National ranking · Top 100 · data updated August 2026

The 100 Safest Cities in America

This list ranks the top 100 US cities by crime rate (per 100,000), drawn straight from FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. Use the leading value, cutoff, state mix, and full table together to see which places lead this single measure and what it takes to make the list.

Compiled by PlainCities

100
Cities ranked: #1
Worcester: 16.5
Crime Rate (per 100,000)

Data updated August 2026

The headline finding

Worcester, MA tops this list at 16.5 crime rate (per 100,000), making the top 100 requires no worse than 317.8.

Worcester, MA
#1 · 16.5: 317.8
#100 cutoff: 100
cities in this ranking

Every figure here is read live from the same FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program data rendered in the table below.

A note on this ranking: Crime rate reflects reported incidents submitted to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program -- agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive measure of danger. It is not adjusted for population exposure (tourism, commuters, daytime population) or case mix.

These 100 cities span 28 states. New Jersey has the most entries on this list: 18 (18% of the total). New Jersey state page.

How we calculate the state breakdown

The state count and leader above are a live tally of this list's own 100 rows, grouped by state. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

Worcester, MA

16.5
Savannah, GA

20.3
Matawan, NJ

20.5
Campton Hills, IL

55.7
Turtle Creek, PA

61.6
Cottleville, MO

64.9
Munroe Falls, OH

81
Pendleton, IN

84.3
Emerson, NJ

94.6
Columbus, IN

96.4
Clinton, MA

100.9
Margaret, AL

105.4

What this shows Worcester, Massachusetts ranks #1 with the lowest crime rate (per 100,000); the full top 100 is listed below.

Lower crime rate is safer.

New Jersey (NJ)

18
Illinois (IL)

12
Indiana (IN)

9
Pennsylvania (PA)

8
Ohio (OH)

8
Massachusetts (MA)

6
Iowa (IA)

5
Wisconsin (WI)

4
Georgia (GA)

3
Utah (UT)

3

What this shows New Jersey leads with 18 of the 100 spots on this list.

#	City	Crime Rate (per 100,000)	Population
1	WorcesterMassachusetts	16.5	205,501
2	SavannahGeorgia	20.3	147,546
3	MatawanNew Jersey	20.5	9,636
4	Campton HillsIllinois	55.7	10,724
5	Turtle CreekPennsylvania	61.6	5,046
6	CottlevilleMissouri	64.9	5,750
7	Munroe FallsOhio	81	5,019
8	PendletonIndiana	84.3	5,115
9	EmersonNew Jersey	94.6	7,263
10	ColumbusIndiana	96.4	51,104
11	ClintonMassachusetts	100.9	6,908
12	MargaretAlabama	105.4	5,538
13	Broadview HeightsOhio	106.6	19,768
14	FrostburgMaryland	115.2	7,025
15	AllendaleNew Jersey	115.5	6,820
16	Sioux CenterIowa	127.3	8,335
17	Hawthorn WoodsIllinois	137.3	9,145
18	New MartinsvilleWest Virginia	138.6	5,175
19	St. ClairsvilleOhio	141.8	5,043
20	UlyssesKansas	143.8	5,812
21	South RiverNew Jersey	147.8	16,007
22	Mount ArlingtonNew Jersey	148.3	5,901
23	OronoMaine	150.3	10,699
24	St. JohnIndiana	153.3	21,639
25	ScituateMassachusetts	157.1	5,602
26	Pingree GroveIllinois	166.7	10,576
27	WeiserIdaho	177.6	5,803
28	Round Lake ParkIllinois	180.8	7,833
29	Long BeachNew York	182.5	34,741
30	LindenhurstIllinois	188.5	14,365
31	Fair HavenNew Jersey	197.9	6,182
32	AlpineTexas	198.8	6,003
33	AsburyIowa	199.3	5,949
34	NorthboroughMassachusetts	200.3	6,720
35	PorterIndiana	211.3	5,208
36	PlumPennsylvania	214.2	26,873
37	RingwoodNew Jersey	215.1	11,600
38	OradellNew Jersey	215.5	8,197
39	SmithfieldUtah	218.6	14,033
40	EnochUtah	219.8	7,856
41	WanaqueNew Jersey	223	11,162
42	SenoiaGeorgia	223.5	5,353
43	AlgonaIowa	226.5	5,414
44	LowellIndiana	227.6	10,911
45	ManhattanIllinois	229.1	10,315
46	MonticelloIllinois	231.7	6,332
47	Orange CityIowa	233	6,312
48	Old TappanNew Jersey	238.8	5,896
49	TrentonOhio	242.9	13,304
50	GilbertsIllinois	246.9	8,389
51	Poplar BluffMissouri	248.3	16,243
52	HopatcongNew Jersey	251.3	14,470
53	GrovetownGeorgia	253.2	16,516
54	MurrysvillePennsylvania	256.4	20,839
55	NolensvilleTennessee	257.4	14,545
56	Whispering PinesNorth Carolina	257.8	5,081
57	ImperialCalifornia	259.3	20,943
58	GraftonOhio	260.7	5,665
59	HillsdaleNew Jersey	263.1	10,086
60	North BranchMinnesota	263.7	11,182
61	Park RidgeNew Jersey	263.8	9,218
62	FlatwoodsKentucky	263.9	7,281
63	DurhamNew Hampshire	265	10,577
64	RyeNew York	267.2	16,410
65	YorktownIndiana	271	11,617
66	CanonsburgPennsylvania	271.1	9,682
67	EvansvilleWisconsin	273.5	5,771
68	BridgewaterMassachusetts	274.9	28,669
69	SharonMassachusetts	277.3	6,022
70	Western SpringsIllinois	280.5	13,353
71	BergenfieldNew Jersey	280.5	28,269
72	Mount HorebWisconsin	283.7	7,719
73	ManchesterMaryland	287.4	5,446
74	NorwalkIowa	288.7	13,610
75	Franklin ParkPennsylvania	289.2	15,273
76	SelinsgrovePennsylvania	290.2	5,655
77	Fox ChapelPennsylvania	292.5	5,264
78	Homer GlenIllinois	293.2	24,516
79	SunburyPennsylvania	295.2	9,643
80	CiceroIndiana	296.3	5,441
81	ZionsvilleIndiana	298.9	31,442
82	New ProvidenceNew Jersey	298.9	13,577
83	CalipatriaCalifornia	299	6,549
84	Church HillTennessee	300.9	7,057
85	BedfordIndiana	302.8	13,824
86	DumontNew Jersey	303.8	18,072
87	RidgefieldConnecticut	304.9	7,103
88	SandwichIllinois	305	7,121
89	WestwoodNew Jersey	305.9	11,221
90	TavaresFlorida	307.5	19,738
91	PitmanNew Jersey	307.5	8,834
92	Avon LakeOhio	309.6	25,456
93	PiedmontOklahoma	312.1	7,978
94	SalemUtah	312.1	9,893
95	Olmsted FallsOhio	312.6	8,640
96	ChesterIllinois	313.2	6,830
97	BrecksvilleOhio	313.3	13,656
98	KronenwetterWisconsin	314.1	8,420
99	WaunakeeWisconsin	315.2	14,927
100	Vero BeachFlorida	317.8	16,785

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2023 vintage, released December 2024), the underlying dataset behind this ranking spans 28,702 U.S. incorporated places and census-designated places nationally; this page shows the top 100 by crime rate (per 100,000). See our methodology for the full data-collection process.

Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. Verify directly with the source agency: U.S. Census Bureau, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES.

Questions about the safest cities in america list

What does this safest cities in america ranking measure?

It orders cities by crime rate (per 100,000) using FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. It is a single-metric comparison, not an overall score for quality of life or a recommendation about where to live.

Are metropolitan areas included?

The rows are individual cities or Census-defined places covered by the named source, not combined metropolitan areas. The page states any extra coverage or population rule that applies to this specific crime rate (per 100,000) ranking.

Can I download and verify the ranking?

Yes. The CSV above contains the same ranked rows shown in the table. The page names the source and vintage, links to the source agency, and explains category-specific caveats before the data.

What to do with the safest cities in america list

Use this ranking to narrow the field, then dig into the specific places you're considering.

Worcester, MA leads this list at 16.5 -- see its full profile before drawing conclusions from the rank alone. Worcester profile
Put two specific cities side by side across every tracked metric, not just this one ranking. Compare cities
See every ranked city in Massachusetts together, not just how Worcester compares nationally. Massachusetts state page

Crime rate reflects reported incidents submitted to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program -- agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive measure of danger. It is not adjusted for population exposure (tourism, commuters, daytime population) or case mix.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Browse all city profiles → | Explore city rankings →

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

The 100 Safest Cities in America

Top 12 cities by crime rate (per 100,000)

Which states show up most

Questions about the safest cities in america list

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