Alabama’s Safest Cities of 2024

Rebecca Edwards
Mar 18, 2024
bullet3 min read
SafeWise is pleased to release the 10th annual Safest Cities report.

Here are the 10 Safest Cities in Alabama for 2024

See crime rates for the safest cities.

In our latest State of Safety survey, 56% of respondents in Alabama reported concern for their safety. This is nearly 10 points higher than the national average of 47%. The level of concern isn't surprising since the state typically lands above national averages for both violent crime and property crime.

Both property crime and violent crime saw drops year over year, and this is the first year we've seen property crime dip below the national average. 

In this report

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NOTE: If your city is missing from our full report, it means that it was below the population threshold or didn’t submit a complete crime report to the FBI in 2022.

2024 Alabama crime rates

Alabama's crime rates are higher than nationwide rates for violent crime and property crime.

Image: SafeWise

Alabama’s property crime rate fell below the national average of 20.7 incidents per 1,000, landing at 19.9. And even though the state saw a significant drop—20% year over year—Alabama is still a bit over the national violent crime rate of 4.0 incidents per 1,000 people.  The violent crime rate fell from 6.0 per 1,000 residents to 4.8 this year. The state’s property crime rate also had an impressive decline—plummeting 23% year over year to 19.9 incidents per 1,000.

Property crime in Alabama Fear vs. reality

Alabama fell below the national property crime rate for the first time in at least three years—plummeting 23% from 25.9 incidents per 1,000 people to 19.9. This reversal is a feather in Alabama's cap—especially in a year when property crime rose nationwide.

  • 25% of survey respondents reported having a personal experience with property crime in the past 12 months. That’s lower than the national average (27%) but one point higher than last year.
  • 28% of Alabamans fell prey to porch pirates in the 12 months prior to being surveyed, which is 19% lower than the national average.
  • Larceny-theft is the most common property crime in Alabama, making up 74% of all property crimes—almost matching the US proportion of larceny-thefts (72%).
  • Burglary makes up 15% of all property crime in Alabama, compared to 13% nationwide. 
  • 14% of survey respondents use no form of property protection (US 25%).
  • Firearms, security cameras, and security systems are used most often to guard property.
  • Of those that use property protection, 40% use firearms, 38% use security cameras, 34% use a home security system.

What security measures are used most in Alabama?

Security measures used most in Alabama: firearms, security cameras, security systems

Image: SafeWise


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What crimes are Alabama residents concerned about most?

Bar chart showing percentages of how concerned state residents are about crime compared to the national averages for violent crime, property crime, package theft and gun violence.

Image: SafeWise

Violent crime in Alabama: Fear vs. reality

Despite a dramatic decline  year over year, Alabama still sees slightly more violent crime than most of the country—making violent crime the most worrisome issue in Alabama. But residents seem to be feeling the improvement, with 10% more survey respondents saying they feel safe in the state than they did the previous year. Surprisingly, more respondents reported a personal experience with violent crime than in the previous survey year. 

  • 63% of Alabamans worry about a violent crime happening to them—that’s 26% higher than the national average.
  • 2 in 10 of survey respondents reported having a personal experience with violent crime in the past 12 months—higher than the national average of 15%.
  • Alabama sees the same percentage of murders as the rest of the country, with murder accounting for 2% of all violent crime.
  • Robberies make up 16% of all violent crime in Alabama—matching the national average.
  • Aggravated assault is the most common violent crime in the state, with it reporting over 18,000 cases—but that's 6,000 fewer than the previous year.
  • Half of the Alabama survey respondents use some form of personal protection like pepper spray. That's much higher than the national average of 36%.
  • Concealed firearms (62%) are the most popular form of personal protection used in Alabama. 

Attitudes about gun violence in Alabama

  • 56% named gun violence a safety concern (US 51%).
  • 19% reported an experience with gun violence in the 12 months prior to being surveyed. That's a 58% jump year over year.
  • Alabama reported the sixth highest amount of personal experience with a gun violence in the country.
  • Mass shooting incidents are down 31% year over year in Alabama, from 16 incidents to 11. 
  • 62% of Alabamans said that they use concealed weapons for personal protection (US 41%).

A closer look at the safest cities in Alabama

For the purposes of this report, the terms “dangerous” and “safest” refer explicitly to crime rates as calculated from FBI crime data—no other characterization of any community is implied or intended.

  • All of the safest cities reported fewer than 2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents. 
  • Tuscumbia reported zero violent crimes, catapulting it 21 spots to claim the title of the safest city in Alabama.
  • Warrior, last year's #1 city, fell 13 spots to 14 this year.
  • The safest cities have a 84% lower crime rate than the rest of the state.
  • 5 cities made the list for the first time this year: Eutaw, Helena , Lake View, Hartford, and Triana.

The 20 safest cities in Alabama

SafeWise Safest Cities in Alabama 2024

Image: SafeWise

#1
Tuscumbia
(
+21
bullet
)
  • bullet
    Population
    9,081
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.0, 0.1, N/A
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    3.3, 12.8, N/A
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Southside, Alabama
#2
Southside
(
+1
bullet
)
  • bullet
    Population
    9,524
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.4, 0.1, N/A
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    2.5, 3.6, N/A
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
#3
Rainsville
(
+5
bullet
)
  • bullet
    Population
    5,685
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.7, 0.6, N/A
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    2.3, 6.2, N/A
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Google map marking Piedmont, Alabama
#4
Piedmont
(
+17
bullet
)
  • bullet
    Population
    4,779
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    1.0, 2.3, 5.1
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    2.1, 7.9, 20.4
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Argo, Alabama
#5
Argo
(
+13
bullet
)
  • bullet
    Population
    4,421
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.7, 2.1, N/A
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    3.6, 5.6, N/A
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Satsuma, Alabama
#6
Satsuma
(
+10
bullet
)
  • bullet
    Population
    6,811
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.6, 1.6, N/A
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    4.4, 7.2, N/A
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
#7
Eutaw
(
New
)
  • bullet
    Population
    2,823
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    1.1, N/A, N/A
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    3.5, N/A, N/A
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Margaret, Alabama
#8
Margaret
(
+2
bullet
)
  • bullet
    Population
    5,685
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.5, 1.3, N/A
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    5.5, 4.8, N/A
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
#9
Glencoe
  • bullet
    Population
    5,406
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.7, 0.8, 2.0
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    5.2, 6.1, 8.1
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Margaret, Alabama
#10
Hokes Bluff
(
+7
bullet
)
  • bullet
    Population
    4,451
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.4, 1.2, 1.4
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    7.4, 9.2, 7.8
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Helena, Alabama
#11
Helena
(
New
)
  • bullet
    Population
    22,035
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    1.0, N/A, N/A
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    5.9, N/A, N/A
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
#12
Lake View
(
New
)
  • bullet
    Population
    3,709
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.8, N/A, N/A
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    6.5, N/A, N/A
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
#13
Hartford
(
New
)
  • bullet
    Population
    2,666
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    1.1, N/A, N/A
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    5.6, N/A, N/A
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Warrior, Alabama
#14
Warrior
(
-13
bullet
)
  • bullet
    Population
    3,189
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    1.6, 0.6, N/A
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    4.4, 1.3, N/A
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Vestavia Hills, Alabama
#15
Vestavia Hills
(
-3
bullet
)
  • bullet
    Population
    38,515
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.8, 0.7, N/A
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    7.5, 8.4, N/A
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
#16
Triana
(
New
)
  • bullet
    Population
    3,829
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    1.8, N/A, N/A
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    4.4, N/A, N/A
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Priceville, Alabama
#17
Priceville
(
-12
bullet
)
  • bullet
    Population
    3,822
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    1.8, 0.5 N/A
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    5.0, 4.1, N/A
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Kimberly, Alabama
#18
Kimberly
(
-16
bullet
)
  • bullet
    Population
    4,306
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    1.5, 0.0, 1.6
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    6.4, 3.8, 5.5
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Daphne, Alabama
#19
Daphne
(
-8
bullet
)
  • bullet
    Population
    29,871
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.7, 0.2, N/A
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    8.9, 9.9, N/A
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Mountain Brook, Alabama
#20
Mountain Brook
(
-18
bullet
)
  • bullet
    Population
    21,910
  • bullet
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.3, 0.7, N/A
  • bullet
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    11.6, 10.6, N/A
  • bullet
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime

How we determined the safest cities

Learn how we identified the safest cities on our methodology page.

How to make a safe home anywhere

Over 6 in 10 Americans surveyed don't have a home security system, despite over 50% of all burglaries being residential. Unfortunately, a majority of people who have a security system added it after they had a break-in. One of the best ways to stop a burglary before it happens—and get immediate help if a break-in is detected—is to add a monitored home security system.

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Get a home security system

Find out which companies we recommend for every budget and lifestyle in our roundup of the Best Home Security Systems—and learn the basics with our guide on Everything You Need to Know About Home Security

Find security and safety resources in your area

Find the safest cities in each state

Click on the state image or dropdown menu below to check out the safest cities for each state.

Related articles on SafeWise


Endnotes and sources

Find all endnotes and sources in our full methodology.

FBI Crime Data Explorer, "Documents & Downloads." Accessed March 18, 2024.

  • 2022 and 2021 Crime in the United States Annual Reports
    • Offenses Known to Law Enforcement
  • 2022 NIBRS Estimation Tables

Bureau of Justice Statistics, "National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)." Accessed March 18, 2024.

Gun Violence Archive, "Mass Shootings." Accessed March 18, 2023.

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Rebecca Edwards
Written by
Rebecca Edwards
Rebecca is the lead safety reporter and in-house expert for SafeWise.com. She has been a journalist and blogger for over 25 years, with a focus on home and community safety for the past decade. Rebecca spends dozens of hours every month poring over crime and safety reports and spotting trends. Her expertise is sought after by publications, broadcast journalists, non-profit organizations, podcasts, and more. You can find her expert advice and analysis in places like NPR, TechCrunch, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Miami Herald, HGTV, MSN, Reader's Digest, Real Simple, and an ever-growing library of podcast, radio and TV clips in the US and abroad.

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