Nevada is generally a great place to live, and natives and long-time residents will likely argue with you if you claim otherwise. However, like every other place in the world, there are some areas that are, shall we say, less safe in which to live. Here are the ten most dangerous cities in the Silver State for 2017. Data was taken primarily from the FBI’s 2015 Crime in the United States Report (the most recent report available at the time of this article’s writing), Forbes , and Neighborhood Scout. Additionally, for these dangerous cities with a crime index, this figure is out of 100, with 100 considered to be the safest.
10. Henderson
Leading off the top ten list is Henderson with a population of nearly 283,000. Its violent crime rate in 2015 was 168 per 100,000 residents, while its property crime amounted to 1,893 per 100,000 during that same year. Property crimes have seen a steady decrease over the past several years, likely due to improved law enforcement efforts. Henderson's crime index is 34.
9. Winnemucca
The small city of Winnemucca has experienced a rise in violent crimes. Between 2013 and 2015, there were 18 additional violent crimes, leaving Winnemucca's 8,144 residents staring at a one in 452 chance of being the victim of a violent crime. Property crime in 2015 amounted to 2,283 incidents, or a one in 43.8 chance of a resident being victimized in this way. Winnemucca's crime index is 25.
8. Sparks
Sparks also experienced a rise in both violent and property crime rates since 2014. With a population of nearly 96,000, there were 374 violent crimes per 100,000 residents and 2,774 property crimes per 100,000. Sparks' crime index is 17.
7. Carlin
Located in Elko County, Carlin has experienced a disturbingly high crime rate increase over the past few years. In 2015, its 2,364 residents were subjected to a violent crime rate of 888 per 100,000 and a property crime rate of 1,015 per 100,000.
6. North Las Vegas
North Las Vegas is the Silver State's fourth most populous city. In 2015, its just over 234,000 residents experienced 908 violent crimes per 100,000 residents and 2,274 property crimes per 100,000. North Las Vegas' crime index is 17.
5. Reno
Between 2013 and 2015, this third most populous city in Nevada with nearly 240,000 residents experienced an increase in both violent and property crimes. More specifically, for every 100,000 residents there were 591 violent crimes and 3,141 property crimes during 2015. Reno's crime index is 12.
4. Elko
Another small city, Elko is disturbingly high-ranking in terms of violent crimes. Of its 20,817 residents, there were 3,891 instances of property crime per 100,000 residents and 408 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. While Elko's property crime rate is relatively low (one in 810 residents), its violent crime is unusually high (one in 244.) Elko's crime index is eight.
3. West Wendover
This small city in Elko County has the smallest population of any city on the top ten list. Of its 4,449 residents, there were 516 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2015 and 3,146 property crimes, the latter equating to one in 31 people having been a victim of a property crime.
2. Fallon
For having a population of only 8,292, Fallon's property crime rate in 2015 was a whopping 4,064 per 100,000 people, while its violent crime rate was 458 per 100,000 residents during that same year. Fallon's crime index is 8.
1. Las Vegas
Frankly, I'm not surprised that Las Vegas is ranked number one on this list. With a population of just over one-and-one-half million, Las Vegas boasted (for want of a better word) 920 violent violent crimes per 100,000 residents and 2,995 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2015. This means that one in 108 people were the victim of violent crime in 2015, while one in 33.4 people were the victim of a property crime during that same year. Las Vegas' crime index is 11. Additionally, Las Vegas ranks number nine on America's most dangerous cities; definitely not something to brag about. To blame for this high crime rate is the unusually high transient population.
There you have it: Nevada’s most dangerous cities for 2017. Do you agree/disagree with this list? Please comment below.
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