Small-city safety ranking

100 Safest Small Cities in America

Lowest violent crime rates per 100,000 among cities with 25,000–99,999 residents. Distinct from the all-size safest-cities list.

Data updated 2026-07-13

100
Cities ranked
3.6/100K
Lowest rate
208/100K
Small-city median (1,393)

Westport, CT leads small-city safety at 3.6 violent crimes per 100,000

According to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, PlainCrime ranks 100 U.S. cities in the 25,000–99,999 population band by lowest violent crime rate. Westport sits at 3.6 per 100,000; the 100th-ranked small city reports 46.9/100K across 21 states. Distinct from the all-size safest-cities list. Participation is voluntary.

  • 100 cities ranked
  • 3.6/100K lowest rate
  • 25,000–99,999 population band
  • 21 states represented

Read before you rank

This ranking measures reported violent crime (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents inside the 25,000–99,999 population band. A low citywide rate is not a neighborhood-level safety certificate; reporting thoroughness varies; and a quiet year can move a mid-sized city's rate more than a large metro's. Compare raw counts on each city profile, and use the all-size safest cities list when large places belong in the comparison. The 100th-ranked small city on this page reports 46.9 per 100,000; the band spans 21 states.

# Grade City State Population Violent Crime Rate
1 A+ Westport Connecticut crime overview 27,606 3.6/100K
2 A+ Randolph Township New Jersey crime overview 27,159 3.7/100K
3 A+ Harrison Town New York crime overview 31,718 6.3/100K
4 Greenwich Connecticut 63,651 9.4/100K
5 A+ Bernards Township New Jersey 28,921 10.4/100K
6 A+ Cranberry Township Pennsylvania crime overview 34,970 11.4/100K
7 A Muskego Wisconsin crime overview 25,389 11.8/100K
8 A+ Monroe Township, Middlesex County New Jersey 49,652 12.1/100K
9 A+ Columbus Indiana crime overview 51,867 13.5/100K
10 A+ Cheshire Connecticut 29,399 13.6/100K
11 A+ Genoa Township Ohio crime overview 28,085 14.2/100K
12 A+ Middletown Township Pennsylvania 45,516 15.4/100K
13 A+ Simsbury Connecticut 25,108 15.9/100K
14 A+ Westfield New Jersey 31,111 16.1/100K
15 A+ Westtown-East Goshen Regional Pennsylvania 29,610 16.9/100K
16 A Northbrook Illinois crime overview 33,610 17.9/100K
17 A+ Newtown Connecticut 27,890 17.9/100K
18 A+ Wallingford Connecticut 43,561 18.4/100K
19 A Moscow Idaho crime overview 26,684 18.7/100K
20 A+ Avon Lake Ohio 26,167 19.1/100K
21 A+ Raritan Township New Jersey 25,018 20/100K
22 A+ Northampton Township Pennsylvania 39,879 20.1/100K
23 A+ Upper Macungie Township Pennsylvania 29,196 20.6/100K
24 A+ Zionsville Indiana 33,121 21.1/100K
25 A+ Buffalo Grove Illinois 42,283 21.3/100K
26 A Haverford Township Pennsylvania 50,544 21.8/100K
27 A+ Peachtree City Georgia crime overview 40,820 22/100K
28 A Farmington Connecticut 26,852 22.3/100K
29 A Wilmette Illinois 26,685 22.5/100K
30 A+ Hampden Township Pennsylvania 35,576 22.5/100K
31 A+ Warrington Township Pennsylvania 26,355 22.8/100K
32 A Fairfield Connecticut 64,098 23.4/100K
33 A Bridgewater Township New Jersey 46,946 23.4/100K
34 A+ Rockville Centre Village New York 25,472 23.6/100K
35 A+ Horsham Township Pennsylvania 27,268 25.7/100K
36 A+ Lyon Township Michigan crime overview 26,094 26.8/100K
37 A+ Independence Kentucky crime overview 29,747 26.9/100K
38 A+ Lower Providence Township Pennsylvania 25,975 26.9/100K
39 A+ East Fishkill Town New York 29,607 27/100K
40 A+ Perrysburg Ohio 25,302 27.7/100K
41 A+ Bartlett Illinois 39,656 27.7/100K
42 A+ Sammamish Washington crime overview 64,358 28/100K
43 A Lawrence Township, Mercer County New Jersey 32,040 28.1/100K
44 A+ Huntley Illinois 28,439 28.1/100K
45 A+ New Milford Connecticut 28,377 28.2/100K
46 A+ Upper Arlington Ohio 35,410 28.2/100K
47 A Orland Park Illinois 56,593 28.3/100K
48 A Glastonbury Connecticut 35,249 28.4/100K
49 A+ Lone Peak Utah crime overview 30,812 29.2/100K
50 A+ Westlake Ohio 34,189 29.2/100K
51 A Ephrata Pennsylvania 34,010 29.4/100K
52 A Erie Colorado crime overview 37,055 29.7/100K
53 B Paramus New Jersey 26,745 29.9/100K
54 A+ Lower Makefield Township Pennsylvania 33,400 29.9/100K
55 A+ Edwardsville Illinois 26,663 30/100K
56 A+ Shrewsbury Massachusetts crime overview 39,837 30.1/100K
57 A Bethlehem Town New York 34,933 31.5/100K
58 A+ Hamilton Township, Warren County Ohio 28,313 31.8/100K
59 A Southlake Texas crime overview 31,095 32.2/100K
60 A+ North Augusta South Carolina crime overview 26,377 34.1/100K
61 A+ Oswego Illinois 37,893 34.3/100K
62 A+ Manalapan Township New Jersey 40,430 34.6/100K
63 A Castle Rock Colorado 84,098 35.7/100K
64 A+ Johns Creek Georgia 81,056 35.8/100K
65 A+ Melissa Texas 27,831 35.9/100K
66 A+ Mason Ohio 35,923 36.2/100K
67 A+ Orion Township Michigan 35,833 36.3/100K
68 A Rockaway Township New Jersey 27,294 36.6/100K
69 A+ Bloomfield Township Michigan 43,611 36.7/100K
70 A+ Yorktown Town New York 34,899 37.3/100K
71 A South Windsor Connecticut 26,741 37.4/100K
72 A North Huntingdon Township Pennsylvania 31,761 37.8/100K
73 A Centerville Ohio 26,281 38.1/100K
74 A+ Northern Lancaster County Regional Pennsylvania 41,609 38.5/100K
75 A+ Reading Massachusetts 25,871 38.7/100K
76 A+ Colleyville Texas 25,630 39/100K
77 A+ Mequon Wisconsin 25,586 39.1/100K
78 A Rotterdam Town New York 30,518 39.3/100K
79 A+ Cottage Grove Minnesota crime overview 43,131 39.4/100K
80 A+ Jackson Township New Jersey 62,326 40.1/100K
81 A Upper Dublin Township Pennsylvania 27,382 40.2/100K
82 A+ Londonderry New Hampshire crime overview 26,974 40.8/100K
83 A Stafford Township New Jersey 31,546 41.2/100K
84 A+ Northern Regional Pennsylvania 38,548 41.5/100K
85 A+ White Lake Township Michigan 31,222 41.6/100K
86 A+ Westfield Indiana 61,845 42/100K
87 A+ Shelton Connecticut 42,616 42.2/100K
88 A Vernon Connecticut 30,738 42.3/100K
89 A Kettering Ohio 56,562 42.4/100K
90 A Lancaster Town New York 39,290 43.3/100K
91 A Fair Lawn New Jersey 36,579 43.7/100K
92 A+ Ridgewood New Jersey 26,864 44.7/100K
93 A Cicero Town New York 28,678 45.3/100K
94 A+ Fort Mill South Carolina 37,027 45.9/100K
95 A+ Nixa Missouri crime overview 26,094 46/100K
96 A Branford Connecticut 28,000 46.4/100K
97 B Vestal Town New York 32,289 46.5/100K
98 A+ Windsor Colorado 43,050 46.5/100K
99 A+ Nutley Township New Jersey 30,014 46.6/100K
100 A+ Wellesley Massachusetts 31,973 46.9/100K

Violent Crime Rate Distribution, 100 Safest Small Cities

Rate ranges among the 100 lowest-rate cities in the 25,000–99,999 population band.

cities
Source FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program As of 2024

Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program Population band 25,000–99,999; violent crime = murder + rape + robbery + aggravated assault

Why a dedicated small-city band

Searchers who ask for safest small cities are usually filtering out large metros. Folding those places into an all-size list answers a different question. This page applies the 25,000–99,999 band first, then ranks by violent crime rate per 100,000 using the same FBI UCR definitions as our other city rankings.

Related rankings

See the all-size safest cities list, state-level safest states, and the safest cities finder for custom filters.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as a small city on this ranking? ▼
This list includes places with 25,000–99,999 residents in the latest FBI UCR year. That band keeps the same statistical floor as our other city rankings (25,000+) while excluding large metros above 99,999.
What is the safest small city in America by violent crime rate? ▼
Westport, CT tops this ranking at 3.6 violent crimes per 100,000 residents among cities in the 25,000–99,999 population band.
How does this differ from the overall safest-cities list? ▼
The national safest-cities ranking includes large metros. This page answers the distinct intent for small cities by filtering to 25,000–99,999 residents before sorting by violent crime rate.

Every figure on PlainCrime is rendered directly from FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FBI Uniform Crime Reporting source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.