If you’ve perused the Crime and Courts page of the Press-Citizen in Iowa City, you’ll be privy to the reality many Iowans are well aware of – this Midwestern state houses several hazardous locations.
Are the residents idle because of the flat terrain? Is it due to job scarcity? Minimal wages? Yes to all, and there are even more reasons.
How did we deduce which areas were the most treacherous in this land of cornfields? We turned to the data. We reviewed 75 cities in total, using the most recent FBI crime report to examine violent crime and property crime statistics for all places with a population over 5,000.
We found that Iowa has some intriguing stats in relation to the national average when it comes to violent and property crime. The state tops the list for arson cases but lags in murder and aggravated assault. Shockingly, the city with the highest number of assaults and murders in the state has fewer than 26,000 inhabitants.
However, not all of Iowa is rife with danger. The state’s guardian angel is undoubtedly keeping an eye on its safest cities. Conversely, it’s also true that Iowa has its share of perilous cities; these places can be quite treacherous.
While the bulk of Iowa’s issues do revolve around its biggest cities, it might surprise you to learn that the state’s most hazardous city has a mere 11,000 inhabitants.
Despite Iowa not ranking among the top ten most hazardous states, Des Moines and Davenport feature among the most treacherous cities in the nation. Could these cities benefit from increased police presence? We’re not entirely sure.
However, one thing is certain: it’s worth examining the list of Iowa’s most hazardous places below – there may be some unexpected entries.
The Most Dangerous Cities in Iowa 2024
1. Council Bluffs
- Population: 62,144
- Violent Crimes Per 100k: 923
- Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,788
- Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Council Bluffs is the most dangerous city in Iowa. Despite its historical significance and cultural richness, the city has seen a surge in both violent and property crimes, with the highest property crime rate in the state.
2. Ottumwa
- Population: 24,293
- Violent Crimes Per 100k: 946
- Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,906
- Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 1)
With the highest rate of violent crimes in the state, Ottumwa is a significant concern. Property crime is also a major issue, ranking third in this category.
3. Davenport
- Population: 101,806
- Violent Crimes Per 100k: 736
- Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,925
- Rank Last Year: 4 (Up 1)
Despite its beautiful location along the Mississippi River and vibrant cultural events, Davenport has a high crime rate, making it one of the most dangerous cities in Iowa.
4. Fort Dodge
- Population: 23,755
- Violent Crimes Per 100k: 757
- Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,481
- Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 6)
Known for its long history of gypsum mining, Fort Dodge has the highest murder rate in the state, contributing to its high crime ranking.
5. Des Moines
- Population: 215,290
- Violent Crimes Per 100k: 704
- Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,901
- Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 3)
As the state capital and the largest city in Iowa, Des Moines has a high crime rate, making it one of the most dangerous cities in the state.
6. Sioux City
- Population: 82,628
- Violent Crimes Per 100k: 577
- Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,245
- Rank Last Year: 6 (No Change)
Sioux City has a high rate of property crime, ranking seventh in the state, contributing to its place on this list.
7. Burlington
- Population: 24,622
- Violent Crimes Per 100k: 491
- Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,500
- Rank Last Year: 5 (Down 2)
Located in the southeastern corner of the state, Burlington is the fifth most dangerous city in terms of property crime.
8. Keokuk
- Population: 10,091
- Violent Crimes Per 100k: 673
- Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,447
- Rank Last Year: 7 (Down 1)
Keokuk, located at the intersection of three states, has a high rate of violent crimes, ranking sixth most dangerous in this category.
9. Waterloo
- Population: 67,200
- Violent Crimes Per 100k: 623
- Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,556
- Rank Last Year: 8 (Down 1)
With a high rate of both violent and property crimes, Waterloo is one of the most dangerous cities in Iowa.
10. Fort Madison
- Population: 10,239
- Violent Crimes Per 100k: 625
- Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,314
- Rank Last Year: 9 (Down 1)
Rounding out the top ten most dangerous cities in Iowa, Fort Madison has a high rate of violent crimes, making it one of the riskiest places in the state.
How We Determined the Most Dangerous Cities in Iowa for 2024
The FBI releases two sets of crime data every year. For our analysis, we used the most recently available data from the 2020 Crime In The United States Report. Our criteria for determining the most dangerous cities were:
- Violent Crimes Per Capita
- Property Crimes Per Capita
We only considered cities in Iowa with a population of over 5,000, giving us a total of 75 cities to analyze. We ranked each city from 1 to 75 for both criteria, with a #1 ranking indicating the highest level of danger. We then averaged the two rankings to create a “Dangerous Index,” with the city with the lowest index deemed the most dangerous.