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Morgan Quitno Press' 5th Annual Safest Metro Award

"MOST DANGEROUS" RANK ORDER (1 is "most dangerous", 255 is "safest")

A Score of "0.00" would reflect an average crime rate at the national rate in the six crimes reviewed.   A positive score reflects an average rate above the national rate.  A negative score, shown in parentheses, reflects an average rate below the national rate.

Press Release | Alpha Metro Order | Safest Metro Order | "Missing" Metro Areas

Methodology | Previous Years' Rankings | City Award | MQ Home

Most Dangerous Order

Safest Order

Metropolitan Area

1997 Population

Score

1

255

Pine Bluff, AR

86,428

165.83

2

254

Miami, FL

2,127,082

148.26

3

253

Memphis, TN-AR-MS

1,094,180

140.53

4

252

New Orleans, LA

1,320,311

108.45

5

251

Myrtle Beach, SC

156,870

86.44

6

250

Albuquerque, NM

675,809

83.48

7

249

Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL

451,138

77.67

8

248

Jackson, MS

421,653

74.38

9

247

Jackson, TN

99,627

70.00

10

246

Nashville, TN

1,109,843

69.14

11

245

Gainesville, FL

202,746

66.33

12

244

Gary-Hammond, IN

631,914

65.59

13

243

Baltimore, MD

2,505,920

63.66

14

242

Fresno, CA

856,862

62.25

15

241

Baton Rouge, LA

563,031

61.23

16

240

Jacksonville, FL

1,023,100

61.07

17

239

Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA

9,394,202

54.01

18

238

West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, FL

1,002,457

52.34

19

237

Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR

553,480

51.55

20

236

Lake Charles, LA

174,811

50.24

21

235

Monroe, LA

147,694

50.11

22

234

Flint, MI

445,874

49.01

23

233

Detroit, MI

4,435,676

47.31

24

232

Shreveport-Bossier City, LA

381,600

46.04

25

231

Stockton-Lodi, CA

531,958

45.65

26

230

Tallahassee, FL

266,088

45.05

27

229

New York, NY

8,596,217

42.02

28

228

Tucson, AZ

817,689

41.60

29

227

Orlando, FL

1,429,848

41.01

30

226

Phoenix-Mesa, AZ

2,764,715

40.21

31

225

Jersey City, NJ

562,790

39.30

32

224

Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC

1,320,693

39.06

33

223

Mobile, AL

524,259

38.82

34

222

Birmingham, AL

894,530

37.87

35

221

Charleston-North Charleston, SC

535,936

37.23

36

220

Sacramento, CA

1,479,844

36.43

37

219

Greenville, NC

119,868

34.59

38

218

Columbia, SC

499,876

34.30

39

217

Modesto, CA

417,583

32.70

40

216

Sumter, SC

109,491

32.60

41

215

Oakland, CA

2,240,478

32.34

42

214

Atlanta, GA

3,534,929

32.21

43

213

Richmond-Petersburg, VA

942,111

32.06

44

212

Indianapolis, IN

1,490,823

31.97

45

211

Florence, SC

124,334

31.25

46

210

Tacoma, WA

670,980

30.29

47

209

Fort Lauderdale, FL

1,452,443

30.11

48

208

Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL

2,264,864

29.55

50

206

Houston, TX

3,864,390

29.44

50

206

Springfield, MA

471,064

29.44

51

205

Waco, TX

208,534

29.25

52

204

Dallas, TX

2,958,553

29.15

53

203

Oklahoma City, OK

1,026,118

28.74

54

202

Daytona Beach, FL

462,598

27.66

55

201

Riverside-San Bernardino, CA

2,969,344

27.49

56

200

Wilmington, NC

203,106

26.18

57

199

Columbus, OH

1,432,800

26.05

58

198

Montgomery, AL

322,867

25.98

59

197

Albany, GA

124,109

25.75

60

196

Fayetteville, NC

300,747

24.71

61

195

Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX

394,229

22.95

62

194

Gadsden, AL

102,273

22.81

63

193

Anchorage, AK

255,634

22.80

64

192

Galveston-Texas City, TX

248,220

20.79

65

191

Pensacola, FL

389,382

20.67

66

190

Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton, NJ

141,414

20.51

67

189

Alexandria, LA

127,553

20.49

68

188

Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, SC

897,487

19.73

69

187

Tulsa, OK

756,523

19.62

70

186

Fort Myers-Cape Coral, FL

385,893

19.45

71

185

Tuscaloosa, AL

160,764

19.04

72

184

Naples, FL

185,283

19.03

73

183

Pueblo, CO

135,937

18.90

74

182

Fort Pierce-Port St. Lucie, FL

292,254

18.79

75

181

Newark, NJ

1,970,655

18.63

76

180

Merced, CA

202,078

17.71

77

179

Bridgeport, CT

452,228

17.33

78

178

Anniston, AL

119,633

14.91

79

177

Corpus Christi, TX

398,307

13.66

80

176

Yakima, WA

217,096

13.49

81

175

Enid, OK

57,957

13.45

82

174

Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

1,012,905

12.86

83

173

Savannah, GA

292,473

12.70

84

172

Bakersfield, CA

625,540

11.94

85

171

Visalia-Tulare-Porterville, CA

352,384

11.26

86

170

Macon, GA

326,174

9.58

87

169

Ocala, FL

230,845

8.66

88

168

Yuba City, CA

138,780

8.53

89

167

Texarkana, TX-AR

128,574

8.12

90

166

Laredo, TX

172,479

7.27

91

165

Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA

1,764,437

6.48

92

164

Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Pt, NC

1,163,214

5.28

93

163

Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

1,647,495

3.36

94

162

Washington, DC-MD-VA-WV

4,513,915

3.27

95

161

Omaha, NE-IA

675,091

3.21

96

160

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX

487,623

3.08

97

159

Toledo, OH

618,551

2.78

98

158

Redding, CA

164,278

2.70

99

157

San Antonio, TX

1,520,247

2.61

100

156

Salinas, CA

361,277

2.45

101

155

Atlantic City-Cape May, NJ

336,176

2.34

102

154

Amarillo, TX

208,406

2.21

103

153

Lafayette, LA

364,408

1.60

104

152

Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA

2,287,805

1.48

105

151

Tyler, TX

168,100

1.17

106

150

San Francisco, CA

1,689,734

1.00

107

149

Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI

1,471,427

0.58

108

148

Spokane, WA

415,653

(0.24)

109

147

New Bedford, MA

176,310

(0.53)

110

146

San Diego, CA

2,702,151

(0.57)

111

145

Lubbock, TX

243,004

(0.62)

113

143

Austin-San Marcos, TX

1,019,596

(1.40)

113

143

Victoria, TX

84,023

(1.40)

114

142

Huntsville, AL

323,619

(2.20)

115

141

Dover, DE

127,863

(2.63)

116

140

Norfolk-Va Beach-Newport News, VA-NC

1,573,608

(3.49)

117

139

El Paso, TX

703,190

(4.28)

118

138

Melbourne-Titusville-Palm Bay, FL

465,762

(4.46)

119

137

Sarasota-Bradenton, FL

543,942

(4.65)

120

136

Vallejo-Fairfield-Napa, CA

495,385

(4.84)

121

135

Rocky Mount, NC

147,330

(5.24)

122

134

Denver, CO

1,904,156

(6.37)

123

133

Reno, NV

325,650

(6.60)

124

132

New Haven-Meriden, CT

560,409

(6.81)

125

131

Lawton, OK

119,753

(7.00)

126

130

Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI

2,759,627

(7.21)

127

129

Dothan, AL

137,662

(8.84)

128

128

Goldsboro, NC

114,732

(9.29)

129

127

South Bend, IN

260,406

(9.59)

130

126

Salt Lake City-Ogden, UT

1,271,704

(10.61)

131

125

Longview-Marshall, TX

215,566

(11.32)

132

124

Sioux City, IA-NE

120,206

(11.42)

133

123

Bryan-College Station, TX

137,915

(11.44)

134

122

Yolo, CA

150,312

(11.99)

135

121

Eugene-Springfield, OR

314,195

(12.08)

136

120

Elkhart-Goshen, IN

167,184

(13.34)

137

119

Odessa-Midland, TX

250,991

(13.67)

138

118

Bremerton, WA

231,404

(14.76)

139

117

Brockton, MA

251,863

(15.30)

140

116

Trenton, NJ

335,625

(15.46)

141

115

Fort Wayne, IN

478,179

(15.52)

142

114

Columbus, GA-AL

292,205

(15.58)

143

113

Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, TX

314,072

(16.03)

144

112

Rapid City, SD

88,621

(16.50)

145

111

Chico-Paradise, CA

197,363

(17.01)

146

110

Abilene, TX

128,936

(17.59)

147

109

Panama City, FL

146,938

(18.86)

148

108

Wichita Falls, TX

139,605

(19.09)

149

107

Honolulu, HI

880,272

(19.99)

150

106

Bellingham, WA

152,666

(21.50)

151

105

Waterbury, CT

182,398

(21.52)

152

104

Charleston, WV

252,912

(21.59)

153

103

Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA

124,706

(23.90)

154

102

Jonesboro, AR

75,474

(24.49)

155

101

Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

241,222

(24.67)

156

100

Worcester, MA-CT

483,371

(24.81)

157

99

San Jose, CA

1,598,682

(25.05)

159

97

Fitchburg-Leominster, MA

137,090

(25.08)

159

97

Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland, MI

1,013,769

(25.08)

160

96

Lincoln, NE

230,475

(25.63)

161

95

Racine, WI

184,840

(25.78)

162

94

Mansfield, OH

176,879

(26.48)

163

93

Danville, VA

113,008

(26.77)

164

92

Reading, PA

343,703

(26.86)

165

91

Salem, OR

320,978

(27.32)

166

90

Killeen-Temple, TX

303,735

(27.75)

167

89

Fort Smith, AR-OK

190,019

(27.82)

168

88

Fort Walton Beach, FL

168,881

(28.06)

169

87

Orange County, CA

2,610,845

(28.15)

170

86

Boston, MA-NH

3,457,976

(28.94)

171

85

Sherman-Denison, TX

102,875

(29.03)

172

84

Santa Rosa, CA

421,101

(29.04)

173

83

Rochester, NY

1,086,828

(29.60)

174

82

Duluth-Superior, MN-WI

246,797

(29.62)

175

81

Richland-Kennewick-Pasco, WA

180,594

(29.91)

176

80

Asheville, NC

213,754

(30.19)

177

79

Des Moines, IA

419,768

(30.29)

178

78

San Angelo, TX

107,086

(32.22)

179

77

Providence-Fall River-Warwick, RI-MA

948,966

(33.90)

180

76

Lowell, MA-NH

282,324

(34.05)

181

75

Casper, WY

64,417

(34.54)

182

74

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc, CA

390,612

(34.80)

183

73

Olympia, WA

196,586

(34.88)

184

72

Jackson, MI

157,755

(35.03)

185

71

Springfield, MO

323,694

(35.21)

186

70

Hartford, CT

1,055,187

(36.57)

187

69

Hickory-Morganton-Lenoir, NC

321,101

(37.09)

188

68

Sioux Falls, SD

159,398

(37.12)

189

67

Medford-Ashland, OR

170,612

(37.28)

190

66

Ann Arbor, MI

527,037

(37.65)

191

65

Erie, PA

279,554

(37.88)

192

64

Ventura, CA

721,437

(38.40)

193

63

Hagerstown, MD

128,820

(38.49)

194

62

Columbia, MO

124,327

(39.22)

195

61

Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA

466,285

(39.27)

196

60

San Luis Obispo-Atascadero, CA

229,653

(39.62)

197

59

Barnstable-Yarmouth, MA

143,497

(39.85)

198

58

New London-Norwich, CT-RI

301,816

(40.05)

199

57

Iowa City, IA

100,814

(40.38)

200

56

Fort Collins-Loveland, CO

226,106

(40.46)

201

55

Janesville-Beloit, WI

148,473

(40.83)

202

54

Boulder-Longmont, CO

265,777

(42.21)

203

53

Charlottesville, VA

144,577

(42.38)

204

52

Kenosha, WI

140,188

(42.41)

205

51

Boise, ID

371,511

(44.18)

206

50

Joplin, MO

145,059

(44.50)

207

49

Pittsburgh, PA

2,402,258

(44.57)

208

48

Lynchburg, VA

208,518

(45.10)

209

47

Portland, ME

237,357

(45.88)

210

46

Madison, WI

389,766

(45.89)

211

45

Roanoke, VA

234,944

(47.04)

212

44

Rochester, MN

115,847

(47.18)

213

43

St. Joseph, MO

100,284

(47.39)

214

42

Bergen-Passaic, NJ

1,328,669

(47.67)

215

41

Provo-Orem, UT

314,034

(48.49)

216

40

Punta Gorda, FL

132,844

(48.66)

217

39

Syracuse, NY

753,844

(49.21)

218

38

Decatur, AL

141,136

(49.31)

219

37

Jacksonville, NC

155,053

(50.23)

220

36

Grand Junction, CO

110,341

(50.73)

221

35

Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR

249,368

(50.90)

222

34

Brazoria, TX

223,716

(52.07)

223

33

Cheyenne, WY

78,804

(52.93)

224

32

Kokomo, IN

101,273

(53.23)

225

31

Lewiston-Auburn, ME

104,040

(53.50)

226

30

Utica-Rome, NY

313,390

(53.66)

227

29

Newburgh, NY-PA

355,286

(54.86)

228

28

Bangor, ME

67,198

(55.75)

229

27

Jamestown, NY

141,908

(56.49)

230

26

Stamford-Norwalk, CT

331,114

(56.94)

231

25

Fargo-Moorhead, ND-MN

163,298

(57.24)

232

24

Dutchess County, NY

260,996

(58.46)

233

23

Florence, AL

138,890

(59.20)

234

22

Cumberland, MD-WV

102,301

(59.38)

235

21

Middlesex-Somerset-Hunterdon, NJ

1,088,827

(59.51)

236

20

Monmouth-Ocean, NJ

1,054,409

(59.58)

237

19

Wheeling, WV-OH

158,100

(59.97)

238

18

Lafayette, IN

169,975

(60.60)

239

17

St. Cloud, MN

160,983

(60.68)

240

16

Dubuque, IA

88,988

(60.77)

241

15

Pocatello, ID

75,750

(60.89)

242

14

Grand Forks, ND-MN

104,790

(61.31)

243

13

Nassau-Suffolk, NY

2,619,121

(63.05)

244

12

Bismarck, ND

88,564

(63.24)

245

11

Binghamton, NY

262,321

(64.54)

246

10

Elmira, NY

94,352

(65.00)

247

9

Green Bay, WI

210,852

(65.51)

248

8

Wausau, WI

141,831

(68.72)

249

7

Eau Claire, WI

144,391

(68.73)

250

6

Sheboygan, WI

108,878

(69.21)

251

5

Johnstown, PA

239,041

(70.33)

252

4

Danbury, CT

163,600

(70.69)

253

3

Pittsfield, MA

99,502

(71.58)

254

2

La Crosse, WI-MN

122,353

(73.23)

255

1

Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah, WI

341,326

(76.50)