By Elliott Davis Jr. | U.S. News & World Report
These states rank lowest for public safety based on property and violent crime rates.
American Crime
Both violent crime and property crime declined in the U.S. in 2023, according to estimates from the FBI, with the rate of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter dropping by about 12% and the burglary rate down by roughly 8% year over year. The rate of vehicle theft, meanwhile, rose by 12%.
But the prevalence of crime – along with the perceptions and rhetoric surrounding it – can vary from state to state, shaping residents’ quality of life along with the futures of politicians and other officials charged with ensuring public safety.
As part of the 2025 Best States rankings, U.S. News factored in the violent crime rate and property crime rate of each state to assess their overall public safety, based on FBI estimates. That assessment informs the best states for crime and corrections rankings and the overall Best States rankings.
Places at the bottom of the public safety ranking form this list of the country’s most dangerous states. Within the contiguous U.S., they range from the West Coast and the Mountain West to the South, and all but two of the 10 land in the lower half of the broader Best States rankings for 2025. Four of the states rank in the bottom 10 overall.
These are the 10 most dangerous states in the U.S., according to the Best States analysis. The FBI stresses that numerous factors can affect the amount and type of crime occurring in different areas, including climate, economic conditions, law enforcement priorities and population density. Many crimes also go unreported and would not be included in this type of data.
You can learn more about how states are assessed for the Best States rankings in our methodology.