The Safest and Most Dangerous Cities in Illinois

Illinois Cities With the Highest and Lowest Crime Rates

Illinois is home to a diverse population, landscape, and economy. Its nearly 13 million residents fill the city of Chicago, the suburbs of St. Louis, and hundreds of miles of farmland in between. The state’s fertile soil (fed by Lake Michigan and the mighty Mississippi River) produces the nation’s sixth-highest agricultural output to complement its top-five manufacturing ranking and the Windy City’s global financial status.² Interestingly, its crime statistics also span a wide-ranging gamut.

Chicago Heights represents a low point for safety as Illinois’s most dangerous city. Its violent crime rate is more than five times the national average (not counting the piled-up bodies from a recent mortuary scandal³). Situated between the gang-plagued south side of Chicago and the economically ravaged Gary, Indiana,⁴ Chicago Heights seemingly suffers the overlapping effects of each city’s inherent problems.

Geographically, Danville lies 100 miles south of Chicago Heights, but its violent crime numbers fall barely below. A town that has endured several waves of economic hardship including disappearing coal mines, a closed General Motors factory, and the 2024 shuttering of a Quaker Oats facility⁵, Danville’s unemployment numbers are more than double the national average. These cumulative blows have fostered financial desperation that often leads to crime. Meanwhile, Peoria, a town famous as a wholesome bellwether of American society,⁶ has also fallen on hard times as Illinois’s third most dangerous city.

Conversely, Illinois is also home to some of America’s safest cities, including the affluent Chicago suburbs where renowned filmmaker John Hughes set several iconic family films. Western Springs is Illinois’s safest town, with only eight violent crimes per 100K residents annually. Home to about 13,000 inhabitants, that rate indicates only one violent crime occurs each year — no wonder it was named the nation's “Safest and Richest Suburb.”⁷ Nearby Hinsdale was nearly as secure, with only 12 violent crimes per 100K citizens.

The Village of Hodgkins holds the dubious honor of Illinois’s capital of property crime. Its 10,295 incidents per 100K residents ranks as one of America’s highest rates and is nearly 440 percent of the national average. A tiny town (less than 3 square miles) with massive commercial activity, Hodgkins presents a perfect environment for elevated larceny, burglary, and auto theft. Its sprawling Quarry Shopping Center draws almost 8 million visitors annually. Additionally, Hodgkins’s UPS Chicago Area Consolidation Hub is the largest package sorting facility in the world; it processes 1.6 million parcels each day with a staff five times larger than the town’s population.⁸ That alluring concentration of cargo, cars, and goods in an area with so few inhabitants helps explain the anomalous crime rate.

Rosemont sports a similar dynamic and a property crime rate nearly as high. The small city houses fewer than 4,000 residents, but it serves as a shopping, gambling, and entertainment Mecca connected by public transit to the giant metropolis of Chicago. It’s also the home to numerous hotels serving nearby O’Hare International Airport. That target-rich environment and small population generate a property crime rate of 9,008 per 100K inhabitants.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Brookfield houses many savage beasts in its zoo yet is far more tame regarding property crime. With only 22 incidents per 100K residents, it has the fewest property crimes in the state. The second most secure community is Diamond — a perfect name for a city where one can keep precious gems without worry.

Statewide Crime Trends in Illinois

Just as Illinois lies in the center of America’s map, its crime stats fall neatly in the middle of national numbers. The Prairie State notched the 28th-highest violent crime rate and landed in 26th place for property crime frequency. Among its Midwestern neighbors, Illinois's numbers were comparable to Indiana, worse than Wisconsin and Iowa, but significantly better than Missouri. Unfortunately, the state saw increases in both violent and property crimes compared to last year’s report.

Property Crime in Illinois

Illinois’s collective year-over-year property crime inched up 2.2 percent to 1,720 offenses per 100K residents. Despite the growth, this rate remained 10 percent below nationwide norms.

The state’s burglary rate (232 crimes per 100K residents) was slightly below the national average. Its larceny rate (1,144 offenses per 100K citizens) was well below the coast-to-coast count. However, Illinois vehicle thefts outpaced the nation by 8.2 percent with a rate of 345 incidents per 100K inhabitants.

Violent Crime in Illinois

Violent crime incidents spiked notably in Illinois compared to last year’s report. The state’s combined rate for all violent crimes jumped 7.9 percent to 310 incidents per 100K residents. That aggregate total falls 15 percent below the nationwide average, yet a closer look indicates some serious challenges.

Though Illinois’s aggravated assault numbers are well below national norms (-43 percent), its frequency of murder (+16 percent), rape (+12 percent), and especially robbery (+66 percent) all eclipse American averages.

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.