Most Dangerous Cities: Flint, Michigan Ranks As The Deadliest
Todd Rigney
Flint and Detroit, Michigan are considered to be the most dangerous cities in the United States, according to Yahoo! Finance.
Compiled annually by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the list examines violent crime in cities all across America. However, for the "most dangerous" list, only areas with over 100,000 residents were considered. Once all of the data had been properly examined, Flint, Michigan emerged as the city that's the most hazardous to the health of its residents.
Business Insider, the website responsible for compiling the list, states that over 2,300 violent crimes were reported in 2011. To make matters worse, over 83 forcible rapes were reported to police. Keep in mind that these statistics only take into account those crimes which were filed with local authorities.
Following close behind Flint was Detroit, Michigan, which experienced over 2,100 violent crimes in 2011. In that year alone authorities were forced to contend with 48 murders. Comparatively, the national average for homicides per 100,000 people is 4.7 per year.
Rounding out the top five most dangerous cities in the United States were St. Louis, Missouri (1,857 violent crimes), Oakland, California (1,683 violent crimes), and Memphis, Tennessee (1,584 violent crimes). These three locations also reported a high number of rapes and murders during 2011.
For the record, the FBI defines violent crime as non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, and, of course, murder.
On a global scale, the amount of violent crimes littered throughout major cities in the US seems quite tame. According to The Australian, San Pedro Sula, Honduras ranks as the murder capital of the world. While the number of homicides in this city may not be as high as others, the murder rate per capita pushes it to the top of the pile.
A list of the most dangerous cities in the United States lies below.
1. Flint, Michigan – 2,337 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
2. Detroit, Michigan – 2,137 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
3. St. Louis, Missouri – 1,857 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
4. Oakland, California – 1,683 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
5. Memphis, Tennesse – 1,584 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
6. Little Rock, Arkansas – 1,490 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
7. Birmingham, Alabama – 1,483 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
8. Atlanta, Georgia – 1,433 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
9. Baltimore, Maryland – 1,417 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
10. Stockton, California – 1,408 violent crimes per 100,000 people
11. Rockford, Illinois – 1,373 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
12. Cleveland, Ohio – 1,366 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
13. New Haven, Connecticut – 1,344 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
14. Hartford, Conecticut – 1,311 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
15. Buffalo, New York – 1,238 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
16. Kansas City, Missouri – 1,200 violent crimes per 100,000.
17. Miami, Florida – 1,198 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
18. Philadelphia, Pennsyvania – 1,193 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
19. Nashville, Tennesse – 1,181 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
20. Newark, New Jersey – 1,166 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
21. Washington, D.C. – 1,130 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
22. Indianapolis, Indiana – 1,101 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
23. Springfield, Illinois – 1,096 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
24. Orlando, Florida – 1,073 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
25. Baton Rouge, Louisiana – 1,066 violent crimes per 100,000 people.
Do you live in one of the most dangerous cities in the United States?