The Safest and Most Dangerous Cities in Florida

Every year, Florida’s theme parks and warm weather attract over 100 million visitors. Nestled in the south, this state is as diverse as it is expansive. From Pensacola and Destin in the northern Panhandle to Fort Lauderdale and Miami in the south, there’s no shortage of adventure, entertainment, and wonderful memories to make.

As you might imagine, some communities are safer than others in Florida. City crime rate levels inherently vary. While certain places are fine to frequent after dark, others are best avoided altogether.

Let’s have a closer look at everything that comes with this scenic southern state, including the safest and most dangerous places in Florida.

Florida cities with the highest and lowest crime rates

(per 100,000 people)

Cities with the highest property crime rates
Mangonia Park	7,594
Lake Park	6,362
Florida City	5,841

Cities with the highest violent crime rates
Florida City	1,709
Mangonia Park	1,486
Belle Glade	1,119

Cities with the lowest property crime rates
Tavares	294
Lake Helen	371
Gulf Breeze	381

Cities with the lowest violent crime rates
Virginia Gardens	45
Davenport	50
Bay Harbor Islands	53

Note: Excluding cities with crime rates of zero. Source: 2023 FBI Data

Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Florida For Violent Crime and Property Crime

Florida’s Low-Crime Cities

Virginia Gardens is home to the lowest level of violent crime, with 45 people being victimized for every 100,000. Based in the Miami metropolitan area, Virginia Gardens has a small population of about 2,300 and a low poverty rate of 9 percent,¹ both of which are likely contributing factors to its overall safety. Throughout the village, visiting museums and frequenting green spaces like the botanical gardens are popular pastimes among locals.

Tavares holds the lowest level of property crime, with 294 people being victimized for every 100,000. As part of the Orlando metropolitan area, this city is one of the safest places to live in Florida due to its suburban atmosphere and higher rates of homeownership.² Parks, country clubs, and other green spaces are favored attractions across Tavares, which may contribute to its lower property crime rates.

High-Crime Cities in Florida

The violent crime rate in Florida City is the highest in the entire Sunshine State, as 1,709 people for every 100,000 are victimized. This Miami suburb is saddled with higher poverty rates and limited opportunities. Unfortunately, this goes hand-in-hand with Florida City’s robbery and aggravated assault rates standing well above the national average.

Mangonia Park carries the highest rate of property crime, with 7,594 people being victimized for every 100,000. As one of the more dangerous places in Florida, this Palm Beach County city is a hotspot for drug trafficking.³ Unfortunately, about 1 in 5 Mangonia Park residents also live below the poverty line.⁴ These factors contribute to heightened levels of criminal activity in the small South Florida town.

Statewide Crime Trends in Florida

As seen above, crime levels vary greatly across the Sunshine State. The Miami metropolitan area alone is quite diverse, home to both some of the highest and lowest levels of crime.

So far, we’ve evaluated both the safest places to live in Florida and the most dangerous places in Florida. Now, we’ll analyze additional factors impacting these rankings, along with year-over-year changes.

Violent crime rates

(per 100,000 residents)

Crime Type	Florida	National
Murder	4.7	5.7
Aggravated assault	213.3	263.7
Robbery	42.3	65.4
Rape	29.9	38.0

While Florida is home to sunshine, beaches, and stunning coastlines, the state also comes in 29th for violent crime and 41st for property crime out of all 50 states. Collectively, Florida’s violent crime rate stands at 290 individuals for every 100,000, which puts it 20 percent below America’s national average. On property crime, the state maintains a rate of 1,516 people per 100,000, which is 21 percent below the national average.

Based on the available findings, virtually all crime genres in the Sunshine State fall below the national average. This holds true whether we’re talking about burglary (34.9 percent below the national average), murder (17.5 percent below the national average), larceny theft (9.3 percent below the national average), or aggravated assault (19.2 percent below the national average).

Property crime rates

(per 100,000 residents)

Crime Type	Florida	National
Burglary	163.1	250.7
Larceny	1,221.5	1,343.9
Vehicle theft	131.8	317.2

Crime in this state is lower compared to its more dangerous counterparts across America. But, one should still be mindful of — and subsequently avoid — the most dangerous cities in Florida.

Compared to the rest of the country, Florida is safer than New Mexico and Alaska but more dangerous than Maine and Idaho.

Year-Over-Year Changes

Collectively, property crime in the Sunshine State has seen a 3.2 percent year-over-year decrease. Violent crime has increased by 12.1 percent, though. These changes suggest that, on average, locals and visitors in Florida should worry more about their physical safety than their personal belongings. In recent years, local officials throughout the state have talked about increasing law enforcement presence and efforts to improve overall safety.

Crime Variations Across Communities

While different regions across the Sunshine State experience various crime levels, tourist areas — especially beach towns — seem more prone to property crime than residential communities. The perception of tourists as easy targets likely plays a role in this. Moreover, residential areas are known for having higher security levels and more gated communities to protect their homes or businesses.

Where Our Crime Data Comes From

Unless specified otherwise, the information in this article is based on crime data compiled by the FBI and made available through the Crime Data Explorer. Statewide violent and property crime statistics are drawn from the FBI’s 2023 Crime in the United States Report (Table 5), and for city-level crime rates, we referred to Table 8, which lists reported offenses by state and city.

Important Note: Crime statistics offer valuable insights, but they aren’t the only way to evaluate a community’s safety. Local context, law enforcement practices, and reporting standards can all influence how crime is recorded. Additionally, FBI publication tables and the data displayed on the Crime Data Explorer may differ slightly due to variations in methodology.

Navigate Crime Data by State

Citations

Virginia Gardens, Florida Population 2024. World Population Review. (2024).
https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/florida/virginia-gardens
Tavares is a town in Florida with a population of 19,925. Niche. (2024).
https://www.niche.com/places-to-live/tavares-lake-fl/
PBSO operation nets 60 drug arrests from West Palm Beach to Riviera Beach. Palm Beach Post. (2019, May 2).
https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/crime/2019/05/02/pbso-operation-nets-60-drug-arrests-from-west-palm-beach-to-riviera-beach/5286774007/
Mangonia Park town, Florida. U.S. Census Bureau. (2024).
https://data.census.gov/profile/Mangonia_Park_town,_Florida?g=160XX00US1242900#income-and-poverty