America’s Crime Hotspots: The Most Dangerous States in 2025 Revealed

America’s Crime Hotspots: The Most Dangerous States in 2025 Revealed

• Alaska ranks as the most dangerous state, with an index score of 93.11
• The study examines ten types of violent crimes across all 50 states to determine the rankings
• New Hampshire was identified as the safest state, with the lowest violent crime index score in the country at 13.67

A new study by High Rise Financial, a pre-settlement legal funding company, has identified Alaska as the most dangerous state in the United States based on an analysis of violent crime rates. The study examined ten types of violent crimes across all 50 states to determine which states have the highest occurrence of these offenses.

Top five most dangerous states:

Alaska tops the list as the most dangerous state with an index score of 93.11. The state exhibits alarming rates in several violent crime categories. Alaska has the highest rate of rape at 23.24 per 100,000 people and a significantly high aggravated assault rate of 372.32 per 100,000. The robbery rate stands at 55.28 per 100,000, and the murder and non-negligent manslaughter rate is 7.22 per 100,000. Additionally, Alaska has elevated rates of motor vehicle theft (90.26 per 100,000) and arson (7.45 per 100,000).

Louisiana ranks second with an index score of 81.10. The state has the highest murder and non-negligent manslaughter rate in the country at 10.52 per 100,000. Aggravated assault is also high at 192.53 per 100,000, and the robbery rate is 24.51 per 100,000. Other assaults occur at a rate of 538.26 per 100,000, indicating a significant level of violent incidents. Louisiana’s high rates of burglary (100.40 per 100,000) and motor vehicle theft (37.92 per 100,000) further contribute to its ranking.

With an index score of 77.46, Pennsylvania is the third most dangerous state. The state’s aggravated assault rate is notable at 146.44 per 100,000. Robbery occurs at a rate of 35.71 per 100,000, and burglaryis at 53.26 per 100,000. The other assaults rate is high at 509.75 per 100,000. Pennsylvania’s murder and non-negligent manslaughter rate stands at 8.21 per 100,000. These figures suggest that violent crime is a significant concern across both urban and rural areas in the state.

New York ranks fourth with an index score of 75.60. The state has the highest robbery rate in the nation at 87.91 per 100,000. Aggravated assault is prevalent at 240.19 per 100,000, and the other assaults rate is 493.41 per 100,000. The murder and non-negligent manslaughter rate is 4.17 per 100,000. Despite a lower murder rate compared to other top-ranking states, the high incidence of robbery and assault elevates New York’s overall danger level. Urban areas, particularly New York City, contribute significantly to these statistics.

Nevada completes the top five with an index score of 73.69. The state has a high aggravated assault rate of 154.56 per 100,000 and a robbery rate of 38.95 per 100,000. Other assaults occur at a rate of 631.13 per 100,000, one of the highest in the country. Motor vehicle theft is also significant at 28.57 per 100,000.

Top five safest states:

On the other end of the scale, New Hampshire is the safest state in the nation, with an index score of 13.67. It has one of the lowest murder and non-negligent manslaughter rates at 0.66 per 100,000 and one of the lowest aggravated assault rates at 21.89 per 100,000. The state’s arson rate is 1.25 per 100,000, and robbery rates occur at 8.23 per 100,000.

Hawaii is the second safest state in the US, with an index score of 17.10. The state’s murder and non-negligent manslaughter rate is among the lowest at 0.63 per 100,000. Aggravated assault stands at 29.27 per 100,000, and robbery at 10.86 per 100,000. The other assaults rate is 283.98 per 100,000.

Massachusetts ranks as the third safest state in the US, with an index score of 23.77. The state has low rates of murder and non-negligent manslaughter (0.89 per 100,000), robbery (6.61 per 100,000), and arson(1.06 per 100,000). The aggravated assault rate is 95.01 per 100,000. Despite being densely populated, especially in urban centers like Boston, Massachusetts maintains low violent crime rates.

Nebraska holds the fourth spot when looking at the safest states in the US, with an index score of 24.37. The state boasts one of the lowest murder and non-negligent manslaughter rates at 0.79 per 100,000. Arson is reported at 1.47 per 100,000, and the robbery rate is 3.99 per 100,000. Nebraska’s consistently low violent crime rates across most categories contribute to its position as one of the safest states.

Illinois ranks as the fifth safest state in the US, with an index score of 28.56. The murder and non-negligent manslaughter rate is 2.32 per 100,000, and the arson rate is 1.47 per 100,000. The burglary rate stands at 20.06 per 100,000. Aggravated assaults occur sat a rate of 45.45 per 100,000. Despite including Chicago, the state’s overall violent crime rates are lower.

A spokesperson from High Rise Financial commented on the findings:

“Understanding the disparities in violent crime rates across states is essential for raising awareness and fostering safer communities. High crime rates can impact every aspect of daily life, from personal safety to economic development. Residents in high-ranking states should remain vigilant and advocate for resources and programs that address the root causes of crime. At High Rise Financial, we are committed to supporting individuals affected by these issues, providing financial assistance to those awaiting legal settlements, and helping them navigate challenging circumstances.”

Story credit:  https://highriselegalfunding.com –

Sources:

• FBI Crime Data Explorer – https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#
• National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) Data – Participation, 2023

Methodology:

Arrest data by crime type and state was sourced from the FBI Crime Data Explorer at cde.ucr.cjis.gov, specifically from the “Arrests by State 2023” report. The population of each state covered by agencies participating in the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) was also retrieved from the FBI CDE.

Ten violent crime types were selected from the data and calculated as a rate per 100,000 of the participating population:

• Murder & Non-Negligent Manslaughter
• Rape
• Robbery
• Aggravated Assault
• Burglary
• Motor Vehicle Theft
• Arson
• Other Assaults
• Weapons Offenses
• Other Sex Offenses

These ten violent crime indicators were used to compile an index. The crime rate data were transformed and scaled on the same scale from 0 to 10, where 0 and 10 represent the worst and best values present in the data, allowing accurate comparison between factors.

A weighting was assigned to each factor reflecting the relative impact on safety imposed by each crime:

• Murder & Non-Negligent Manslaughter: 29.4%
• Rape: 17.6%
• Robbery: 5.9%
• Aggravated Assault: 11.8%
• Burglary: 5.9%
• Motor Vehicle Theft: 5.9%
• Arson: 5.9%
• Other Assaults: 5.9%
• Weapons Offenses: 5.9%
• Other Sex Offenses: 5.9%

Once the weightings were assigned, a total score out of 100 was calculated for each state, upon which the final ranking is based.

Note: Higher index scores indicate a more dangerous state. The data was indexed rather than using a simple “violent crimes per 100k” measure because assaults make up the majority of violent crimes, which can mask the severity of more serious offenses like murder. Additionally, crimes like burglary, robbery, and weapons offenses, though often non-violent, contribute to a heightened sense of danger for residents and are therefore important to consider separately.