State crime profile · 2024

Kentucky Crime Rates: Safest & Most Dangerous Cities

Crime data for 231 cities and 120 counties in Kentucky (KY), ranked safest to most dangerous from 460 reporting agencies.

225.5
Violent / 100K
1,397.1
Property / 100K
231
Cities
120
Counties

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.

Within the statewide violent crime total, aggravated assault accounted for 0 incidents, robbery 0, murder and non-negligent manslaughter 0, and rape 0. Property crime splits across larceny-theft (0), burglary (0), motor vehicle theft (0), and arson (0).

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.

Violent Crime Rate
225.5/100K
Property Crime Rate
1397.1/100K
Population
4,588,372
Data Year
2024

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% lower than 76% of 51 U.S. states

0–100: 0 U.S. states (0%). Below this entry. 100–200: 6 U.S. states (12%). Below this entry. 200–300: 18 U.S. states (35%). This entry sits in this band. 300–400: 10 U.S. states (20%). Above this entry. 400–500: 12 U.S. states (24%). Above this entry. 500–600: 1 U.S. states (2%). Above this entry. 600–700: 2 U.S. states (4%). Above this entry. 700–800: 1 U.S. states (2%). Above this entry. 800–900: 0 U.S. states (0%). Above this entry. 900–1,000: 0 U.S. states (0%). Above this entry. 1,000–1,100: 1 U.S. states (2%). Above this entry. 1,100+: 0 U.S. states (0%). Above this entry. KY 0 1,100+ every state & DC, bucketed by value

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.

/100K

What this shows Independence is the safest sizeable city in Kentucky, at 26.9 violent crimes per 100,000.

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

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.

/100K

What this shows Louisville Metro reports the highest big-city violent-crime rate in Kentucky, at 707.4 per 100,000.

Source FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program As of 2024
Kentucky's largest cities — violent vs. property crime. X axis violent crime per 100K, Y axis property crime per 100K, split by the national averages. 14 cities; the anchor city is ringed. Kentucky's largest cities — violent vs. property crime SAFEST HIGHEST CRIME 24 764 Violent crime per 100K → 284 3,592 Property crime per 100K → Louisville Metro: 707 violent · 3,326 property per 100K · grade F Louisville Metro Lexington: 262 violent · 2,274 property per 100K · grade C Lexington Bowling Green: 225 violent · 2,929 property per 100K · grade C Bowling Green Owensboro: 349 violent · 2,917 property per 100K · grade C Owensboro Covington: 288 violent · 1,635 property per 100K · grade C Georgetown: 122 violent · 1,169 property per 100K · grade A Richmond: 215 violent · 1,973 property per 100K · grade B Elizabethtown: 137 violent · 698 property per 100K · grade A Florence: 232 violent · 3,213 property per 100K · grade C Nicholasville: 113 violent · 1,497 property per 100K · grade A Hopkinsville: 446 violent · 2,505 property per 100K · grade D Independence: 27 violent · 316 property per 100K · grade A+ Jeffersontown: 105 violent · 2,276 property per 100K · grade B Frankfort: 202 violent · 1,643 property per 100K · grade B Safety grade A / B C D / F
Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program · split lines are Kentucky's statewide averages · the four largest cities are labeled
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
Showing the 100 largest of 231 reporting cities. Browse all 231 cities → Or see the safest and most dangerous rankings.

Counties in Kentucky

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.

/100K
Source FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program As of 2024
Adair
Allen
Anderson
Ballard
Barren
Bath
Bell
Boone
Bourbon
Boyd
Boyle
Bracken
Breathitt
Breckinridge
Bullitt
Butler
Caldwell
Calloway
Campbell
Carlisle
Carroll
Carter
Casey
Christian
Clark
Clay
Clinton
Crittenden
Cumberland
Daviess
Edmonson
Elliott
Estill
Fayette
Fleming
Floyd
Franklin
Fulton
Gallatin
Garrard
Grant
Graves
Grayson
Green
Greenup
Hancock
Hardin
Harlan
Harrison
Hart
Henderson
Henry
Hickman
Hopkins
Jackson
Jefferson
Jessamine
Johnson
Kenton
Knott
Knox
Larue
Laurel
Lawrence
Lee
Leslie
Letcher
Lewis
Lincoln
Livingston
Logan
Lyon
Madison
Magoffin
Marion
Marshall
Martin
Mason
McCracken
McCreary
McLean
Meade
Menifee
Mercer
Metcalfe
Monroe
Montgomery
Morgan
Muhlenberg
Nelson
Nicholas
Ohio
Oldham
Owen
Owsley
Pendleton
Perry
Pike
Powell
Pulaski
Robertson
Rockcastle
Rowan
Russell
Scott
Shelby
Simpson
Spencer
Taylor
Todd
Trigg
Trimble
Union
Warren
Washington
Wayne
Webster
Whitley
Wolfe
Woodford

Nearby States

Compare Kentucky with neighboring states, or use the compare tool for side-by-side jurisdiction benchmarking.

Iowa
IA
Kansas
KS
Louisiana
LA
Maine
ME
Maryland
MD

Explore Kentucky crime data

Safest cities → Most dangerous cities → Crime trends → National rankings → Crime grades → Methodology →

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.