Most Dangerous Cities in Virginia
Top 38 cities (≥10,000 pop) by highest FBI UCR violent crime rate per 100,000 · 2024. Lead: Petersburg at 1043.6/100K.
FBI UCR Highest-Crime Snapshot: Virginia
Virginia lists 38 cities with 10,000+ population for 2024, spanning Petersburg at 1043.6/100K violent down to Vienna at 61.5/100K on this highest-crime cut. That is a 982.1/100K spread inside the elevated cohort alone, not a single statewide rate. Cohort average: 320.8 violent offenses per 100,000 residents.
Petersburg reported 350 violent and 969 property offenses on a 33,538 reporting population in 2024. Property rate 2889.3/100K sits beside the 1043.6/100K violent rate. Top five on the table: Petersburg, Portsmouth, Newport News, Roanoke, Fredericksburg.
Petersburg offense desk
Petersburg's 2024 violent book concentrates in aggravated assault (80% of 350 Part I violent offenses; mix index 6,589).
Petersburg's violent rate rose 49.1% vs 2023 (700.1 → 1043.6 per 100K) while staying #1 on this Virginia highest-crime list.
Petersburg 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 | Petersburg | F | 33,538 | 1043.6/100K | 2889.3/100K |
| 2 | Portsmouth | F | 97,156 | 752.4/100K | 3860.8/100K |
| 3 | Newport News | F | 183,563 | 736/100K | 2416.1/100K |
| 4 | Roanoke | F | 97,027 | 620.4/100K | 4055.6/100K |
| 5 | Fredericksburg | F | 29,474 | 603.9/100K | 3070.5/100K |
| 6 | Norfolk | F | 230,460 | 469.5/100K | 3772.5/100K |
| 7 | Colonial Heights | D | 18,605 | 462.2/100K | 3181.9/100K |
| 8 | Bristol | D | 16,775 | 435.2/100K | 3028.3/100K |
| 9 | Martinsville | C | 13,968 | 386.6/100K | 1131.2/100K |
| 10 | Hopewell | C | 22,843 | 380.9/100K | 2040/100K |
| 11 | Suffolk | C | 103,506 | 371/100K | 1570.9/100K |
| 12 | Danville | D | 41,915 | 365/100K | 2834.3/100K |
| 13 | Charlottesville | D | 44,844 | 359/100K | 3191.1/100K |
| 14 | Lynchburg | C | 80,339 | 357.2/100K | 1737.6/100K |
| 15 | Chesapeake | C | 257,248 | 339.4/100K | 1744.2/100K |
| 16 | Richmond | D | 231,805 | 336.9/100K | 3179.4/100K |
| 17 | Front Royal | C | 15,524 | 335/100K | 1533.1/100K |
| 18 | Poquoson | B | 12,788 | 312.8/100K | 664.7/100K |
| 19 | Manassas | C | 43,028 | 274.2/100K | 1905.7/100K |
| 20 | Harrisonburg | C | 51,270 | 267.2/100K | 1693/100K |
| 21 | Leesburg | B | 49,626 | 255.9/100K | 1573.8/100K |
| 22 | Hampton | C | 138,100 | 247.6/100K | 2882/100K |
| 23 | Waynesboro | B | 23,673 | 245/100K | 1516.5/100K |
| 24 | Herndon | B | 25,058 | 239.4/100K | 1795.8/100K |
| 25 | Winchester | C | 27,700 | 238.3/100K | 2328.5/100K |
| 26 | Christiansburg | C | 22,297 | 224.2/100K | 2596.8/100K |
| 27 | Alexandria | C | 155,153 | 219.1/100K | 2640/100K |
| 28 | Radford | B | 17,399 | 212.7/100K | 902.4/100K |
| 29 | Williamsburg | B | 16,098 | 198.8/100K | 1205.1/100K |
| 30 | Staunton | B | 26,151 | 141.5/100K | 1506.6/100K |
| 31 | Fairfax City | C | 25,672 | 128.5/100K | 3303.2/100K |
| 32 | Culpeper | B | 21,302 | 122.1/100K | 1675.9/100K |
| 33 | Falls Church | A | 14,801 | 101.3/100K | 1520.2/100K |
| 34 | Warrenton | A | 10,265 | 97.4/100K | 1285.9/100K |
| 35 | Virginia Beach | A | 455,155 | 92.3/100K | 1639.9/100K |
| 36 | Manassas Park | A | 16,228 | 80.1/100K | 764.1/100K |
| 37 | Blacksburg | A | 45,734 | 76.5/100K | 715/100K |
| 38 | Vienna | A | 16,258 | 61.5/100K | 848.8/100K |
Virginia overview · Safest cities · National most dangerous cities · Methodology - FBI UCR Part I rates; cities ≥10,000 pop; 2024.