The 25 Most Dangerous Cities in Minnesota

It seems like every morning when I turn on the news, there are stories about more shootings and deaths in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Is it worse than it used to be, or am I just paying more attention? I really feels like a daily thing.

Does that make Minneapolis and St. Paul the most dangerous cities in Minnesota? Not necessarily.

The research team at CrimeDate.io used the FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting System to determine how many crimes took place from 2012 through 2021 in each Minnesota city, then calculated the crime rate per 100,000 population in each location. They only looked at Minnesota cities with a population of 5,000 or more.

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Minnesota's 25 Most Dangerous Cities

• #25 - Brooklyn Center (located in Hennepin County) Crime 2,121 per 100k
• #24 - Woodbury (located in Washington County) Crime 2,155 per 100k
• #23 - Oakdale (located in Washington County) Crime 2,155 per 100k
• #22 - Anoka (located in Anoka County) Crime 2,377 per 100k
• #21 - Andover (located in Anoka County) Crime 2,377 per 100k
• #20 - Shoreview (located in Ramsey County) Crime 2,477 per 100k
• #19 - New Brighton (located in Ramsey County) Crime 2,477 per 100k
• #18 - Arden Hills (located in Ramsey County) Crime 2,477 per 100k
• #17 - Hermantown (located in St. Louis County) Crime 2,552 per 100k
• #16 - Detroit Lakes (located in Becker County) Crime 2,574 per 100k
• #15 - White Bear Lake (located in Ramsey County) Crime 2,575 per 100k
• #14 - Mahtomedi (located in Washington County) Crime 2,575 per 100k
• #13 - Hugo (located in Washington County) Crime 2,575 per 100k
• #12 - Wyoming (located in Chisago County) Crime 2,603 per 100k
• #11 - Forest Lake (located in Washington County) Crime 2,603 per 100k

The FBI's NBIRS system is a trusted source for crime statistics, providing valuable insights into the security landscapes of cities and communities across the nation.

• #10 - Mankato (located in Blue Earth County) Crime 2,656 per 100k
• #9 - Spring Lake Park (located in Anoka County) Crime 2,683 per 100k
• #8 - Mounds View (located in Ramsey County) Crime 2,683 per 100k
• #7 - Blaine (located in Anoka County) Crime 2,683 per 100k
• #6 - Red Wing (located in Goodhue County) Crime 2,773 per 100k
• #5 - Cloquet (located in Carlton County) Crime 3,228 per 100k
• #4 - Virginia (located in St. Louis County) Crime 3,250 per 100k
• #3 - Burnsville (located in Dakota County) Crime 3,445 per 100k
• #2 - Bloomington (located in Hennepin County) Crime 3,445 per 100k
• #1 - Fergus Falls (located in Otter Tail County) Crime 3,635 per 100k

There's no one area of the state that stands out as the hot spot. Its spread out over the Twin Cities metro area, the Iron Range, and a few spots in the southern part of the state.