What is the safest city in Iowa?

Based on 2024 FBI data, Monticello is the safest city in Iowa with a violent crime rate of 0.0 per 100,000 residents.

What is the most dangerous city in Iowa?

Eldora has the highest violent crime rate in Iowa at 2102.0 per 100,000 residents in 2024.

How many cities in Iowa report crime data?

150 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 150 cities reporting crime data, with a statewide violent crime rate of 243.3 per 100K.

150

Cities Tracked

0.0

Safest City Rate

148.2

Median City Rate

2102.0

Highest Rate

Top 25 Safest Cities in Iowa

#	City	Population	Violent Rate	Murder Rate	Property Rate	Grade
1	Monticello	4,059	0.0	0.0	739.1	A+
2	Rock Valley	4,038	0.0	0.0	222.9	A+
3	Robins	3,294	0.0	0.0	333.9	A+
4	Grundy Center	2,806	0.0	0.0	320.7	A+
5	Hawarden	2,627	0.0	0.0	190.3	A+
6	Sigourney	1,980	0.0	0.0	0.0	A+
7	Denver	1,954	0.0	0.0	255.9	A+
8	Blue Grass	1,693	0.0	0.0	0.0	A+
9	Urbana	1,649	0.0	0.0	0.0	A+
10	New Sharon	1,243	0.0	0.0	80.5	A+
11	Mechanicsville	983	0.0	0.0	1119.0	A+
12	Preston	935	0.0	0.0	1069.5	A+
13	Princeton	913	0.0	0.0	0.0	A+
14	Huxley	4,746	21.1	0.0	590.0	A
15	Dyersville	4,575	21.9	0.0	371.6	A
16	Waukon	3,761	26.6	26.6	425.4	A
17	Polk City	6,557	30.5	0.0	289.8	A
18	Mitchellville	2,663	37.6	0.0	375.5	A
19	Carroll	10,118	39.5	0.0	978.5	B+
20	Eldridge	6,886	43.6	0.0	334.0	B+
21	Sioux Center	8,643	46.3	0.0	81.0	B+
22	Orange City	6,438	46.6	0.0	186.4	B+
23	Mount Pleasant	8,371	47.8	0.0	1063.2	B+
24	Ogden	1,948	51.3	0.0	154.0	B+
25	Spencer	11,501	52.2	0.0	991.2	B+

Most Dangerous Cities in Iowa

#	City	Population	Violent Rate	Murder Rate	Grade
1	Eldora	2,569	2102.0	0.0	F
2	Fort Dodge	24,502	1061.1	4.1	F
3	Des Moines	209,245	703.0	4.3	F
4	Shenandoah	4,872	656.8	0.0	F
5	Sabula	490	612.2	0.0	F
6	Davenport	99,926	581.4	8.0	F
7	Albia	3,640	576.9	0.0	F
8	Carter Lake	3,749	560.1	0.0	F
9	Sioux City	85,711	555.4	3.5	F
10	Waterloo	66,385	476.0	4.5	F
11	Audubon	2,002	449.6	0.0	F
12	De Soto	937	426.9	0.0	F
13	Council Bluffs	62,269	420.8	3.2	F
14	Burlington	23,444	413.8	8.5	F
15	Dubuque	58,620	400.9	1.7	F

All 150 Cities in Iowa

Complete list ranked from safest to most dangerous.

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

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.

→ 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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