Indiana’s Safest Cities of 2026

See crime rates for the safest cities.

According to our State of Safety survey, violent crime and gun violence is on the rise in Indiana. Official crime data tell the same story. On the other hand, our survey suggests property crime is plummeting in The Hoosier State, but official data show a dramatic uptick. 

Crime rates remain much lower than average in Indiana's safest cities, with Columbus topping the list for the second year in a row.

The violent crime rate in Indiana is 4.68 incidents per 1,000 people, which is slightly higher than the national average of 4.43. We weren't able to report a statewide violent crime rate over the last two years due to insufficient data, but in our 2024 report, Indiana reported a lower violent crime rate of 3.7.

Property crime in The Hoosier State has also increased in recent years, jumping from 16.8 incidents per 1,000 people in 2024 to 21.52 incidents in this year's report. That's lower than the national property crime rate of 22.89. 

The percentage of Hoosiers who feel safe in Indiana fell from 51% to 44% year over year, which means Hoosiers feel less safe than the average American (US 52%).

The Hoosiers we talked to reported a significant drop in their concern about property crime and package theft. Their first-hand package theft experiences also declined, but property crime experiences remain the same. 

• The percentage of Hoosiers concerned about property crime fell from 57% to 43% year over year (US 46%).
• 26% of Indiana residents said they experienced a property crime in the 12 months prior to our survey, which is the same percentage as last year (US 21%).
• Package theft concerns 38% of Indiana residents, down from 58% the previous year (US 44%).
• 36% of Hoosiers claimed to have experienced a package theft in the 12 months prior to the survey, down from 39% the year before (US 31%).
• 38% of Indiana respondents told us they increased their security measures in the 12 months prior to our survey (US 32%).
• Of the Hoosiers who use some form of property protection, most preferred security cameras (45%), guard dogs (36%), and security systems (34%). 

Indiana residents report a significant year-over-year increase in their violent crime experiences, but their concern about violent crime has decreased.

• 56% of Hoosiers worry about violent crime, down from 63% the previous year (US 55%).
• 23% of Indiana residents said they experienced a violent crime in the 12 months prior to our survey, up from 13% the previous year (US 12%).
• Hoosiers reported the highest level of violent crime experiences nationwide. 
• 38% of Indiana residents who participated in our survey use some form of personal protection.
• Of the Hoosiers who use personal protection, most prefer firearms (45%), pocket knives (37%), and pepper spray (37%).

• 56% of Indiana survey respondents told us they're highly concerned about gun violence, up from 54% last year (US 55%).
• 19% experienced gun violence in the 12 months prior to the survey, which is a significant increase from 11% the previous year.
• Hoosiers reported the second-highest level of gun violence experiences nationwide. Only people in Pennsylvania reported more. 
• Of the Indiana residents who use some form of personal protection, 45% use concealed firearms, which matches the national average.
• 10 mass shooting events occurred in Indiana during 2025, down from 11 in 2024.

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.

• 57 Indiana cities met the criteria for ranking this year.
• Columbus is the safest city in Indiana for the second year in a row. It was the only city to report less than 1 property crime per 1,000 people. 
• Every safest city reported fewer than 1 violent crime per 1,000 people.
• St. John (#2), Noblesville (#8), and Brownsburg (#10) held on to the same spots as last year.
• Property and violent crime rates saw no year-over-year changes in Zionsville. 
• Most of Indiana's safest cities are suburbs of Indianapolis or Chicago, and many are located next to each other.
• Only Columbus and Dyer reported zero rapes. 

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