Buren County82/100
Harrison County82/100
Tama County81/100
Wayne County81/100
Cedar County79/100
Jones County78/100
Louisa County78/100
Guthrie County78/100
Fayette County77/100
Hancock County76/100
Humboldt County75/100
Crawford County74/100
Greene County74/100
Benton County74/100
Emmet County73/100
Boone County72/100
Palo Alto County71/100
Buchanan County71/100
Lyon County71/100
Dickinson County71/100
Audubon County70/100
Marion County70/100
Monroe County68/100
Keokuk County67/100
Carroll County65/100
Allamakee County62/100
Floyd County62/100
Hamilton County62/100
Clay County62/100
Warren County62/100
Bremer County58/100
O'Brien County58/100
Iowa County58/100
Lucas County57/100
Monona County56/100
Delaware County56/100
Jasper County56/100
Montgomery County55/100
Sac County53/100
Mills County51/100
Buena Vista County51/100
Henry County51/100
Fremont County50/100
Jefferson County49/100
Page County44/100
Union County44/100
Jackson County43/100
Washington County41/100
Muscatine County41/100
Story County39/100
Mahaska County37/100
Clarke County34/100
Dubuque County33/100
Poweshiek County32/100
Appanoose County31/100
Polk County30/100
Marshall County30/100
Black Hawk County28/100
Cass County27/100
Johnson County25/100
Hardin County25/100
Lee County23/100
Cerro Gordo County14/100
Linn County14/100
Dallas County12/100
Pottawattamie County10/100
Webster County10/100
Scott County9/100
Clinton County7/100
Wapello County5/100
Des Moines County4/100
Plymouth County0/100

Crime rates per 100K population. — = data pending.

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Data Sources

Crime data sourced from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (UCR) and County Health Rankings. Safety scores are derived composite metrics.

Data is informational only. Not legal or security advice. Coverage varies by county and reporting year.

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