Illinois’s Safest Cities of 2025

See crime rates for the safest cities.

Violent crime in Illinois may be decreasing based on our State of Safety survey respondents' first-hand experiences, but residents remain highly concerned about gun violence. This isn't surprising considering The Prairie State saw the nation's highest number of mass shootings in 2024. 

Counteracting that sobering statistic is the surprisingly low number of violent crimes reported by Illinois' safest cities. In fact, Illinois' top three safest cities reported no violent crimes last year.

We didn't have enough data to accurately calculate statewide crime rates this year, but results from our annual State of Safety survey help shine a light on trends in The Prairie State.

Overall, just under half (48%) of Illinois residents say they worry about crime on a daily basis. This is down from 59% the previous year and nearly matches the national average of 47%.

Illinoisans are among those least likely to feel safe in their state, but their confidence level rose year over year from 20% to 36%. Illinois residents are also more likely to believe crime is decreasing compared to the average American (IL 18%, US 15%). Gun violence is a top concern.

Find safety and security resources in Illinois.

Illinois residents reported no change in property crime concerns and experiences year over year. They experienced a slight uptick in package theft, but fewer Illinoisans worry about it compared to last year. 

• 22% of Illinois residents experienced a property crime in the 8 months prior to our survey—the same percentage as last year (US 27%).
• 53% of Illinois residents say they worry about property crime happening to them—the same percentage as last year (US 54%).
• Illinois reports the sixth lowest percentage of property crime experiences in the nation.
• 37% of Illinoisans reported experiencing package theft in the 8 months prior to our survey, up from 33% the previous year. 
• Package theft worries 44% of Illinoisans—that's the sixth lowest percentage in the nation.
• Security cameras are the most-used form of property protection among Illinois residents, with 39% using them. Guard dogs are the second most popular option at 30%, and security systems are third at 25%.
• 34% of Illinois residents told us they increased their security measures in the 8 months prior to the survey (US 37%).

In our most recent State of Safety survey, Illinoisans' daily concern about violent crime increased slightly from 62% to 63% year over year. Despite this elevated concern, fewer Illinois residents experienced violent crimes in the 8 months prior to our survey compared to the previous year. 

• 14% of Illinois residents experienced a violent crime in the 8 months prior to our survey, which matches the national average.
• Violent crime experiences in Illinois fell from 23% to 14% year over year.
• Despite Illinois’s high levels of safety concern, only 25% of respondents said they use personal protection (US 35%).
• Illinoisans prefer to protect themselves with pocket knives (13%) and pepper spray (12%). 

• Last year, Illinois residents reported the highest percentage of gun violence experiences nationwide. This year, they reported the sixth highest.
• Gun violence experiences fell from 25% to 14% year over year.
• 69% named gun violence their top daily safety concern (US 57%)—the third highest in the country.
• In 2024, Illinois experienced 36 mass shootings—more than any other state.
• Mass shooting incidents in Illinois fell by 29% in 2024, from 51 to 36. This is the third consecutive year the number has gone down.
• Of the Illinois residents who use some form of protection, 8% use firearms for personal protection and 20% use firearms for property protection.

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.

• 234 cities met criteria to be considered for ranking.
• Campton Hills is the safest city in Illinois for the second year in a row. Last year, Campton Hills reported one crime. This year, it reported zero.
• Pingree Grove and Hawthorn Woods also reported zero violent crimes, while Gilberts and Western Springs reported one each.
• Aside from Campton Hills, Winfield is the only city to report zero burglaries.
• Every safest city reported fewer than 1 violent crime per 1,000 people. 
• No safest city reported more than 5.5 property crimes per 1,000 people. 
• Deerfield jumped 36 rankings to land at #19 this year.
• 8 safest cities saw a year-over-year decrease in both violent and property crime.

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