Kansas: The Best and Worst Cities for Crime
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July 23, 2024
Crime is a hyperlocal issue, of course, but pinning those numbers down in Kansas is a challenge. Data was unavailable for the Kansas City metro area, which includes portions of both Missouri and Kansas. But looking at other metro areas in Kansas, it’s clear Kansas City isn’t the only area where crime is a major concern.1
Wichita has the 29th highest overall violent crime rate among the 300-ish metro areas with available data, while Topeka isn’t far behind at 33rd. And Lawrence ranks 16th for its murder rate, ahead of bigger cities like Baltimore, Detroit, and St. Louis.
Kansas metro area crime rates per 100,000 people (rank among 300+ metro areas)
| Lawrence | Manhattan | Topeka | Wichita | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (overall) | 420 (109th) | 338 (168th) | 626 (33rd) | 658 (29th) |
| Murder/non-negligent manslaughter | 16 (16th) | 2 (260th) | 6 (119th) | 6 (119th) |
| Rape | 61 (69th) | 50 (121st) | 34 (235th) | 57 (80th) |
| Robbery | 30 (198th) | 9 (295th) | 53 (93rd) | 51 (103rd) |
| Aggravated assault | 313 (112th) | 276 (142nd) | 532 (27th) | 544 (22nd) |
| Property crime (overall) | 1989 (145th) | 1428 (241st) | 2521 (72nd) | 2660 (55th) |
| Burglary | 215 (218th) | 201 (231st) | 393 (78th) | 344 (103rd) |
| Larceny-theft | 1618 (114th) | 1113 (231st) | 1769 (72nd) | 2026 (41st) |
| Motor vehicle theft | 156 (209th) | 114 (257th) | 359 (55th) | 290 (93rd) |
But, of course, major cities aren’t the only places where crime happens. Indeed, many smaller communities have high crime rates, such as Junction City, the county seat of Geary County. Its violent crime rate was the worst in the state and among the worst in the country.
Merriam, Kansas, located southwest of Kansas City, led the state in property crime rates. Its proximity to a major city could contribute to its high crime rates, but the area also deals with rampant opioid abuse and gang violence. According to the Merriam Police Department, the city of around 11,000 people received nearly 9,500 calls for service in 2022 alone.2
Statewide Crime Trends in Kansas
Property crimes like theft and burglary are about as common in Kansas as in the United States as a whole, according to the most recent FBI crime data. The state’s property crime rate is just two percent higher than the overall national rate. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for the state’s violent crime rate, which is about nine percent higher than the U.S. rate.
Not only does Kansas have a higher-than-average violent crime rate, its aggravated assault rate is among the highest in the nation. But a closer look at crime data in the state can add nuance to these figures.
Property Crime in Kansas
When determining property crime rates in Kansas, we looked at larceny-theft, burglary, and motor vehicle theft incidents.
- The total property crime rate per 100,000 people in Kansas is 1,992, which is just a bit higher than the overall U.S. rate of 1,954 per 100,000. Given that the state’s rate is only slightly over the national rate, it’s little wonder, then, that Kansas ranks 18th — near the middle — compared to the 49 other states.
- As it is everywhere else in the country, larceny is the most common type of property crime in Kansas, occuring at a rate of 1,489 per 100,000 people:
Violent Crime in Kansas
Violent crimes like murder, rape, burglary, and aggravated assault are much less common than property crimes; however, it’s in this area that Kansas stands out for all the wrong reasons.
- The overall violent crime rate in Kansas is 415 per 100,000 people, about nine percent higher than the U.S. rate of 381 per 100,000.
- Compared to other Midwestern states, Kansas has the third-highest violent crime rate in the region, behind Michigan and neighboring Missouri, which has the Midwest’s highest violent crime rate.
- Aggravated assault is the most common type of violent crime in Kansas, which is the case in every other state as well.
Our data
Our data comes from comprehensive reporting compiled by the FBI and accessed via the Crime Data Explorer website. Property and violent crime state figures were drawn from Table 5 of the 2022 Crime in the U.S. Report. Metropolitan figures were found in Table 6, Crime in the U.S. by Metropolitan Statistical Area. City-level figures were drawn from Table 8, Offenses Known to Law Enforcement by State by City. The population figures in that table are U.S. Census Bureau provisional estimates as of July 1, 2020.
Limitations: According to the FBI, the data in the publication tables may differ from those released on the Explorer Pages of the CDE. These variations are due to the difference in methodologies between the publication tables and data displayed on the CDE. Please note that crime statistics are not the sole measure of a city’s safety.
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Citations
- Kansas City. (2024). With violent crime up in Kansas City, police roll out data-driven plan. Will it work?
https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article287031765.html - Merriam Police Department. (2022). 2022 Annual Report.
https://issuu.com/merriamcvb/docs/2022_pd_annual_report-final