Most Dangerous Cities in Massachusetts
Top 50 cities (≥10,000 pop) by highest FBI UCR violent crime rate per 100,000 · 2024. Lead: North Adams at 1194/100K.
FBI UCR Highest-Crime Snapshot: Massachusetts
Massachusetts lists 50 cities with 10,000+ population for 2024, spanning North Adams at 1194/100K violent down to Bourne at 274.6/100K on this highest-crime cut. That is a 919.4/100K spread inside the elevated cohort alone, not a single statewide rate. Cohort average: 464.7 violent offenses per 100,000 residents.
North Adams reported 148 violent and 317 property offenses on a 12,395 reporting population in 2024. Property rate 2557.5/100K sits beside the 1194/100K violent rate. Top five on the table: North Adams, Holyoke, Chelsea, Springfield, Fall River.
North Adams offense desk
North Adams's 2024 violent book concentrates in aggravated assault (89% of 148 Part I violent offenses; mix index 8,014).
North Adams's violent rate rose 10.7% vs 2023 (1078.7 → 1194.0 per 100K) while staying #1 on this Massachusetts highest-crime list.
North Adams 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 | North Adams | 12,395 | 1194/100K | 2557.5/100K |
| 2 | F | Holyoke | 38,232 | 1041/100K | 4232.1/100K |
| 3 | F | Chelsea | 38,307 | 978.9/100K | 1435.8/100K |
| 4 | F | Springfield | 155,491 | 891.4/100K | 2835.5/100K |
| 5 | F | Fall River | 95,573 | 742.9/100K | 1391.6/100K |
| 6 | D | Ware | 10,076 | 694.7/100K | 357.3/100K |
| 7 | F | Greenfield | 17,419 | 694.6/100K | 2003.6/100K |
| 8 | D | Webster | 17,876 | 637.7/100K | 800/100K |
| 9 | F | Boston | 659,049 | 627.9/100K | 2021.7/100K |
| 10 | D | Brockton | 106,650 | 599.2/100K | 1345.5/100K |
| 11 | D | Lynn | 103,200 | 574.6/100K | 1170.5/100K |
| 12 | D | Chicopee | 55,770 | 566.6/100K | 1760.8/100K |
| 13 | D | Lowell | 116,062 | 532.5/100K | 1662.9/100K |
| 14 | D | Pittsfield | 42,835 | 511.3/100K | 1239.6/100K |
| 15 | C | Fitchburg | 42,332 | 486.6/100K | 1344.1/100K |
| 16 | C | Leominster | 44,407 | 484.2/100K | 1315.1/100K |
| 17 | C | Athol | 12,165 | 452.1/100K | 731.6/100K |
| 18 | C | Taunton | 61,874 | 447.7/100K | 834/100K |
| 19 | C | Northampton | 30,108 | 445.1/100K | 1272.1/100K |
| 20 | C | Revere | 57,779 | 444.8/100K | 1535.2/100K |
| 21 | C | Lawrence | 89,600 | 439.7/100K | 998.9/100K |
| 22 | D | Cambridge | 120,447 | 436.7/100K | 2644.3/100K |
| 23 | C | Middleboro | 25,046 | 427.2/100K | 626.8/100K |
| 24 | C | Marlborough | 41,785 | 421.2/100K | 1036.3/100K |
| 25 | D | West Springfield | 28,898 | 415.3/100K | 3173.2/100K |
| 26 | C | Haverhill | 68,602 | 411.1/100K | 924.2/100K |
| 27 | C | Barnstable | 50,928 | 410.4/100K | 785.4/100K |
| 28 | C | Auburn | 17,122 | 408.8/100K | 1156.4/100K |
| 29 | C | Palmer | 12,534 | 375/100K | 574.4/100K |
| 30 | C | Southbridge | 18,280 | 366.5/100K | 634.6/100K |
| 31 | C | New Bedford | 102,491 | 353.2/100K | 1359.1/100K |
| 32 | C | Everett | 51,744 | 347.9/100K | 1314.2/100K |
| 33 | C | Quincy | 103,550 | 335.1/100K | 1332.7/100K |
| 34 | B | Gardner | 21,288 | 328.8/100K | 620.1/100K |
| 35 | C | Framingham | 73,123 | 325.5/100K | 1054.4/100K |
| 36 | B | Plymouth | 68,195 | 322.6/100K | 695.1/100K |
| 37 | C | Holbrook | 11,462 | 314.1/100K | 1378.5/100K |
| 38 | B | Leicester | 11,275 | 310.4/100K | 665.2/100K |
| 39 | B | Yarmouth | 25,616 | 296.7/100K | 675.4/100K |
| 40 | B | Whitman | 15,670 | 293.6/100K | 740.3/100K |
| 41 | B | Wareham | 23,609 | 292.3/100K | 1084.3/100K |
| 42 | B | Malden | 66,046 | 292.2/100K | 1179.5/100K |
| 43 | B | Canton | 25,181 | 289.9/100K | 540.1/100K |
| 44 | B | Agawam | 28,921 | 287/100K | 1044.2/100K |
| 45 | B | Milford | 30,799 | 285.7/100K | 902.6/100K |
| 46 | B | Braintree | 39,018 | 284.5/100K | 1120/100K |
| 47 | B | Falmouth | 33,877 | 283.4/100K | 841.3/100K |
| 48 | B | Foxborough | 18,793 | 282/100K | 617.3/100K |
| 49 | B | Gloucester | 30,599 | 277.8/100K | 552.3/100K |
| 50 | B | Bourne | 21,124 | 274.6/100K | 970.5/100K |
Massachusetts overview · Safest cities · National most dangerous cities · Methodology - FBI UCR Part I rates; cities ≥10,000 pop; 2024.