Could you be living in a dangerous state? Most states have cities that vary in crime rate depending on the neighborhood, but what about the most dangerous states overall? The following is a list of the most dangerous states in the country, and what exactly makes them dangerous to live in and visit.
Alaska
According to several sources, the state of Alaska is statistically the most dangerous state in the country. This is due to the enormously high crime rate this otherwise sparsely populated state experiences. According to Property Club, as of 2022 Alaska’s violent crime rate is 30.89 per 1,000 people. Alaska is home to a staggering number of reported sexual assaults as well as aggravated assaults.
Tennessee
Tennessee’s crime rate is nearly as high as Alaska’s, though it does have a substantially higher population. Nonetheless, the amount of violent crimes in this Southern state is pretty high with more than 46,000 violent incidents reported to police in just 2021 alone. Burglary is a common type of crime in Tennessee, but also violent assaults and homicides rank pretty high.
Arizona
It’s actually probably not much of a surprise to learn that Arizona is one of the most dangerous states in the country, but it’s on this list anyway. The Grand Canyon state has seen a steady increase in violent crime for numerous years, with 2021 showing a rise in violent crime by over 8%. Robbery and assault are common in Arizona, but homicide and sexual assaults are also common.
South Dakota
Much like Alaska, South Dakota has a troubling number of violent crimes for as sparsely populated as it is. With a population of under 1 Million people, this state has a violent crime rate of 5.05 per 1,000 residents. This means if you live in South Dakota you have a 1 in 198 chance of becoming a victim of some kind of violent crime. Those are not optimistic numbers if you’re looking for a safe place to call home.
Mississippi
This source claims that Mississippi is actually the most dangerous state in the country, as opposed to the state of Alaska which normally fills that role. This southern state is also home to the second highest number of road/vehicular fatalities, and ranks dead last in road safety and emergency preparedness. Not only is Mississippi one of most dangerous states to live in, it’s also super hard to find employment there.
Alabama
Alabama is one of the most dangerous places to live due to the sheer number of violent crimes that are reported, as well as the lack of emergency preparedness in times of disaster. This southern state boasts a staggering crime rate of 3,185 per 100,000 people — making your chances of becoming a victim rather high if you live there.
Chelsea Hoffman is a true crime writer with over a decade of professional writing experience. She is best known for her coverage of missing people including the tragic disappearance of Madeleine McCann as well as the heartbreaking cases of Dylan Redwine, Heather Elvis and many others.
