Most Dangerous Cities in Kentucky
Top 42 cities (≥10,000 pop) by highest FBI UCR violent crime rate per 100,000 · 2024. Lead: Louisville Metro at 707.4/100K.
FBI UCR Highest-Crime Snapshot: Kentucky
Kentucky lists 42 cities with 10,000+ population for 2024, spanning Louisville Metro at 707.4/100K violent down to Independence at 26.9/100K on this highest-crime cut. That is a 680.5/100K spread inside the elevated cohort alone, not a single statewide rate. Cohort average: 180.1 violent offenses per 100,000 residents.
Louisville Metro reported 4,788 violent and 22,513 property offenses on a 676,843 reporting population in 2024. Property rate 3326.2/100K sits beside the 707.4/100K violent rate. Top five on the table: Louisville Metro, Hopkinsville, Owensboro, Newport, Henderson.
Louisville Metro offense desk
Louisville Metro's 2024 violent book concentrates in aggravated assault (74% of 4,788 Part I violent offenses; mix index 5,901).
Louisville Metro's violent rate fell 9.6% vs 2023 (782.1 → 707.4 per 100K) while staying #1 on this Kentucky highest-crime list.
Louisville Metro violent offense mix (2024)
Mix index is HHI × 10,000 on Part I violent shares for the #1 city only, distinct from the per-100K ranking table.
| # | City | Grade | Population | Violent Crime Rate | Property Crime Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Louisville Metro | F | 676,843 | 707.4/100K | 3326.2/100K |
| 2 | Hopkinsville | D | 30,694 | 446.3/100K | 2505.4/100K |
| 3 | Owensboro | C | 60,096 | 349.4/100K | 2917/100K |
| 4 | Newport | D | 13,702 | 328.4/100K | 3838.9/100K |
| 5 | Henderson | C | 27,600 | 318.8/100K | 1815.2/100K |
| 6 | Shively | C | 15,394 | 305.3/100K | 3280.5/100K |
| 7 | Covington | C | 40,984 | 287.9/100K | 1634.8/100K |
| 8 | Paducah | C | 26,624 | 270.4/100K | 2794.5/100K |
| 9 | Lexington | C | 323,254 | 262/100K | 2274.4/100K |
| 10 | Somerset | B | 12,367 | 258.8/100K | 1075.4/100K |
| 11 | Florence | C | 33,208 | 231.9/100K | 3213.1/100K |
| 12 | Campbellsville | B | 11,724 | 230.3/100K | 1074.7/100K |
| 13 | Bowling Green | C | 77,503 | 224.5/100K | 2928.9/100K |
| 14 | Richmond | B | 38,072 | 215.4/100K | 1972.6/100K |
| 15 | Frankfort | B | 28,177 | 202.3/100K | 1643.2/100K |
| 16 | Ashland | C | 21,011 | 199.9/100K | 2503.5/100K |
| 17 | Radcliff | B | 22,658 | 172.1/100K | 1999.3/100K |
| 18 | Glasgow | B | 15,413 | 168.7/100K | 2108.6/100K |
| 19 | Winchester | C | 19,283 | 165.9/100K | 2795.2/100K |
| 20 | Bardstown | B | 13,917 | 165.3/100K | 1394/100K |
| 21 | Franklin | A | 10,556 | 142.1/100K | 881/100K |
| 22 | Elizabethtown | A | 33,522 | 137.2/100K | 698/100K |
| 23 | Shepherdsville | B | 14,843 | 134.7/100K | 1792.1/100K |
| 24 | Shelbyville | A | 17,959 | 133.6/100K | 1007.9/100K |
| 25 | Paris | A | 10,057 | 129.3/100K | 805.4/100K |
| 26 | St. Matthews | C | 17,289 | 127.2/100K | 5095.7/100K |
| 27 | Georgetown | A | 40,037 | 122.4/100K | 1168.9/100K |
| 28 | Nicholasville | A | 32,866 | 112.6/100K | 1497/100K |
| 29 | Danville | A | 17,406 | 109.2/100K | 1045.6/100K |
| 30 | Jeffersontown | B | 28,563 | 105/100K | 2275.7/100K |
| 31 | Lyndon | B | 10,877 | 101.1/100K | 2528.3/100K |
| 32 | Murray | A | 18,191 | 99/100K | 1429.3/100K |
| 33 | Madisonville | A | 19,294 | 88.1/100K | 590.9/100K |
| 34 | Berea | A | 16,135 | 86.8/100K | 849.1/100K |
| 35 | Erlanger | A | 19,827 | 70.6/100K | 524.5/100K |
| 36 | Versailles | A | 27,727 | 68.5/100K | 757.4/100K |
| 37 | La Grange | A | 10,537 | 66.4/100K | 911.1/100K |
| 38 | Lawrenceburg | A+ | 12,241 | 57.2/100K | 539.2/100K |
| 39 | Alexandria | A | 10,778 | 55.7/100K | 723.7/100K |
| 40 | Fort Thomas | A+ | 16,826 | 47.5/100K | 487.3/100K |
| 41 | Mount Washington | A+ | 18,811 | 31.9/100K | 558.2/100K |
| 42 | Independence | A+ | 29,747 | 26.9/100K | 316/100K |
Kentucky overview · Safest cities · National most dangerous cities · Methodology - FBI UCR Part I rates; cities ≥10,000 pop; 2024.