Highest Crime in Massachusetts

Top 88 cities ranked by highest crime

Highest Crime - Massachusetts

1 North Adams 1,202/100K
2 Holyoke 1,127/100K
3 Chelsea 984/100K
4 Springfield 892/100K
5 Ware 715/100K
6 Greenfield 695/100K
7 Fall River 672/100K
8 Webster 643/100K
9 Worcester 640/100K
10 Boston 630/100K
11 Brockton 599/100K
12 Lynn 575/100K
13 Chicopee 536/100K
14 Lowell 536/100K
15 Pittsfield 511/100K
16 Fitchburg 487/100K
17 Leominster 486/100K
18 Taunton 454/100K
19 Athol 452/100K
20 Northampton 445/100K
21 Revere 443/100K
22 Lawrence 440/100K
23 Cambridge 437/100K
24 Marlborough 421/100K
25 Haverhill 411/100K
26 New Bedford 356/100K
27 Everett 348/100K
28 Quincy 334/100K
29 Framingham 331/100K
30 Gardner 329/100K
31 Plymouth 323/100K
32 Holbrook 314/100K
33 Dedham 296/100K
34 Malden 292/100K
35 Milford 286/100K
36 Foxborough 282/100K
37 Adams 277/100K
38 Gloucester 271/100K
39 Hull 262/100K
40 Peabody 255/100K
41 Waltham 252/100K
42 Saugus 250/100K
43 Oxford 244/100K
44 Maynard 242/100K
45 Abington 232/100K
46 Burlington 225/100K
47 Somerville 221/100K
48 Attleboro 221/100K
49 Kingston 217/100K
50 Woburn 215/100K
51 Westfield 194/100K
52 Salisbury 180/100K
53 Medford 178/100K
54 Wakefield 175/100K
55 Norwood 170/100K
56 Beverly 167/100K
57 Wilmington 161/100K
58 Hudson 158/100K
59 Nantucket 156/100K
60 Salem 152/100K
61 Somerset 151/100K
62 Stoneham 151/100K
63 Marblehead 145/100K
64 Danvers 137/100K
65 Walpole 133/100K
66 Medfield 127/100K
67 Hingham 126/100K
68 Brookline 103/100K
69 Melrose 101/100K
70 Lynnfield 98/100K
71 Longmeadow 94/100K
72 Andover 94/100K
73 Spencer 82/100K
74 Swampscott 82/100K
75 Lexington 61/100K
76 Arlington 55/100K
77 Newton 52/100K
78 Milton 52/100K
79 Needham 52/100K
80 Belmont 51/100K
81 Newburyport 47/100K
82 Clinton 44/100K
83 Scituate 41/100K
84 Reading 39/100K
85 Sharon 37/100K
86 Wellesley 34/100K
87 Northborough 31/100K
88 Winchester 17/100K

Cities with the highest crime rates in Massachusetts face public safety challenges that affect residents' quality of life and economic development. North Adams has 1,202.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents.

High crime rates are often linked to economic factors including poverty, unemployment, income inequality, and limited access to education and social services. Addressing crime effectively requires tackling these underlying root causes alongside traditional law enforcement approaches.

Many cities on this list are actively implementing comprehensive safety strategies including community policing, violence intervention programs, youth mentorship, and economic development initiatives aimed at reducing the conditions that contribute to criminal activity.

Did You Know?

  • 1. The violent crime rate in North Adams is 300.5x the national average.
  • 2. Crime rates have been declining nationally for decades - even cities on this list have generally seen improvements over time.
  • 3. Violent crime is heavily concentrated in specific neighborhoods - most areas within these cities are considerably safer than the citywide statistics suggest.

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