The Safest and Most Dangerous Cities in Georgia

Most Violent Cities in Georgia

1. College Park

College Park ranks first on Georgia’s list of dangerous cities, with the most occurrences of violent crime in the state at 1,771 per 100,000 people. Next to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the world’s busiest, College Park’s resident population of only 14,000  means crimes against visitors dramatically inflate per capita statistics. Originating in 1846 as a railroad stop, College Park's status as a transportation hub is a factor in its existing crime landscape.

2. Cordele

Cordele's violent crime rate of 1,757 per 100,000 reflects serious public safety challenges.  The rural south Georgia city, which is designated “Watermelon Capital of the World,” lies at the critical intersection of Interstate 75 and three major highways. Its poverty rate is over 30 percent, nearly triple the national average, and its status as a transportation crossroads brings with it both economic opportunity and criminal activity.

3. Americus

Americus has the country's third-highest violent crime rate: 1,353 per 100,000. That’s not what you expect from the city that’s home to Georgia Southwestern State University, where former President Jimmy Carter graduated. Established in 1832, this historic city is also experiencing economic stagnation, with traditional businesses falling off without being replaced.

Cities in Georgia With Most Property Crime

1. Morrow

Morrow tops Georgia in property crime, with 8,432 per 100,000 residents. This tiny Clayton County city is home to Southlake Mall and several shopping centers that attract shoppers from across metro Atlanta. When Southlake Mall opened in 1976, it transformed this formerly quiet community into a regional shopping destination, creating prime conditions for property crimes.

2. College Park

In addition to ranking first for violent crime, College Park has the second-highest property crime rate in all of Georgia, with 7,864 incidents per 100,000 people.

3. Hiram

Hiram has the third-highest property crime rate (5,654 per 100,000). This small Paulding County city, northwest of Atlanta, has grown rapidly as Atlanta's suburbs expand. Its retail concentration along Highway 278 has outpaced police resources, making it a target for shoplifters from a broad geographic area.

Which Georgia City Has the Lowest Violent Crime Rate?

1. Holly Springs

Holly Springs' violent crime rate of just 10 incidents per 100,000 residents is the lowest in Georgia. This Cherokee County city has grown from a small town of 3,500 in 2000 to a thriving community of more than 18,000 today.

The city has a 5.6 police to 1,000 resident ratio, far greater than the state average.¹ Holly Springs Police Department attributes its success to being proactive with engagement programs.

2. Senoia

Senoia has the second-lowest violent crime rate (17 incidents per 100,000 people). Almost abandoned in the 1990s, this city in Coweta County went through a renaissance when “The Walking Dead” began filming there. Tourism revenue allowed expanded public safety resources without burdening local taxpayers.

3. Cleveland

Cleveland ranks with the third-lowest violent crime rate (28 per 100,000). This White County seat nestled at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains offers a gateway to tourist attractions, such as Helen, but enjoys social cohesion and year-round, economic-stability-driven businesses instead of economies reliant on seasonal tourism.

Georgia's Lowest Property Crime Cities

When it comes to property crime rate, no city fares better than Alto (100 per 100,000). Established along the Charlotte railroad in the 1870s, this northeast Georgia community retains a small-town character despite its proximity to the booming community of Gainesville.

Lookout Mountain (121 property crimes per 100,000 people) enjoys both geographic isolation and affluence. Originally designed as a mountain retreat for wealthy Chattanooga residents in the late 19th century, the town’s median home value is now over $450,000, more than double the Georgia average.¹

Ball Ground completes the top three safest cities for property crime. Named for the Native American game “anetsa” played on this site where many tribes gathered, the town has kept strict zoning that preserves against retail sprawl.

The Atlanta Effect: How Metro Dynamics Shape Crime

The northern suburbs of Cobb, Gwinnett, and Cherokee counties typically have less crime than southern areas bordering Atlanta. This north-south divide traces back to historical patterns of development, which date back to post-World War II expansion in which northern suburbs profited from earlier development of highways and strategic corporate relocations.

The neighborhood around Hartsfield-Jackson presents distinct public safety issues. The economic impact of the airport — $82 billion a year and more than 63,000 jobs — brings prosperity but also crime opportunities.³ Daily population fluctuations make effective policing particularly difficult in airport-adjacent communities.

Is Georgia Safe? How Georgia Measures Up Overall

Georgia’s overall violent crime rate is 352 per 100,000 people, just under the national average by about 3 percent. Property crime is 1,823 per 100,000, which puts the state 5 percent below the nation’s average.

But averages don’t tell the full story.

Yes, violent crime has ticked down 4.1 percent in the past year — a win, no doubt. Community policing and cross-agency partnerships are starting to pay off. But on the flip side, property crime jumped by nearly 8 percent. And that rise can’t be ignored.

What’s driving that shift? Some say it is an economic fallout that is still rippling from the pandemic. Retail theft is up all across the Southeast. Highways like Interstate 75 and Interstate 85 make it easy for thieves to move in and out fast. And when businesses raise the threshold for reporting shoplifting, there are fewer official cases but more stolen goods walking out the door.

Aggravated assault leads the charge when it comes to violent crime in Georgia, showing up at a rate of 270 incidents per 100,000 people. It’s the one that shows up in court dockets more than any other. On the property crime side, larceny is at the top — with 1,349 cases for every 100,000 residents. In other words, if crime touches your life in Georgia, odds are it’ll be theft, not violence, that knocks first.

Georgia Crime Profile Compared to National Averages

Georgia's crime patterns show notable variations from national trends:

Murder Rate: A Serious Concern

Georgia’s murder rate is 7.1 per 100,000 people, 24.6 percent above the national mean. Macon-Bibb County holds the notorious title of the highest murder rate of any metropolitan area in FBI data, nearing five times the national average at 29 per 100,000 residents. The 2014 consolidation of Macon and Bibb County created unique law enforcement challenges as agencies merged operations.

Other Violent Crimes

Beyond homicide, Georgia usually has better-than-average violent crime metrics:

• Rape rate: 14.5 percent below national average
• Robbery rate: 36.5 percent below national average
• Aggravated assault rate: 2.2 percent above national average

Property Crime Breakdown

Georgia residents face varying risks for different property crime types:

• Burglary rate: 10.9 percent below the national average
• Larceny-theft rate: slightly above the national average by 0.2 percent
• Vehicle theft rate: 21.4 percent below national average

Georgia does better than many neighboring Southern states. Arkansas (4th), Louisiana (5th), Tennessee, and South Carolina all rank among the top 10 for violent crime rates nationally. Georgia’s middle-of-the-pack status is a major success relative to these regional peers.

The Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council attributes this relative success to data-driven policing strategies and targeted community intervention programs.