According To FBI Statistics, These Are The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In Minnesota For 2020
By Betsy Rathburn|Published January 12, 2020
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Betsy Rathburn
Author
Betsy is a Minneapolis-based writer who's lived in Minnesota for 20 years. If you know of any amazing Minnesota restaurants, nature areas, or other attractions, feel free to let her know about them at brathburn@onlyinyourstate.com or on Twitter @betsyrathburn.
For the most part, Minnesota is a perfectly safe place to live. As long as you are aware of your surroundings, there’s no reason to fear in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. But just like anywhere with a sizable population, there are those in Minnesota’s cities who do resort to crime. Our state’s crime rates are not as high as other states – in fact, Minnesota is one of the safest states – but there is still crime here.
Below, we list the most dangerous cities in Minnesota according to FBI statistics found here. We calculated the violent and property crime rate per 100,000 people in cities with 5,000 people or more. Check out the list below, and let us know: how does your city rank?
Bemidji is a lovely northern Minnesota city that is surrounded by beautiful nature. But there is a dark side to the city. With a population of around 15,000, Bemidji had 79 violent crimes in 2018. That equals out to 508 violent crimes per 100,000 people. That puts it at #3 in the violent crimes per capita category. For property crimes, Bemidji has 7,045 per 100,000 people, ranking at #2 in the state.
Being Minnesota's most populous city, it should come as no surprise that it is also home to much of the state's crime. It ranks at #1 for violent crime, with 793 violent crimes per 100,000 people. But it's much lower in property crime, clocking in at #9 with 3,911 per 100,000 people.
East of Minneapolis, the other twin city is also high in the rankings when it comes to crime. It has 626 violent crimes per 100,000 people, putting it just behind Minneapolis at #2. And with 3,255 property crimes per 100,000 people, it ranks way back at #19 in that category.
Northern Minnesota's biggest cities aren't absent of crime, though they do typically have lower crime rates. In Duluth - which ranks in this category at #13 - there are 358 violent crimes per 100,000 people. Property crimes are a bit more prevalent. Duluth ranks at #8, with 4,286 per 100,000 people.
St. Cloud is a small but nice city, with plenty to see and do. But thanks to its bigger population, it does have its share of crime. The city has about 68,000 people. It has 384 violent crimes per and 3,771 property crimes per 100,000 people.
Just outside of St. Cloud, Waite Park also has its share of crime. Though the city's population is just 7,500, its ranking makes sense given its proximity to much larger St. Cloud. Waite Park ranks #7 in violent crimes, with 386 per 100,000 people. But it's #1 in property crime, with a whopping 10,011 property crimes per 100,000 people.
Here's another smaller city that may seem surprising thanks to its lower population. But Spring Lake Park is quite close to the Twin Cities, so its crimes are likely a result of spillover from bigger cities. Nevertheless, Spring Lake Park ranks #5 in violent crime, with 414 per 100,000 people. For property crime, it drops to #6, with 4,467 per 100,000 people.
West St. Paul is another Twin Cities suburb whose crime rate is likely heightened due to its location. This city of just under 20,000 ranks #10 for violent crime, with 373 per 100,000 people. And for property crimes, it ranks #4, with 4,849 per 100,000 people.
Brainerd is a small central Minnesota city that is surrounded by lovely nature areas. But this city of 13,000 is populous enough to rank on this list. It comes in surprisingly high in violent crime, at #4 with 455 crimes per 100,000 people. The property crime ranking is much lower, at #17 with 3,380 per 100,000 people.
Virginia, Minnesota, is an Iron Range town with about 8,500 people. It may be small, but it does have its share of crime. For whatever reason, the violent crime rate is 414 per 100,000 people, putting it at #6 in this category. In property crime, it's #14, with 3,464 per 100,000 people.
What do you think? Any surprises? While these cities are statistically the most “dangerous” in Minnesota, they are still lovely places to visit and live in. We recommend taking this list with a grain of salt, but also keeping it in mind when planning a visit!
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