The 6 Most Dangerous Towns in Delaware To Live In

With the good comes the bad, and Delaware is no different. We see our share of crime, and unfortunately have a city with the nickname “Murder Town USA.”

Listed in no particular order, these are the Delaware towns and cities that have the highest crime rates based on data compiled by Neighborhood Scout who uses stats from the FBI and the U.S. Justice Department to determine crime rates in cities across the entire United States.

TC Davis / Flickr

Oh Wilmington. Violent crimes are higher in Wilmington than anywhere else in the state, and rank among the highest per capita in the U.S. This, combined with high rates of property crime, make Wilmington the highest crime city in the state. Unique in Delaware, the high density of corporations also means that Wilmington sees more white collar crime than other areas of the state.

Susan Smith / Flickr

Not uncommon in tourist towns, property crime in Rehoboth Beach is much more common than violent crimes. Chalk it up to visitors, unaware travelers and easy targets. While there are pockets of town that rarely see crime, closer to commercial areas the rates increase. Violent crime in Rehoboth is lower than the state average, but property crime rates are significantly higher.

Advertisement

Doug Kerr / Flickr

Just south of Wilmington, New Castle has a very charming historic district, but the outskirts of town see much higher crime rates. Violent crimes are lower than the Delaware average, but property crimes are much higher. The historic district has the lowest crime rates, while the area known as East Minquadale sees some of the state’s highest crime rates.

Advertisement

Related Stories

With An Arcade And A Bowling Alley, This Incredible Restaurant In Delaware Is Perfect For Families

Escape To The Countryside When You Stay At This Rural Airbnb In Delaware

You'll Never Look At Doughnuts The Same Way After Trying Sleeping Bird Doughnuts In Delaware

Mike Mahaffie / Flickr

Located just south of the state capital of Dover, the combined towns of Camden and Wyoming see pockets of low income, high crime, primarily in the older sections of town and in the commercial areas along Route 13. Violent crimes are very low (likelihood of 1 in 320), but in this area your chances of being victim to property crime are 1 in 11, as opposed to Delaware's 1 in 34.

Mike Mahaffie / Flickr

Dewey shares the same crime issues as Rehoboth Beach for the most part. Mostly non-violent crime is primarily seen in the summer; off-season Dewey is a sleepy town. Considered a party town by college kids, the bar scene adds to the crime scene.

Seaford is the largest full city in Sussex County. Data shows an average of 9 violent crimes and 71 property crimes per 1000 residents. Your chances of being victim to violent crime are 1 in 111, and 1 in 14 for property crimes--both higher than the Delaware median.

Do any of these surprise you? Where do you think the safest places in Delaware are to live?