Safest Cities in Massachusetts
Top 50 cities (≥10,000 pop) by lowest FBI UCR violent crime rate per 100,000 · 2024. Lead: Northborough at 12.5/100K.
FBI UCR Safest-Cities Snapshot: Massachusetts
Massachusetts lists 50 cities with 10,000+ population for 2024, spanning Northborough at 12.5/100K violent down to Carver at 100.8/100K on this cut. That is a 88.3/100K spread inside the safest cohort alone, not a single statewide rate. Cohort average: 62.8 violent offenses per 100,000 residents.
Northborough reported 2 violent and 30 property offenses on a 15,975 reporting population in 2024. Property rate 187.8/100K sits beside the 12.5/100K violent rate. Top five on the table: Northborough, Bedford, Winchester, Shrewsbury, Holliston.
Northborough offense desk
Northborough's violent rate fell 60.7% vs 2023 (31.9 → 12.5 per 100K) while staying #1 on this Massachusetts list.
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 | Northborough | A+ | 15,975 | 12.5/100K | 187.8/100K |
| 2 | Bedford | A+ | 14,659 | 13.6/100K | 443.4/100K |
| 3 | Winchester | A+ | 23,238 | 17.2/100K | 383/100K |
| 4 | Shrewsbury | A+ | 39,837 | 30.1/100K | 642.6/100K |
| 5 | Holliston | A+ | 15,309 | 32.7/100K | 182.9/100K |
| 6 | Sharon | A+ | 18,754 | 37.3/100K | 239.9/100K |
| 7 | Reading | A+ | 25,871 | 38.7/100K | 533.4/100K |
| 8 | Scituate | A+ | 19,735 | 40.5/100K | 116.5/100K |
| 9 | Westwood | A | 16,551 | 42.3/100K | 1148/100K |
| 10 | Groton | A+ | 11,487 | 43.5/100K | 191.5/100K |
| 11 | Clinton | A+ | 15,864 | 44.1/100K | 56.7/100K |
| 12 | Newburyport | A+ | 19,232 | 46.8/100K | 395.2/100K |
| 13 | Wellesley | A+ | 31,973 | 46.9/100K | 484.8/100K |
| 14 | Newton | A+ | 89,935 | 48.9/100K | 599.3/100K |
| 15 | Concord | A+ | 18,335 | 49.1/100K | 540/100K |
| 16 | Norfolk | A+ | 11,824 | 50.7/100K | 380.6/100K |
| 17 | Belmont | A | 27,280 | 51.3/100K | 703.8/100K |
| 18 | Needham | A | 32,779 | 51.9/100K | 646.8/100K |
| 19 | Milton | A+ | 28,832 | 52/100K | 561.9/100K |
| 20 | Norwell | A+ | 11,498 | 52.2/100K | 478.3/100K |
| 21 | Lexington | A+ | 34,350 | 52.4/100K | 334.8/100K |
| 22 | Holden | A+ | 20,322 | 54.1/100K | 260.8/100K |
| 23 | Sudbury | A+ | 19,939 | 55.2/100K | 280.9/100K |
| 24 | Arlington | A+ | 46,956 | 55.4/100K | 434.4/100K |
| 25 | Southborough | A+ | 10,620 | 56.5/100K | 226/100K |
| 26 | Littleton | A+ | 10,485 | 57.2/100K | 438.7/100K |
| 27 | Weston | A+ | 12,041 | 58.1/100K | 357.1/100K |
| 28 | Medway | A+ | 13,980 | 64.4/100K | 286.1/100K |
| 29 | Acton | A+ | 24,506 | 65.3/100K | 350.9/100K |
| 30 | North Reading | A+ | 16,531 | 66.5/100K | 405.3/100K |
| 31 | Westford | A+ | 24,946 | 68.1/100K | 336.7/100K |
| 32 | Grafton | A+ | 20,464 | 68.4/100K | 175.9/100K |
| 33 | Northbridge | A+ | 16,813 | 71.4/100K | 333.1/100K |
| 34 | Bridgewater | A+ | 29,465 | 74.7/100K | 200.2/100K |
| 35 | Wayland | A | 13,959 | 78.8/100K | 480/100K |
| 36 | Swampscott | A | 15,907 | 81.7/100K | 1075/100K |
| 37 | Spencer | A | 12,130 | 82.4/100K | 280.3/100K |
| 38 | Hopkinton | A | 20,171 | 84.3/100K | 242.9/100K |
| 39 | Rehoboth | A | 13,844 | 86.7/100K | 267.3/100K |
| 40 | Middleton | A | 10,115 | 89/100K | 336.1/100K |
| 41 | Pembroke | A | 18,610 | 91.3/100K | 354.6/100K |
| 42 | Andover | A | 37,152 | 94.2/100K | 777.9/100K |
| 43 | Longmeadow | A | 15,881 | 94.5/100K | 591.9/100K |
| 44 | Franklin | A | 33,716 | 94.9/100K | 287.7/100K |
| 45 | North Attleboro | A | 31,565 | 95/100K | 1032.8/100K |
| 46 | Ashland | A | 18,861 | 95.4/100K | 678.6/100K |
| 47 | Lynnfield | A | 13,298 | 97.8/100K | 857.3/100K |
| 48 | Brookline | A | 64,122 | 99.8/100K | 895.2/100K |
| 49 | Melrose | A | 29,784 | 100.7/100K | 429.8/100K |
| 50 | Carver | A | 11,910 | 100.8/100K | 545.8/100K |
Massachusetts overview · Most dangerous cities · National safest cities · Methodology - FBI UCR Part I rates; cities ≥10,000 pop; 2024.