The Safest and Most Dangerous Cities in Iowa

Iowa Cities With the Lowest Crime

Located in northwest Iowa, Sioux Center is home to Dordt University, Siouxnami Waterpark, and some of the richest soil and strongest livestock counties in the US. With 12 incidents per 100,000 residents every year, violent crimes like murder and aggravated assault are nearly nonexistent there.

The rural Iowa communities of Rock Valley and Waukon also have incredibly low violent crime rates. Each town saw one violent incident during the entire year that data was collected. In both cases, it was a single instance of aggravated assault.

Regarding avoiding property crime, Urbana is the best place to be. This Benton County city outside Cedar Rapids had 61 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2023. In real numbers, that translates to a single theft in 2023 — the most recent year for which data is available — and zero incidents of burglary, vehicle theft or arson.

Mitchellville and Colfax, two side-by-side towns about 20 minutes outside of Des Moines, round out the top three locations in the state for low property crime.

Iowa Cities With the Highest Crime

The state's highest violent crime rate occurred in Eldora, which also happens to be the filming location for the climactic tornado scene from the 1996 movie “Twister.” This north-central Iowa city experienced 3,475 violent incidents per 100,000 people. However, crime stats alone don’t always paint an accurate picture of an area’s safety, especially in a town the size of Eldora.

Crime occurs wherever people are, regardless of whether those people live there. In a rural area like the one surrounding Eldora, people from all over travel to the city center to patronize stores, hotels, restaurants and pubs and utilize public spaces like schools and parks. More people in a centralized area equals more crime, making statistics appear disproportionately high compared to the actual resident population.

It’s also worth noting that the majority of victims of violent crime are familiar with their attacker, like in cases of domestic violence, bar fights or other disagreements that become physical. So, while Eldora’s violent crime rate shows a high number of aggravated assaults, it’s generally still considered a safe place to live. People there may be more concerned with dodging the occasional real-life twister than they are about becoming the victim of a random attack.

Moving on to property crime, West Burlington leads the state. Larceny and theft makes up most of the property-related incidents there. This crime category includes personal theft, such as vehicle break-ins and theft targeting businesses, like shoplifting and burglary. These crimes happen in West Burlington at about three times the state average rate.

One of the reasons for this may be that West Burlington is a heavy tourist area, home to sites like Snake Alley (an unusually curvy brick and limestone path) and the FunCity Resort and Entertainment Center. Tourist destinations are often targets for property crime.

The town with the second-highest property crime rate in Iowa is Carter Lake, a suburb of Omaha, Nebraska. Like West Burlington, most of that crime is theft. Its 3,700 residents experienced nearly 150 burglaries and thefts in 2023. The town’s proximity to Omaha’s major metro center could explain the high property crime rate there.

How Is the Crime Rate in Iowa Compared to Other States?

Compared to the rest of the United States, Iowa is pretty safe. It ranks #32 in the nation for violent crime and #43 for property crime.

Vehicle theft is particularly uncommon there. Iowa's motor vehicle theft rate is 48 percent less than the national average. Meanwhile, the crime you’re probably most worried about — murder? Iowa’s homicide rate is 56 percent lower than the rest of the country.

Violent crime has been steadily declining overall, down 2.3 percent in the state year over year. Theft, burglary and robbery are all notably lower in Iowa than in the U.S. too. Property crime has increased 8 percent year over year but, overall, it’s 25 percent lower than the national average.

Why Is Iowa's Crime Rate So Low?

One of the reasons for Iowa’s comparatively low crime rate may be that the state throws the book at criminals. It has some of the longest average prison sentences in the country. In one study, the average sentence length for all crimes in Iowa was nearly eight years, the sixth-longest in the nation and markedly higher than the national average of about five and a half years.²

Another factor that may contribute to low Iowa crime is that it is mainly rural. The biggest metropolis is Des Moines and, at slightly more than over 200,000 people, it’s a fraction of the size of major cities like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Since crime has historically occurred more frequently in urban areas, Iowa’s primarily suburban and rural makeup may have insulated it from criminal activity.³

Finally, Iowa’s leaders focus on the economic benefits of keeping crime down. A recent comprehensive report, for example, found that the state saved $3.8 billion in direct costs associated with crime when compared to the average U.S. state.⁴ Financial drivers are one of the biggest motivators for state and local policy, so metrics like these help support initiatives like community crime prevention programs and investments in law enforcement, both of which are prevalent in Iowa.

Iowa’s low crime rate is just one of the many things to love about this heartland state. When paired with abundant small-town charm, easy access to outdoor recreation and strong communities, a low incidence of crime contributes to a high quality of life, making Iowa a safe and family-friendly place to live.