America's Most Dangerous City Is An Unexpected Midwest Destination (And It's Not Chicago Or Detroit)

When you hear about the most dangerous places in the United States in terms of violent crime, you might think of big cities like New York, Chicago, or Baltimore. After all, these are the cities whose shocking crime scenes often make it onto the evening news. However, if you adjust for small and large cities' population differences — and this is key — the statistics tell quite a different story. According to the FBI and Security.org, the most dangerous U.S. city, while in Illinois, is not actually Chicago, it's East St. Louis. In addition, CrimeGrade assigned East St. Louis an overall crime grade of "F" for its high rates of violent crime and other incidents. 

Before we go further, it would be a good idea to shed light on how the FBI measures cities' crime rates. Most of its data comes from 18,000 local law enforcement agencies across the U.S. that collect data on incidents involving murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, arson, burglary, and theft. When calculating crime statistics, both the total number of incidents as well as the incidents per 100,000 people are considered. While East St. Louis — a relatively small city with a population of just under 18,000 (in 2024)— was certainly not in the top position in terms of overall numbers, its violent crime rate per 100,000 people far exceeded the national average, vaulting it into the number one spot. Based on this analysis, the other U.S. cities in the top three for violent crime rates were Chester, Pennsylvania and Vinita Park, Missouri.

One thing to note is that East St. Louis, despite its name, is not actually part of St. Louis, MO, which is home to one of the only US national parks within a city with a world-famous, man-made landmark. Rather than being situated in Missouri, East St. Louis lies across the border in Illinois. It was once a powerful and large city, with notables like Andrew Carnegie and J.P. Morgan having built up the area. However, by the 1970s, over 70% of these businesses had dried up and the city's population was in decline.This caused the tax base to wither, leading to lowered funding for public services like trash collection, lights, law enforcement, and more. Unfortunately, this downward spiral into poverty, crime, and dwindling opportunity became a part of life for East St. Louis' remaining residents, though concerted efforts are being made to reverse these trends. 

For those planning to visit East St. Louis, know that the northeastern part of the city tends to have lower crime rates — perhaps keep this in mind when planning travel or booking accommodations. And while you're in the area, be sure to also explore other beautiful spots in the region. For example, check out Edwardsville, a timeless town near the Illinois-Missouri border full of restaurants, shops, and historic sites. In addition, embark on America's most underrated road trip through Illinois, with plenty of stops for shopping and visiting fascinating historic sites, as well as the opportunity to gain firsthand experience of America's historic Route 66.