When discussing dangerous cities in Illinois, the City of Chicago is almost always the first thing that comes to mind. However, several cities in the state are even more violent than Chicago. Read on to discover the twelve worst cities in Illinois, ranked by crime rates.
hash-mark12 Most Dangerous Cities in Illinois
- Danville
- Peoria
- Springfield
- Alton
- Rockford
- Champaign
- Chicago
- Granite City
- Moline
- East St. Louis
- Joliet
- Bloomington
hash-mark1. Danville
The most dangerous city in Illinois is Danville. With a crime rate 213% above the state average, Danville is a city to be avoided. Out of a population of 30,479, Danville’s residents have a 1 in 17 chance of becoming the victims of any type of crime. The city suffers from a lack of opportunity, bad schools, and a low median income. Starting in 2020 and continuing through 2022 into 2023, Danville experienced a historic crime surge that has remained steady, even in recent months.
hash-mark2. Peoria
Peoria is another one of the most dangerous cities in Illinois. It is located in central Illinois and has a population of 113,150 and a crime rate of 4,793 per 100,000 people. Residents are very likely to be the victim of a crime, with the town being 141% more dangerous than the Illinois average. Violent crimes in Peoria are quite high, with gun violence and homicide rates being extremely high.
hash-mark3. Springfield
Springfield is Illinois’ capital, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe. In fact, Springfield is one of the most violent cities in Illinois. It has a crime rate of 5,218 per 100,000 people. With a population of 114,394, Springfield is 122% more dangerous than the average city in the US. Violent and property crime is rampant in Springfield, with over 4,400 incidents of property crime in 2023. In the same year, the most common types of violent crimes were assaults and robberies.
hash-mark4. Alton
Alton is also one of the most dangerous cities in Illinois. Located on the Mississippi River in Madison County, about 18 miles north of Saint Louis, Alton is a small city that’s home to 25,676 residents. It’s a historic city known for its gorgeous limestone bluffs and its Civil War era jail.
However, today, Alton is one of the most dangerous cities in Illinois. The crime rate is 73% higher than the US average and 68% higher than the rest of Illinois. The violent crime rate is 146% higher than the national average, and the property crime rate is 60% higher. Alton is more dangerous than 95% of cities in the US and your odds of being the victim of a crime are 1 in 25.
hash-mark5. Rockford
Rockford is one of the worst cities in Illinois due to its high rates of violent crime. Rockford is located in the northernmost part of the state in Winnebago County and has a population of 150,000 people. The crime rate in Rockford is 92% higher than the US average with residents having a 1 in 23 chance of becoming the victim of any type of crime. Rockford has a disproportionately high violent crime rate, with murders, robberies, assaults, and gun violence being common.
hash-mark6. Champaign
Champaign is located in Champaign County and has a population of 88,302. Champaign has a crime rate of 3,409 per 100,000, with residents having a 1 in 30 chance of becoming the victim of any type of crime. Crimes like burglary, theft, robbery, and assault are the most common types of crime in Champaign. Champaign struggles with poverty with 23% of the city living below the poverty line.
hash-mark7. Chicago
Illinois’s largest city and cultural heart, Chicago, is also infamous for its high crime rates. Chicago is known nationally as one of the most dangerous large cities in America.Chicago has a crime rate of 3,351 per 100,000 people, which is 67% higher than the national average. Chicago has an extremely high incidence of violent crimes, especially homicide and gun violence. Chicago is a large city, and the most dangerous areas of the city are generally on the south side. Crime in Chicago is on the rise, with shootings becoming increasingly common.
hash-mark8. Granite City
Part of the St. Louis area, Granite City, has a population of 28,000. The city’s crime rate is 3,136 per 100,000 people, which is 64% higher than the national average. Residents have a 1 in 32 chance of becoming the victim of any type of crime. Granite City’s industrial past is long gone, and the town suffers from poverty and unemployment. Crimes like assault, robbery, and theft are the most common.
hash-mark9. Moline
Moline is also a dangerous city in Illinois. It’s situated at the confluence of the Rock and Mississippi Rivers along the Iowa border. It’s part of the Quad Cities region, along with Rock City, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. It has a population of 42,985 residents. Moline has a high crime rate compared to the rest of the country and state. The total crime rate is 43% higher than the rest of the country and 51% higher than the rest of Illinois. Property crime is 45% higher than the rest of the US, and violent crime is 35% higher. Moline is more dangerous than 84% of US cities.
hash-mark10. East St. Louis
East St. Louis has a reputation as one of the country’s most violent cities. Located just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, this city has a population of 18,469. East St. Louis’ crime rate is 2,599 per 100,000 people, which is 31% higher than the Illinois average. East St. Louis has consistently ranked among the most dangerous cities in Illinois, although in recent years, crime rates in the city have cooled down.
hash-mark11. Joliet
Joliet is also one of the most dangerous cities in Illinois. Joliet is located 35 miles southwest of Chicago and has a population of 150,362. The crime rate in Joliet is 1,965 per 100,000 people, with residents having a 1 in 51 chance of becoming the victim of any type of crime. While Joliet isn’t considered a highly dangerous city, property crimes such as burglary and theft still occur fairly regularly.
hash-mark12. Bloomington
Bloomington is the 13th most populous city in Illinois with a population of 78,680. Bloomington has a crime rate of 1,899 per 100,000 people with residents having a 1 in 53 chance of becoming the victim of any type of crime. In 2021 (the latest year of FBI data), Bloomington had four murders, nineteen robberies, 152 assaults, and 141 burglaries.
hash-markMost Dangerous Cities in Illinois Methodology
To determine the most dangerous cities in Illinois, we calculated crime rates per capita using multiple local, state, and federal datasets, including the FBI violent crime report. All statistics are based on recent crime rates between 2020 and January 2023.
