What is the safest city in Iowa?

Based on 2024 FBI data, Polk City is the safest city in Iowa with a violent crime rate of 30.5 per 100,000 residents.

What is the most dangerous city in Iowa?

Fort Dodge has the highest violent crime rate in Iowa at 1061.1 per 100,000 residents in 2024.

How many cities in Iowa report crime data?

160 cities in Iowa reported crime data to the FBI in 2024.

Safest Cities in Iowa (2024)

Ranked by violent crime rate per 100,000 residents from 2024 FBI data. Iowa has 160 cities reporting crime data, with a statewide violent crime rate of 243.3 per 100K.

160

Cities Tracked

30.5

Safest City Rate

156.8

Median City Rate

1061.1

Highest Rate

Top 25 Safest Cities in Iowa

#	City	Population	Violent Rate	Murder Rate	Property Rate	Grade
1	Polk City	6,557	30.5	0.0	289.8	A
2	Carroll	10,118	39.5	0.0	978.5	B+
3	Eldridge	6,886	43.6	0.0	334.0	B+
4	Sioux Center	8,643	46.3	0.0	81.0	B+
5	Orange City	6,438	46.6	0.0	186.4	B+
6	Mount Pleasant	8,371	47.8	0.0	1063.2	B+
7	Spencer	11,501	52.2	0.0	991.2	B+
8	Glenwood	5,218	57.5	0.0	670.8	B+
9	North Liberty	21,635	69.3	0.0	397.5	B
10	Adel	6,577	76.0	0.0	638.6	B
11	Johnston	24,819	76.6	4.0	749.4	B
12	Urbandale	47,119	89.1	0.0	634.6	B
13	Le Mars	10,624	94.1	18.8	922.4	B
14	Algona	5,298	94.4	0.0	132.1	B
15	Asbury	6,022	99.6	0.0	99.6	B
16	Anamosa	5,791	103.6	0.0	569.8	C+
17	Bettendorf	40,105	104.7	0.0	867.7	C+
18	Norwalk	15,588	109.1	0.0	179.6	C+
19	Pella	10,940	109.7	0.0	950.6	C+
20	Decorah	7,578	118.8	0.0	224.3	C+
21	Marion	42,420	122.6	4.7	497.4	C+
22	Denison	8,037	124.4	0.0	821.2	C+
23	Manchester	5,295	132.2	0.0	1114.3	C+
24	Coralville	24,033	133.2	0.0	2063.8	C+
25	Oskaloosa	11,419	140.1	0.0	902.0	C+

Most Dangerous Cities in Iowa

#	City	Population	Violent Rate	Murder Rate	Grade
1	Fort Dodge	24,502	1061.1	4.1	F
2	Des Moines	209,245	703.0	4.3	F
3	Davenport	99,926	581.4	8.0	F
4	Sioux City	85,711	555.4	3.5	F
5	Waterloo	66,385	476.0	4.5	F
6	Council Bluffs	62,269	420.8	3.2	F
7	Burlington	23,444	413.8	8.5	F
8	Dubuque	58,620	400.9	1.7	F
9	Perry	8,022	398.9	24.9	F
10	Ottumwa	25,185	397.1	7.9	F
11	Newton	15,611	384.3	0.0	F
12	Sheldon	5,396	370.6	0.0	F
13	Atlantic	6,778	368.8	0.0	D
14	Clinton	24,171	359.9	0.0	D
15	Hiawatha	7,230	359.6	0.0	D

All 160 Cities in Iowa

Complete list ranked from safest to most dangerous.

Show all 160 cities

#	City	Pop.	Violent Rate	Grade
1	Monticello	4,059	0.0	A
2	Rock Valley	4,038	0.0	A
3	Robins	3,294	0.0	A
4	Grundy Center	2,806	0.0	A
5	Hawarden	2,627	0.0	A
6	Sigourney	1,980	0.0	A
7	Denver	1,954	0.0	A
8	Blue Grass	1,693	0.0	A
9	Urbana	1,649	0.0	A
10	New Sharon	1,243	0.0	A
11	Mechanicsville	983	0.0	A
12	Preston	935	0.0	A
13	Princeton	913	0.0	A
14	Huxley	4,746	21.1	A
15	Humboldt	4,577	21.8	A
16	Dyersville	4,575	21.9	A
17	Waukon	3,761	26.6	A
18	Polk City	6,557	30.5	A
19	Mitchellville	2,663	37.6	B+
20	Carroll	10,118	39.5	B+
21	Harlan	4,936	40.5	B+
22	Eldridge	6,886	43.6	B+
23	Sioux Center	8,643	46.3	B+
24	Orange City	6,438	46.6	B+
25	Mount Pleasant	8,371	47.8	B+
26	Ogden	1,948	51.3	B+
27	Spencer	11,501	52.2	B+
28	Van Meter	1,812	55.2	B+
29	Durant	1,794	55.7	B+
30	Glenwood	5,218	57.5	B+
31	Prairie City	1,717	58.2	B+
32	Story City	3,403	58.8	B+
33	Vinton	4,960	60.5	B+
34	Lake City	1,654	60.5	B+
35	North Liberty	21,635	69.3	B
36	Adel	6,577	76.0	B
37	Johnston	24,819	76.6	B
38	Dysart	1,256	79.6	B
39	University Heights	1,175	85.1	B
40	Buffalo	1,159	86.3	B
41	Fairbank	1,135	88.1	B
42	New Hampton	3,399	88.3	B
43	Urbandale	47,119	89.1	B
44	Peosta	2,190	91.3	B
45	Panora	1,082	92.4	B
46	Le Mars	10,624	94.1	B
47	Hampton	4,253	94.1	B
48	Algona	5,298	94.4	B
49	Jefferson	4,074	98.2	B
50	Sumner	2,032	98.4	B
51	Asbury	6,022	99.6	B
52	Cresco	3,895	102.7	B
53	Anamosa	5,791	103.6	C+
54	Bettendorf	40,105	104.7	C+
55	Lansing	951	105.2	C+
56	West Branch	2,841	105.6	C+
57	Gowrie	928	107.8	C+
58	Norwalk	15,588	109.1	C+
59	Pella	10,940	109.7	C+
60	Carlisle	4,381	114.1	C+
61	Osage	3,505	114.1	C+
62	Decorah	7,578	118.8	C+
63	Marion	42,420	122.6	C+
64	Denison	8,037	124.4	C+
65	Le Claire	4,755	126.2	C+
66	Walcott	1,547	129.3	C+
67	Manchester	5,295	132.2	C+
68	Tipton	3,023	132.3	C+
69	Colfax	2,265	132.5	C+
70	Coralville	24,033	133.2	C+
71	Evansdale	4,468	134.3	C+
72	Oskaloosa	11,419	140.1	C+
73	Fairfield	9,251	140.5	C+
74	Waverly	10,611	141.4	C+
75	Waukee	34,520	141.9	C+
76	Altoona	22,422	142.7	C+
77	Woodward	1,367	146.3	C
78	Monroe	2,024	148.2	C
79	Ames	65,426	148.3	C
80	Missouri Valley	2,649	151.0	C
81	Mount Vernon	4,463	156.8	C
82	Osceola	5,617	160.2	C
83	Independence	6,221	160.7	C
84	West Des Moines	73,335	165.0	C
85	Ankeny	76,547	165.9	C
86	Marengo	2,393	167.2	C
87	Grinnell	9,451	169.3	C
88	Wilton	2,934	170.4	C
89	Bloomfield	2,811	177.9	C
90	Williamsburg	3,350	179.1	C
91	Clarion	2,725	183.5	C
92	Winterset	5,373	186.1	C
93	Pleasant Hill	10,153	187.1	C
94	West Burlington	3,149	190.5	C
95	Sergeant Bluff	5,226	191.4	C
96	Mount Vernon-Lisbon	4,555	197.6	D+
97	Camanche	4,546	198.0	D+
98	Cedar Falls	40,321	198.4	D+
99	Iowa Falls	4,974	201.0	D+
100	Clarence	993	201.4	D+
101	Oelwein	5,753	208.6	D+
102	Clive	19,124	209.2	D+
103	Earlham	1,413	212.3	D+
104	Cherokee	5,158	213.3	D+
105	Onawa	2,739	219.1	D+
106	Windsor Heights	5,011	219.5	D+
107	Washington	7,221	221.6	D+
108	Mason City	26,786	224.0	D+
109	Muscatine	23,208	245.6	D+
110	Maquoketa	6,029	248.8	D+
111	DeWitt	5,611	249.5	D+
112	Clear Lake	7,536	252.1	D+
113	Cedar Rapids	135,363	261.5	D+
114	Centerville	5,323	263.0	D+
115	Creston	7,345	272.3	D
116	Indianola	16,104	273.2	D
117	Estherville	5,808	275.5	D
118	Red Oak	5,417	276.9	D
119	Fort Madison	9,964	281.0	D
120	Clarinda	5,286	283.8	D
121	Webster City	7,679	286.5	D
122	Storm Lake	11,494	287.1	D
123	Keokuk	9,392	287.5	D
124	Postville	2,386	293.4	D
125	Marshalltown	27,576	297.4	D
126	Sac City	2,007	299.0	D
127	Emmetsburg	3,599	305.6	D
128	Charles City	7,177	320.5	D
129	Iowa City	75,934	321.3	D
130	Knoxville	7,387	324.9	D
131	Spirit Lake	5,557	341.9	D
132	Greenfield	2,024	345.8	D
133	Mar-Mac	1,155	346.3	D
134	Hiawatha	7,230	359.6	D
135	Clinton	24,171	359.9	D
136	Atlantic	6,778	368.8	D
137	Sheldon	5,396	370.6	F
138	Forest City	4,013	373.8	F
139	West Liberty	3,688	379.6	F
140	Belle Plaine	2,344	384.0	F
141	Newton	15,611	384.3	F
142	Ottumwa	25,185	397.1	F
143	Perry	8,022	398.9	F
144	Dubuque	58,620	400.9	F
145	Burlington	23,444	413.8	F
146	Council Bluffs	62,269	420.8	F
147	De Soto	937	426.9	F
148	Audubon	2,002	449.6	F
149	Waterloo	66,385	476.0	F
150	Sioux City	85,711	555.4	F
151	Carter Lake	3,749	560.1	F
152	Albia	3,640	576.9	F
153	Davenport	99,926	581.4	F
154	Sabula	490	612.2	F
155	Toledo	2,123	612.3	F
156	Shenandoah	4,872	656.8	F
157	Des Moines	209,245	703.0	F
158	Tama	2,717	883.3	F
159	Fort Dodge	24,502	1061.1	F
160	Eldora	2,569	2102.0	F

Crime Composition in Iowa

How violent crime breaks down across cities reporting data in Iowa.

Agg. Assault: 76.3%

Robbery: 8.9%

Rape: 14.1%

Murder: 0.7%

State violent crime rate: 243.3/100K vs national average: 359.1/100K (32% below national average)

About This Data

Crime rates are from the FBI's 2024 Uniform Crime Report, the most recent data available. Rates are per 100,000 residents. Safety grades are based on national percentile ranking — an "A" means the city is safer than 80%+ of all US cities in our database.

Not all cities report to the FBI. Small agencies may have incomplete data. Always consider multiple years of data before drawing conclusions about a city's safety.

→ Most Dangerous Cities in Iowa → Iowa Crime Overview → Safest Cities in America → National Rankings → Safety Score Calculator

National demographic context: Crime and safety vary across racial and ethnic groups. Per-city demographic data is not published by the FBI, but national patterns show significant disparities. Full demographics | Racial disparities

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