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.

# Grade City Population Violent Crime Rate Property Crime Rate
1 A+ Northborough 15,975 12.5/100K 187.8/100K
2 A+ Bedford 14,659 13.6/100K 443.4/100K
3 A+ Winchester 23,238 17.2/100K 383/100K
4 A+ Shrewsbury 39,837 30.1/100K 642.6/100K
5 A+ Holliston 15,309 32.7/100K 182.9/100K
6 A+ Sharon 18,754 37.3/100K 239.9/100K
7 A+ Reading 25,871 38.7/100K 533.4/100K
8 A+ Scituate 19,735 40.5/100K 116.5/100K
9 A Westwood 16,551 42.3/100K 1148/100K
10 A+ Groton 11,487 43.5/100K 191.5/100K
11 A+ Clinton 15,864 44.1/100K 56.7/100K
12 A+ Newburyport 19,232 46.8/100K 395.2/100K
13 A+ Wellesley 31,973 46.9/100K 484.8/100K
14 A+ Newton 89,935 48.9/100K 599.3/100K
15 A+ Concord 18,335 49.1/100K 540/100K
16 A+ Norfolk 11,824 50.7/100K 380.6/100K
17 A Belmont 27,280 51.3/100K 703.8/100K
18 A Needham 32,779 51.9/100K 646.8/100K
19 A+ Milton 28,832 52/100K 561.9/100K
20 A+ Norwell 11,498 52.2/100K 478.3/100K
21 A+ Lexington 34,350 52.4/100K 334.8/100K
22 A+ Holden 20,322 54.1/100K 260.8/100K
23 A+ Sudbury 19,939 55.2/100K 280.9/100K
24 A+ Arlington 46,956 55.4/100K 434.4/100K
25 A+ Southborough 10,620 56.5/100K 226/100K
26 A+ Littleton 10,485 57.2/100K 438.7/100K
27 A+ Weston 12,041 58.1/100K 357.1/100K
28 A+ Medway 13,980 64.4/100K 286.1/100K
29 A+ Acton 24,506 65.3/100K 350.9/100K
30 A+ North Reading 16,531 66.5/100K 405.3/100K
31 A+ Westford 24,946 68.1/100K 336.7/100K
32 A+ Grafton 20,464 68.4/100K 175.9/100K
33 A+ Northbridge 16,813 71.4/100K 333.1/100K
34 A+ Bridgewater 29,465 74.7/100K 200.2/100K
35 A Wayland 13,959 78.8/100K 480/100K
36 A Swampscott 15,907 81.7/100K 1075/100K
37 A Spencer 12,130 82.4/100K 280.3/100K
38 A Hopkinton 20,171 84.3/100K 242.9/100K
39 A Rehoboth 13,844 86.7/100K 267.3/100K
40 A Middleton 10,115 89/100K 336.1/100K
41 A Pembroke 18,610 91.3/100K 354.6/100K
42 A Andover 37,152 94.2/100K 777.9/100K
43 A Longmeadow 15,881 94.5/100K 591.9/100K
44 A Franklin 33,716 94.9/100K 287.7/100K
45 A North Attleboro 31,565 95/100K 1032.8/100K
46 A Ashland 18,861 95.4/100K 678.6/100K
47 A Lynnfield 13,298 97.8/100K 857.3/100K
48 A Brookline 64,122 99.8/100K 895.2/100K
49 A Melrose 29,784 100.7/100K 429.8/100K
50 A Carver 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.