State crime profile · 2024
Kentucky Crime Rates: Safest & Most Dangerous Cities
Crime data for 231 cities and 120 of 120 counties in Kentucky (KY), ranked safest to most dangerous from 460 reporting agencies.
Data updated 2026-07-13
- 225.5
- Violent / 100K
- 1,397.1
- Property / 100K
- 231
- Cities
- 120
- Counties
Kentucky violent crime is 225.5 per 100,000, 36% below the U.S. average
According to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program for 2024, Kentucky records 225.5 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 36% below the national average (about the 12th-safest of 51 states and D.C.). Statewide averages hide city and county variation; UCR participation is voluntary.
- 225.5 violent crimes per 100K
- -36% vs. the U.S. average
- 12th safest of 51 states & DC
- 1,397.1 property crimes per 100K
The verdict
Kentucky's 225.5 violent crimes per 100,000 runs 36% below the U.S. average, making it safer than most states.
- 225.5
- violent crimes per 100K
- -36%
- vs. the U.S. average
- 12th
- safest of 51 states & DC
- 1,397.1
- property crimes per 100K
How safe is Kentucky? FBI UCR data snapshot
Kentucky (KY) reported 10,346 violent crimes and 64,105 property crimes in 2024, based on FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program submissions from 460 law enforcement agencies. That translates to a statewide violent crime rate of 225.5 per 100,000 residents and a property crime rate of 1397.1 per 100,000 against a reporting population of 4,588,372. The PlainCrime dataset indexes 231 Kentucky cities and 120 counties, each with their own detail pages and local crime figures drawn from FBI UCR Tables 8 and 10.
The FBI's state-level summary reports violent and property crime as aggregate totals rather than broken out by individual offense type (murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, arson). For an offense-by-offense breakdown, see the individual city and county pages for Kentucky below, which draw on FBI UCR Tables 8 and 10 and do report each offense type separately.
Across 11 years of state-level UCR history (2014–2024), the violent crime rate moved from 214.3 to 225.5 per 100,000, a rise of 5.2%. City-level detail pages within Kentucky include safety grades (A+ to F), benchmarks against national averages, per-capita risk estimates, and multi-year trend tables for users comparing specific jurisdictions. All figures above are drawn from FBI UCR 2024 submissions; reporting completeness varies by agency, and the FBI periodically restates prior-year figures as late submissions arrive.
State figures roll up the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) submissions from local and county agencies across the state, then express them per 100,000 residents so one state can be compared with another. Statewide averages hide a great deal of variation: a handful of large cities often account for much of a state's reported violent crime, while most of its land area and population live with markedly lower rates. Reporting completeness also differs between states, so a year-over-year change can reflect which agencies filed data as much as any real shift on the ground. Read a state number as the broad backdrop, then drill into the city and county pages for the local detail that actually shapes day-to-day decisions.
How Kentucky ranks nationally
Kentucky vs. every U.S. state
Violent crime per 100,000 residents, FBI UCR 2024. Lower is safer.
226 Safer than 76% among 51 U.S. states
Each bar is a band of values; taller bars hold more U.S. states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program · 2024
Safest Cities
Top 50 by lowest violent crime rate
Most Dangerous Cities
Top 50 by highest violent crime rate
Crime Trends
Multi-year charts & analysis
Crime Trends
| Year | Population | Violent Crime | Rate | Property Crime | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4,588,372 | 10,346 | 225.5 | 64,105 | 1397.1 |
| 2023 | 4,526,154 | 10,489 | 231.7 | 71,409 | 1577.7 |
| 2022 | 4,512,310 | 10,054 | 222.8 | 67,859 | 1503.9 |
| 2021 | 4,509,394 | 12,271 | 272.1 | 73,749 | 1635.5 |
| 2020 | 4,477,251 | 12,209 | 272.7 | 81,969 | 1830.8 |
| 2019 | 4,467,673 | 10,087 | 225.8 | 85,958 | 1924 |
| 2018 | 4,468,402 | 9,891 | 221.4 | 89,701 | 2007.5 |
| 2017 | 4,454,189 | 10,462 | 234.9 | 96,469 | 2165.8 |
| 2016 | 4,436,974 | 10,452 | 235.6 | 98,295 | 2215.4 |
| 2015 | 4,425,092 | 9,881 | 223.3 | 97,825 | 2210.7 |
| 2014 | 4,413,457 | 9,459 | 214.3 | 99,894 | 2263.4 |
Cities in Kentucky
Safest cities in Kentucky
Cities with 25,000+ residents, lowest violent crime per 100,000, FBI UCR 2024. Hover a bar for the exact rate.
- Independence 26.9
Independence
26.9 /100K
- Versailles 68.5
Versailles
68.5 /100K
- Jeffersontown
Jeffersontown
105 /100K
- Nicholasville
Nicholasville
112.6 /100K
- Georgetown
Georgetown
122.4 /100K
- Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown
137.2 /100K
- Frankfort
Frankfort
202.3 /100K
- Richmond
Richmond
215.4 /100K
What this shows Independence is the safest sizeable city in Kentucky, at 26.9 violent crimes per 100,000.
Highest violent-crime cities in Kentucky
Cities with 25,000+ residents, highest violent crime per 100,000, FBI UCR 2024. Hover a bar for the exact rate.
- Louisville Metro
Louisville Metro
707.4 /100K
- Hopkinsville
Hopkinsville
446.3 /100K
- Owensboro
Owensboro
349.4 /100K
- Henderson
Henderson
318.8 /100K
- Covington
Covington
287.9 /100K
- Paducah 270.4
Paducah
270.4 /100K
- Lexington 262
Lexington
262 /100K
- Florence 231.9
Florence
231.9 /100K
What this shows Louisville Metro reports the highest big-city violent-crime rate in Kentucky, at 707.4 per 100,000.
| City | Population | Violent / 100K | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville Metro | 676,843 | 707.4 | F |
| Lexington | 323,254 | 262 | C |
| Bowling Green | 77,503 | 224.5 | C |
| Owensboro | 60,096 | 349.4 | C |
| Covington | 40,984 | 287.9 | C |
| Georgetown | 40,037 | 122.4 | A |
| Richmond | 38,072 | 215.4 | B |
| Elizabethtown | 33,522 | 137.2 | A |
| Florence | 33,208 | 231.9 | C |
| Nicholasville | 32,866 | 112.6 | A |
| Hopkinsville | 30,694 | 446.3 | D |
| Independence | 29,747 | 26.9 | A+ |
| Jeffersontown | 28,563 | 105 | B |
| Frankfort | 28,177 | 202.3 | B |
| Versailles | 27,727 | 68.5 | A |
| Henderson | 27,600 | 318.8 | C |
| Paducah | 26,624 | 270.4 | C |
| Radcliff | 22,658 | 172.1 | B |
| Ashland | 21,011 | 199.9 | C |
| Erlanger | 19,827 | 70.6 | A |
| Madisonville | 19,294 | 88.1 | A |
| Winchester | 19,283 | 165.9 | C |
| Mount Washington | 18,811 | 31.9 | A+ |
| Murray | 18,191 | 99 | A |
| Shelbyville | 17,959 | 133.6 | A |
| Danville | 17,406 | 109.2 | A |
| St. Matthews | 17,289 | 127.2 | C |
| Fort Thomas | 16,826 | 47.5 | A+ |
| Berea | 16,135 | 86.8 | A |
| Glasgow | 15,413 | 168.7 | B |
| Shively | 15,394 | 305.3 | C |
| Shepherdsville | 14,843 | 134.7 | B |
| Bardstown | 13,917 | 165.3 | B |
| Newport | 13,702 | 328.4 | D |
| Somerset | 12,367 | 258.8 | B |
| Lawrenceburg | 12,241 | 57.2 | A+ |
| Campbellsville | 11,724 | 230.3 | B |
| Lyndon | 10,877 | 101.1 | B |
| Alexandria | 10,778 | 55.7 | A |
| Franklin | 10,556 | 142.1 | A |
| La Grange | 10,537 | 66.4 | A |
| Paris | 10,057 | 129.3 | A |
| Mayfield | 9,626 | 197.4 | B |
| Middletown | 9,602 | 125 | C |
| Harrodsburg | 9,270 | 172.6 | A |
| Elsmere | 9,140 | 98.5 | A |
| Hillview | 8,950 | 167.6 | B |
| Middlesboro | 8,901 | 191 | C |
| Maysville | 8,625 | 220.3 | C |
| Fort Mitchell | 8,617 | 58 | A |
| Edgewood | 8,382 | 59.7 | A+ |
| Oak Grove | 7,985 | 275.5 | C |
| Corbin | 7,843 | 191.3 | B |
| Villa Hills | 7,616 | 65.7 | A |
| London | 7,602 | 144.7 | B |
| Mount Sterling | 7,575 | 211.2 | B |
| Russellville | 7,470 | 93.7 | A |
| Pikeville | 7,343 | 190.7 | B |
| Flatwoods | 7,200 | 55.6 | A+ |
| Vine Grove | 7,011 | 28.5 | A+ |
| Taylor Mill | 6,957 | 43.1 | A+ |
| Morehead | 6,608 | 105.9 | A |
| Highland Heights | 6,604 | 75.7 | A |
| Cynthiana | 6,600 | 151.5 | B |
| Lebanon | 6,595 | 151.6 | A |
| Leitchfield | 6,480 | 92.6 | A |
| Cold Spring | 6,478 | 61.7 | A |
| Princeton | 6,173 | 16.2 | A |
| Wilmore | 6,137 | 16.3 | A+ |
| Fort Wright | 6,132 | 65.2 | A |
| Lakeside Park-Crestview Hills | 6,028 | 66.4 | A |
| Dayton | 5,833 | 240 | B |
| Central City | 5,808 | 86.1 | A |
| Bellevue | 5,713 | 87.5 | A |
| Monticello | 5,706 | 87.6 | A |
| Williamsburg | 5,118 | 156.3 | A |
| Columbia | 4,895 | 81.7 | A+ |
| Hazard | 4,878 | 61.5 | A |
| Benton | 4,765 | 83.9 | A |
| Scottsville | 4,616 | 108.3 | A |
| Prospect | 4,553 | 0 | A+ |
| Greenville | 4,339 | 69.1 | A+ |
| Ludlow | 4,313 | 92.7 | A |
| Paintsville | 4,111 | 0 | A+ |
| Lancaster | 4,101 | 73.2 | A |
| Williamstown | 3,983 | 75.3 | A |
| Carrollton | 3,922 | 51 | A+ |
| Grayson | 3,797 | 289.7 | C |
| Southgate | 3,786 | 79.2 | A |
| Stanford | 3,714 | 80.8 | A |
| Prestonsburg | 3,663 | 191.1 | A |
| Russell | 3,614 | 221.4 | B |
| West Liberty | 3,535 | 84.9 | A+ |
| Beaver Dam | 3,487 | 86 | A |
| Hodgenville | 3,334 | 210 | B |
| Stanton | 3,165 | 31.6 | A+ |
| Park Hills | 3,142 | 95.5 | A |
| Barbourville | 3,124 | 224.1 | B |
| Morganfield | 3,107 | 32.2 | A+ |
| Simpsonville | 3,096 | 193.8 | C |
Counties in Kentucky
All 120 Census county-equivalents in Kentucky appear in FBI Table 10 for this vintage. Missing counties are absent from the FBI source for this year, not dropped by PlainCrime. See national county coverage and methodology.
Largest counties in Kentucky, violent crime per 100K
Top 8 counties by population, violent crime per 100,000 residents. Hover a bar for the exact rate.
- Jefferson 0.3
Jefferson
0.3 /100K
- Fayette 0
Fayette
0 /100K
- Kenton 0.6
Kenton
0.6 /100K
- Boone
Boone
49.3 /100K
- Warren
Warren
33.4 /100K
- Hardin
Hardin
25.3 /100K
- Daviess
Daviess
21.3 /100K
- Campbell 0
Campbell
0 /100K
Nearby States
Compare Kentucky with neighboring states, or use the compare tool for side-by-side jurisdiction benchmarking.
Explore Kentucky crime data
Primary source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, Crime in the United States annual release. State-level trends cross-check against the FBI Crime Data Explorer (CDE) API.
Population figures for rate calculations reference U.S. Census Bureau estimates where FBI-reported populations are unavailable. Verify with Census.gov QuickFacts.
Read our methodology , how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Using PlainCrime rankings responsibly
Crime rankings are most useful when they sit alongside other community-quality signals, school performance, housing affordability, employment, and access to healthcare. A safer-than-average violent-crime rate in a small commuter suburb does not by itself make a city a better place to live; it is one data point among many. Likewise, a higher-than-average rate in a dense urban center may reflect that residents and visitors interact with police more often, not that the city is necessarily unsafe for its residents. We provide cross-links from each city profile to neighboring jurisdictions, state averages, and national benchmarks so you can read each number in context rather than in isolation.
For news outlets, researchers, and concerned residents who cite our rankings, the most defensible approach is to quote the per-100,000 rate, the reporting year, and the source agency in the same sentence. Avoid framing crime statistics as predictive, UCR data describes what was reported in a past year, not what will happen tomorrow. Where possible, pair our rankings with longitudinal trend data on the relevant city's profile page to show whether the rate is moving up, holding steady, or falling year over year.
Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program State UCR aggregates · 2024 Kentucky statewide rates from participating agencies.
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.