Home | News | 10 U.S. Metros With Improving Crime Rates

10 U.S. Metros With Improving Crime Rates

For over 13 years, SafeWise experts have conducted independent research and testing to write unbiased, human reviews (not robots). Learn more.

By Cathy Habas

Mar 12, 2026

3 min read

Cathy has been a SafeWise contributor since 2021, helping turn crime data into clear, useful safety insights.

Each year, SafeWise analyses the latest FBI crime data for thousands of U.S. cities. We assign unique, weighted safety scores to rank the Safest Cities in America.

In 2026, we also started celebrating cities with the most improved safety scores. These communities don't necessarily have the lowest crime rates, but they've seen remarkable improvements in a short period of time. That progress is often hard-won and deserves a moment in the spotlight.

In this report, we narrowed our population criteria to only look at metros (cities with a population ≥50,000). More than 680 metros reported crime data to the FBI for two years in a row. Which ones improved the most? Let's take a look.

Here are the top 10 metros with improved safety scores

Wichita, KS
Bakersfield, CA
Memphis, TN
Tacoma, WA
Detroit, MI
Birmingham, AL
Chattanooga, TN
Summerville, SC
Rochester, NY
South Bend, IN

Looking for smaller cities? Check our companion report: 20 Cities With the Most Improved Safety Scores

A map of the 10 U.S. metros with the most improved safety scores, according to the latest FBI data. Image: SafeWise

In this report

National crime trends
Top metros with the most improved safety scores
Interesting findings
Find the Safest Cities in your state
Methodology

National crime trends: Holding steady in metros

The average U.S. metro saw a slight improvement in its safety score (0.4 points).
Violent crime rates tended to increase across U.S. metros while property crime rates decreased.
In the 2026 reporting year, the average U.S. metro had a violent crime rate of 2.8 incidents per 1,000 people and a property crime rate of 17.2 incidents per 1,000 people.
More than 92 million people live in a metro with an improved safety score. More than 70 million live in a metro with a worsening safety score.
Nashville, TN was the only metro to achieve the same safety score year over year.

A distribution map of metros with improved vs. worsening safety scores. Image: SafeWise

The top 10 metros with the most improved safety scores

VC = Violent crime; PC = Property crime; Crime rates per 1,000 people

Wichita, KS

(

17.8 points

)

Population
395,486
VC Rate 2026, 2025
5.4, 11.2 (52%↓)
PC Rate 2026, 2025
23.2, 47.9 (51%↓)

Bakersfield, CA

(

8.9 points

)

Population
416,120
VC Rate 2026, 2025
5.4, 11.2 (38%↓)
PC Rate 2026, 2025
24.2, 34.0 (29%↓)

Memphis, TN

(

8.7 points

)

Population
613,207
VC Rate 2026, 2025
25.5, 26.6 (4%↓)
PC Rate 2026, 2025
69.9, 87.2 (20%↓)

Tacoma, WA

(

7.7 points

)

Population
223,980
VC Rate 2026, 2025
10.8, 12.8 (15%↓)
PC Rate 2026, 2025
57.2, 73.7 (22%↓)

Detroit, MI

(

7.6 points

)

Population
651,171
VC Rate 2026, 2025
17.7, 20.3 (13%↓)
PC Rate 2026, 2025
43.7, 48.3 (9%↓)

Birmingham, AL

(

7.6 points

)

Population
195,418
VC Rate 2026, 2025
12.5, 15.5 (19%↓)
PC Rate 2026, 2025
41.0, 45.9 (11%↓)

Chattanooga, TN

(

7.3 points

)

Population
188,894
VC Rate 2026, 2025
8.2, 10.9 (25%↓)
PC Rate 2026, 2025
39.5, 48.8 (19%↓)

Summerville, SC

(

7.3 points

)

Population
52,148
VC Rate 2026, 2025
2.2, 4.3 (49%↓)
PC Rate 2026, 2025
18.2, 31.8 (43%↓)

Rochester, NY

(

7.1 points

)

Population
206,093
VC Rate 2026, 2025
5.9, 7.3 (19%↓)
PC Rate 2026, 2025
36.0, 54.4 (34%↓)

#10

South Bend, IN

(

6.8 points

)

Population
103,415
VC Rate 2026, 2025
9.6, 12.0 (19%↓)
PC Rate 2026, 2025
20.9, 26.2 (20%↓)

A closer look at the 10 U.S. metros with the most improved safety scores

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.

683 metropolitan cities qualified for ranking.
Notable metros that didn't qualify for our list include Los Angeles, CA; Phoenix, AZ; and Jacksonville, FL. These cities didn't report data to the FBI in the last two years.
No metros from Alaska, Vermont, or West Virginia reported data to the FBI in the last two years.
Property crime rate: Wichita, KS saw a 51% decrease in property crime year over year, which is the largest percentage of any U.S. metro. Summerville, SC reported the second most improved property crime rate at 43%.
Violent crime rate: Wichita and Summerville also lead the way with the largest percentage decreases in violent crime among the top 10 metros (52% in Wichita and 49% in Summerville).
Aggravated assault: Wichita reported the largest decrease in the number of aggravated assaults in any U.S. metro, falling from 3,699 to 1,793. That's a 51.5% decrease in one year.
Murder: Memphis, TN reported the largest decrease in the number of murders in the 10 most improved metros (351 to 249 — a difference of 102). Only Philadelphia, PA saw a larger decrease (difference of 141).
Rape: Of the top 10 most improved metros, Wichita reported the largest decrease in the number of rapes, dropping from 290 to 99. That's a difference of 191 and a 66% decrease. Of all metros, El Paso, TX reported the most significant decline in rape, dropping from 240 to 1.
Robbery: Memphis saw the largest drop in the number of reported robberies (2,797 to 2,163 — a difference of 634). Wichita saw the largest percentage decrease at 52% (414 incidents to 198). Among all metros, Chicago, IL saw the largest decrease in the number of robberies (a difference of 1,987 incidents).
Burglary: Memphis reported the largest decrease in the number of burglaries among all metros (6,751 to 5,441 — a difference of 1,310). Wichita saw the second largest decrease among all metros (2,213 to 1,037 — a difference of 1,176) and the largest percentage decrease (53%) among the top 10.
Larceny theft: Wichita cut its larceny theft rate by 51%, which is the highest percentage among all metros. That translates to 7,462 fewer incidents in the city, the largest number gap among all metros.
Motor vehicle theft: Summerville reported the most significant percentage decrease in motor vehicle thefts among the top 10 metros at 65%, followed by Rochester, NY at 53.9%. However, Memphis reported the largest drop in the number of motor vehicle thefts among the top 10 (15,819 to 9,836 — a difference of 5,983). That's the third largest decrease behind Philadelphia (8,041 fewer) and San Antonio, TX (6,425 fewer).

How we measure improvement

This ranking is based on the same FBI crime data used in our annual Safest Cities report. We evaluate both violent crime (aggravated assault, robbery, rape, and murder) and property crime (burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft), calculating rates per 1,000 residents to allow for fair comparisons across cities of different sizes.

For the Most Improved Metros list, we analyzed year-over-year changes in those standardized rates and identified the cities that achieved the largest overall increase in their weighted safety scores.

Cities included in the analysis:

Met minimum population thresholds (50,000 or more)
Submitted complete crime data to the FBI for the last two years
Qualified under our standardized scoring methodology

Violent and property crimes are weighted equally in our scoring model. Cities are ranked based on the magnitude of their improvement — not by having the lowest crime rate overall.

This distinction is important. A city can rank among the most improved even if it does not yet rank among the safest in its state. What matters here is measurable progress.

From rankings to real-world safety

Our Safest Cities rankings help highlight crime incidence patterns and relative risk — but they don’t determine what happens in a community or a home. How safe a community is (or isn't) is the result of a mix of individual choices, community conditions, and external factors like the economy, job market, housing availability, and local priorities.

Expand the sections below for a closer look at what you can do to help improve the safety of your community.

It's not possible to eliminate risk entirely, but you can reduce your potential risk by staying informed about local crime trends, practicing situational awareness (know who belongs in your neighborhood, work parking lot, etc.), and taking practical steps to protect yourself and your property.

Getting involved in your community can make a big difference — but you should expect certain baseline crime prevention measures from your neighborhood and city.

Good lighting in public spaces
Visible community law enforcement presence
Neighborhood watch-type groups/support
Access to a community liasion officer or department
Budget to support community safety programs (beyond law enforcement)

Strong local networks — whether formal or informal (or in-person or virtual) — can play an essential role in improving safety beyond what statistics alone can capture.

Our research and national crime data consistently point to the value of layered prevention. This means that the more layers you put between your home and loved ones and criminals, the better chance you have of actually deterring a criminal act.

Multiple security layers can look like a neighborhood watch plan combined with locking your doors when you leave the house, and a security camera with a siren that can scare an intruder away. A monitored security system that connects you to faster help if something happens adds an extra proactive layer.

Research-backed practices that help reduce exposure include:

Community prevention: Improved lighting, clear sightlines (trim hedges and bushes near doors/windows), and coordinated neighborhood efforts
Awareness and reporting: Stay alert, trust your instincts, know who and what belongs in your neighborhood, and report suspicious behavior
Home safety fundamentals: Secure all entry points (don't forget the deck or the sliding glass door), eliminate hiding spots around your home, and get into consistent security routines (locking the door, arming the security system)
Targeted technology use: Pair common-sense safety habits with tools that support awareness or response, like monitored security systems or cameras

Explore our safety research
See crime trends by state
Learn more about home security essentials

Find the safest cities in each state

Click on the state below to check out the safest cities for each state.

How we determine and interpret these rankings

Our Safest Cities rankings offer a data-informed look at crime trends across cities. They’re designed to highlight relative risk — not to define overall quality of life or what it’s like to live in a community.

We use the most recent FBI-reported violent and property crime data, and adjust for population so we can compare cities of different sizes fairly. This approach helps us identify patterns and differences in reported crime rates.

Our analysis includes only crime data from agencies that submitted complete reports to the FBI through the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). We do not estimate crime totals for agencies with incomplete reporting, so our findings and crime rate trends may differ from reports that include estimated national crime data.

We understand that crime statistics reported to one source don’t tell the whole story. A number of factors, including local agency reporting practices, community resources, prevention efforts, and lived experience all influence how safe a place is (or is perceived to be) — and not all of that shows up in the numbers.

Think of these rankings as a starting point. Our goal is to help readers understand crime trends and ask informed questions, not to judge communities or the people who call them home.

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

Get a deeper understanding of our independent research, data sources, calculations, and how we refine our reports each year.