Alert: America Most Dangerous Small Town is Right Here in California

The small town of Emeryville in Alameda County was famous for its brothels and speakeasies during Prohibition. Former California Governor and Chief Justice Earl Warren once referred to it as “the rottenest city on the Pacific Coast.” Today, the area between Oakland and Berkeley, known as the industrial enclave, still struggles to distance itself from its criminal past.

According to SafeWise, Emeryville is considered the most “dangerous” small town in America. The home security website recently used FBI statistics to rank towns with high crime rates. According to the information, there is a 1 in 5 chance that residents of Emeryville will experience property crime. The most common type of crime reported was larceny-theft, which accounted for 92% of all reports.

Emeryville was the only city in California that was ranked among the top 10 most dangerous small towns. The following cities were Saulk Village, Illinois; Glendale, Colorado; Florida City, Florida; Ocean City, Maryland; Marksville, Louisiana; Osceola, Arkansas; Hartsville, South Carolina; Darlington, South Carolina; and Globe, Arizona.

Which small towns reported the most crime?

While analyzing the data, we also observed the small towns that had the highest number of reported crimes. Let’s compare the excellent records of our 100 safest small towns with the small towns that had the highest number of violent crimes and property crimes. These cities met our requirements to be considered for ranking, but they were not included in the top 100.

Violent crime

In 2019, Sauk Village, Illinois, a small town, reported the highest number of violent crimes to the FBI. Here’s what we found out about violent crime in Sauk Village:

The town had a rate of 54.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, compared to the US rate of 3.7.
The chances of you becoming a victim of violent crime are 1 in 18.
The total number of violent crimes reported is over three times greater than the number of violent crimes that occurred in the 100 safest small towns combined.
The most common violent crime reported was aggravated assault, with 490 incidents.
It was surprising that there were more than double the number of violent crimes reported compared to property crimes.

Also read: Data Reveals the Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Rochester, NY

Property crime

Emeryville, California had the most property crime incidents in 2019. Here’s what we found out about property crime in Emeryville.

The town reported 211.9 property crimes per 1,000 incidents, which is equivalent to 21.1 property crimes per 100 incidents in the United States.
There is a 1 in 5 chance that you could become a victim of property crime.
The chances of your car being stolen are 1 in 109.
The most common property crime reported was larceny-theft, which accounted for 92% of all reported incidents.

Conclusion

Emeryville, California, is considered the most dangerous small town in America, with a 1 in 5 chance of experiencing property crime. The most common crime is larceny-theft, accounting for 92% of all reports. The town was the only one in California ranked among the top 10 most dangerous small towns. Sauk Village, Illinois, reported the highest number of violent crimes, while Emeryville had the most property crime incidents.