Dangerous Places
As far as dangerous cities in the USA go, there are quite a few. Everybody wishes to reside in a safe place, but there are some people who live in some of the deadliest cities in the USA. These are regular folks like you and me with families. Imagine that the city you reside in reports more incidence of crime than most other cities in the country. Does this imply that you live in a dangerous place?
In today’s period of widespread civil conflict, with people in a state of unrest, such questions are significant. There are various factors that make a city deadly or dangerous. Several variables also affect why this is so. The FBI, through a deeper analysis of data, has come up with different factors that make a criminal impact on life in a city. It is important to note that some cities make the “deadly list” for the number of crimes committed as well as for the nature of severity of the crimes. The FBI evaluates data solely on the basis of crime rates and not much else.
On the basis of official data, the six deadliest cities in the USA are listed below. It is worth noting that rankings are made by law enforcement agency self reports and data may not be 100 percent flawless. Nonetheless, this is what the country relies on for information and is the most widely acknowledged as valid.
Data and Ranking
To completely understand what determines the labeling of these cities as the six deadliest cities in the USA, all kinds of crime are considered. Violent and property crimes are included, and crime rates are calculated for these. The rate of crime is found per 1,000 residents living in the city.
Other Variables
Besides the actual numbers that tell you which are the six deadliest cities in the USA, there are many factors that cause these numbers to be in the red. These are:
- Socioeconomic status and income
- Education
- Access to technology (the internet)
- Unemployment
Research has shown that all the above, either collectively or individually, have a correlation with crime rates in a particular city. These metrics give an insight into reasons for crimes, but these may not be the only reasons. A holistic view, such as this, helps us to understand why certain communities are more dangerous than others.
Nature of Crimes
It’s relevant to note that violent crimes are considered the most dangerous, where there is bodily harm to the victim. This may, or may not, result in death. Violent crimes include murder, aggravated assault with or without a weapon, rape, and murder (Inclusive of manslaughter). Property crimes are theft and arson, mainly. This may include damage to property and robbery. Additional information may not tell you all you need to know about a place, but it offers a beginning to compare trends in the six deadliest cities in the USA. Here we go with the list then.
Mobile, Alabama
People living in Alabama are worried about their safety on an almost-daily basis. Compared to the rest of the USA, this state has more residents who fear being robbed and/or assaulted. Sixty percent of people living in the state of Alabama are afraid for their lives. In spite of this very real concern, only twenty-five percent of residents own a home security system, let alone a safety protection device. For the residents of Mobile, fears are multiplied as compared to cities in the rest of the state.
Mobile has a population of 430,335 residents. With a violent crime rate of 5 per 1,000 and a property crime rate of 38 per 1,000. Significantly, deadly crimes are lower than less violent ones, but the overall safety index is low. This makes it one of the six deadliest cities in the USA. A large percent of the population, almost twenty percent, live in poverty. This is as compared to the rest of the state and the national average. There is also a medium unemployment rate, compared to other cities, but this may not be linked to a lack of education in Mobile.
Corpus Christi, Texas
The next city of the six deadliest cities in the USA is in the state of Texas. With a population roughly the size of Mobile, Alabama, its crime rate for violent crimes is at 7 per 1,000. This is extremely high for such a demographic. The city has a percentage of economically disadvantaged students, about 68%. This indicates that this large number has little or no access to a formal level of higher education, or technological advancement to pursue it. Violent crimes seem to be more prevalent here, and assault is the most frequent among these. In 2019, there were reportedly 37 homicides in the city, the highest in ten years that the city witnessed.
Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana
Shreveport and the Bossier City area in Louisiana has a population of around 400,000 residents. Its crime rate for violent crimes is 6 per 1,000. This is quite high, making it a definitive inclusion in the six deadliest cities in the USA. In sharp contrast, property crimes are higher, at 38 per 1,000. This still accounts for it being a dangerous city to live in overall. The average median income is on the medium to low strata and education is somewhat lower as a percentage compared with many other cities in the USA. Homicides and rapes are a constant challenge for the police department in this city.
Spokane, Washington
Spokane in Washington State has a population of roughly 558,000 residents. The violent crime rate is around 4.5 per 1,000, considered high for such a population. Property crimes are more common with petty thefts. There are fewer people in Spokane who are thought of as living in poverty, compared to other crime-filled areas, still the rate of overall crime is moderately high. It is ranked the third high city for property crimes. Daytime crime is on the rise, with criminals breaking into houses and stealing electronic items in broad daylight.
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit has a very high violent crime rate of 10 per 1,000. This car manufacturer capital of the USA in the state of Michigan has a lower property crime rate than other crime-city counterparts. It has a denser population of 1,748,500 odd people and ranks second as far as violent crimes go. Having a great deal of the population with an achieved high school education, there is a portion of the population who hasn’t taken to studying further and aiming at a career.
The economy has faced a significant downturn through the ages, and unemployment seems to be a factor in the reason for criminal behavior. The city has an annual unemployment rate of 9%, which is high by any standard. Michigan, as a state, has an unemployment rate of just 4%. By way of comparison with the USA’s unemployment rate, the rate of unemployment is sky-high, the rate of USA being 3.5%. Yes, it is safe to say that Detroit is one of the six deadliest cities in the USA.
Lubbock, Texas
Texas, as states go, has many areas where crime plays a role in the daily lives of people. Lubbock is one such city in the state. The city has seen a steady and sure rate of growth economically, and a low cost of housing. Many people are proud to call it home. So why is this one of the six deadliest cities in the USA? With over 300,000 people calling this place “home”, and a diverse economy with low unemployment, this should be ideal.
High crime has caught the city’s breadth because the city faces a great deal of unpredictable weather. It comes bang in between the “tornado belt” and many people have to have insurance. This comes at a high cost to the people themselves as well as to insurance companies. This causes stress in people that lead to felonies like drunk driving, thefts, violent crimes like rape (though few homicides) and robbery. Vehicle theft and arson are also commonly occurring crimes.
Analyzing Data at a Glance
In the most dangerous cities in the USA, the violent crime rate is 2.3 times higher than the rate nationally. The average crime rate per 1,000 for all the deadliest cities in the country is at 8.4 per 1,000, while the national average is at 3.5-3.7 per 1,000. The property crime rate is nearly double the national average at 40.1 per 1,000. The average rate for property crimes for the country of the USA is 22 per 1,000. An interesting discovery is that the average income of households in cities with the deadliest crimes is around 80% lower annually than the national average household income. Property crimes are the highest in these dangerous areas, save for a few cities with violent crime taking the lead. With nearly 17% of the population in deadly cities living in poverty, this isn’t very shocking. Again, this number is higher than the national average population living below the line of poverty.