MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A website that claims to be the largest cost of living database says Memphis is the tenth most dangerous city in the world.
Memphis was the only city in the U.S. to make the top ten of Numbeo’s Crime Index by City 2024 Mid-Year.
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa, and Caracas, Venezuela, took the top three spots. Baltimore, Detroit, and Albuquerque were the only other American cities in the top twenty.
|
Rank |
City |
Crime Index |
Safety Index |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa |
82.5 |
17.5 |
|
2 |
Pretoria, South Africa |
81.9 |
18.1 |
|
3 |
Caracas, Venezuela |
81.7 |
18.3 |
|
4 |
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea |
80.9 |
19.1 |
|
5 |
Johannesburg, South Africa |
80.8 |
19.2 |
|
6 |
Durban, South Africa |
80.6 |
19.4 |
|
7 |
Port Elizabeth, South Africa |
77.7 |
22.3 |
|
8 |
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil |
77.5 |
22.5 |
|
9 |
Salvador, Brazil |
76.6 |
23.4 |
|
10 |
Memphis, TN, United States |
76.5 |
23.5 |
|
11 |
Recife, Brazil |
75.9 |
24.1 |
|
12 |
Rosario, Argentina |
75.6 |
24.4 |
|
13 |
Fortaleza, Brazil |
74.7 |
25.3 |
|
14 |
Baltimore, MD, United States |
74.7 |
25.3 |
|
15 |
Guayaquil, Ecuador |
74.4 |
25.6 |
|
16 |
Detroit, MI, United States |
74.3 |
25.7 |
|
17 |
Cape Town, South Africa |
73.8 |
26.2 |
|
18 |
Alice Springs, Australia |
72.1 |
27.9 |
|
19 |
Tijuana, Mexico |
72.1 |
27.9 |
|
20 |
Albuquerque, NM, United States |
71.7 |
28.3 |
According to Numbeo, the crime data is derived from surveys conducted by visitors to their website. The questions in the surveys are designed to be similar to those in many scientific and government surveys.
Numbeo says the crime index is an estimation of the overall level of crime in a given city or country.
“We consider crime levels lower than 20 as very low, crime levels between 20 and 40 as low, crime levels between 40 and 60 as moderate, crime levels between 60 and 80 as high, and crime levels higher than 80 as very high,” said Numbeo
The crime index takes into account survey responses about:
– The general perception of crime levels
– Perceived safety: Survey responses from residents and visitors regarding their feelings of safety while walking during daylight and at night.
– Concerns about specific crimes: Survey questions about worries regarding mugging, robbery, car theft, physical attacks by strangers, harassment in public places, and discrimination based on factors like skin color, ethnicity, gender, or religion.
– Property crimes: Assessment of the extent of property-related crimes, such as burglary, theft, vandalism, etc.
– Violent crimes: Evaluation of the perception of violent crimes, including assault, homicide, sexual offenses, etc.
“It’s important to note that the crime index provided by Numbeo is based on user-contributed data and perceptions, which may differ from official government statistics. The index serves as a comparative tool to assess the relative safety of different cities or countries, helping individuals make informed decisions and understand the crime landscape in specific locations,” said Numbeo
In April, The Shelby County Crime Commission and the University of Memphis released numbers showing violent crimes, including homicide, rape, robbery, larceny, aggravated assault, burglary, auto theft, and human trafficking, had steadily dropped from July until March of this year.
The police data showed reports of those crimes were nearly cut in half from eight months before. According to MPD’s most recently available numbers, so far this year, there have been 175 homicides in Memphis. That compares to 217 during the same period in 2024.
For a complete list of Numbeo’s crime rankings by city, click here.
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