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.

# Grade City Population Violent Crime Rate Property Crime Rate
1 F Louisville Metro 676,843 707.4/100K 3326.2/100K
2 D Hopkinsville 30,694 446.3/100K 2505.4/100K
3 C Owensboro 60,096 349.4/100K 2917/100K
4 D Newport 13,702 328.4/100K 3838.9/100K
5 C Henderson 27,600 318.8/100K 1815.2/100K
6 C Shively 15,394 305.3/100K 3280.5/100K
7 C Covington 40,984 287.9/100K 1634.8/100K
8 C Paducah 26,624 270.4/100K 2794.5/100K
9 C Lexington 323,254 262/100K 2274.4/100K
10 B Somerset 12,367 258.8/100K 1075.4/100K
11 C Florence 33,208 231.9/100K 3213.1/100K
12 B Campbellsville 11,724 230.3/100K 1074.7/100K
13 C Bowling Green 77,503 224.5/100K 2928.9/100K
14 B Richmond 38,072 215.4/100K 1972.6/100K
15 B Frankfort 28,177 202.3/100K 1643.2/100K
16 C Ashland 21,011 199.9/100K 2503.5/100K
17 B Radcliff 22,658 172.1/100K 1999.3/100K
18 B Glasgow 15,413 168.7/100K 2108.6/100K
19 C Winchester 19,283 165.9/100K 2795.2/100K
20 B Bardstown 13,917 165.3/100K 1394/100K
21 A Franklin 10,556 142.1/100K 881/100K
22 A Elizabethtown 33,522 137.2/100K 698/100K
23 B Shepherdsville 14,843 134.7/100K 1792.1/100K
24 A Shelbyville 17,959 133.6/100K 1007.9/100K
25 A Paris 10,057 129.3/100K 805.4/100K
26 C St. Matthews 17,289 127.2/100K 5095.7/100K
27 A Georgetown 40,037 122.4/100K 1168.9/100K
28 A Nicholasville 32,866 112.6/100K 1497/100K
29 A Danville 17,406 109.2/100K 1045.6/100K
30 B Jeffersontown 28,563 105/100K 2275.7/100K
31 B Lyndon 10,877 101.1/100K 2528.3/100K
32 A Murray 18,191 99/100K 1429.3/100K
33 A Madisonville 19,294 88.1/100K 590.9/100K
34 A Berea 16,135 86.8/100K 849.1/100K
35 A Erlanger 19,827 70.6/100K 524.5/100K
36 A Versailles 27,727 68.5/100K 757.4/100K
37 A La Grange 10,537 66.4/100K 911.1/100K
38 A+ Lawrenceburg 12,241 57.2/100K 539.2/100K
39 A Alexandria 10,778 55.7/100K 723.7/100K
40 A+ Fort Thomas 16,826 47.5/100K 487.3/100K
41 A+ Mount Washington 18,811 31.9/100K 558.2/100K
42 A+ Independence 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.