The Safest and Most Dangerous Cities in Louisiana
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November 9, 2026
Louisiana Security Solutions
The following is a list of cities that provide home security solutions in the state of Louisiana
Louisiana entered 2025 with a devastating attack in New Orleans: on January 1, a driver killed 14 victims in the Bourbon Street truck attack. The year’s broader figures show a state still confronting high levels of violence, although both violent and property crime counts were lower than in 2022.
Louisiana has a violent crime rate of 515.1 offenses per 100,000 residents, 57% above the national rate. Its property crime rate of 1,966.4 is 28% above the national benchmark. Louisiana had the fourth-highest violent crime rate and the sixth-highest property crime rate among all states in 2025.
Between 2022 and 2025, the number of violent crimes decreased 18%, while property crimes decreased 28%.
Louisiana Cities With the Highest and Lowest Crime Rates
The following tables compare places with populations of at least 10,000. All rates represent reported offenses per 100,000 residents in 2025.
Cities with the highest property crime rates
| City or town | Property crime rate |
|---|---|
| Alexandria | 5,772.0 |
| West Monroe | 5,342.1 |
| Hammond | 5,290.3 |
Cities with the highest violent crime rates
| City or town | Violent crime rate |
|---|---|
| Alexandria | 2,447.6 |
| Monroe | 1,634.5 |
| Opelousas | 1,397.1 |
Cities with the lowest property crime rates
| City or town | Property crime rate |
|---|---|
| Central | 62.7 |
| Covington | 947.4 |
| Baker | 1,101.5 |
Cities with the lowest violent crime rates
| City or town | Violent crime rate |
|---|---|
| Central | 6.6 |
| Mandeville | 138.4 |
| Broussard | 202.7 |
Source: 2025 FBI Crime in the United States, Table 8. Rankings include places with at least 10,000 residents. Zero reported crime rates and ties at the cutoff are included; rankings use unrounded values.
Louisiana Communities With the Lowest and Highest Crime
Central has the lowest reported violent and property crime rates among Louisiana’s 29 qualifying cities. Its violent crime rate is 6.6 offenses per 100,000 residents, and its property crime rate is 62.7. Both are substantially below the state and national figures.
Mandeville has the second-lowest violent crime rate at 138.4, followed by Broussard at 202.7. Both are also below the national violent crime benchmark of 327.6.
For property crime, Covington follows Central at 947.4, with Baker third at 1,101.5. These cities are below the national property crime rate of 1,534.8, even though Louisiana’s statewide rate is above it.
Alexandria has the highest rate in both categories among qualifying cities, with 2,447.6 violent crimes and 5,772.0 property crimes per 100,000 residents. Monroe has the second-highest violent crime rate at 1,634.5, followed by Opelousas at 1,397.1.
West Monroe, a separate city from Monroe, has the second-highest property crime rate at 5,342.1. Hammond ranks third at 5,290.3.
How Does Crime in Louisiana Compare to Other States
Louisiana’s property crime rate ranks sixth-highest among the states and is 28% above the national benchmark. Burglary is 68% higher, and larceny-theft is 27% higher. Motor vehicle theft is an exception, at 8% below the national rate.
Property crime rates
Offenses per 100,000 residents, 2025
| Crime type | Louisiana | National |
|---|---|---|
| Property crime overall | 1,966.4 | 1,534.8 |
| Burglary | 326.2 | 193.6 |
| Larceny-theft | 1,458.6 | 1,144.1 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 181.6 | 197.0 |
The number of property crimes in Louisiana decreased 28% between 2022 and 2025.
Louisiana’s violent crime rate is 57% above the national benchmark. Aggravated assault is 86% higher, and murder and nonnegligent manslaughter is 112% higher, or more than twice the national rate. Rape is 8% below the national rate, while robbery is 39% below it.
Violent crime rates
Offenses per 100,000 residents, 2025
| Crime type | Louisiana | National |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime overall | 515.1 | 327.6 |
| Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter | 8.7 | 4.1 |
| Aggravated assault | 443.4 | 238.0 |
| Robbery | 29.9 | 49.4 |
| Rape | 33.1 | 36.1 |
The number of violent crimes in Louisiana decreased 18% between 2022 and 2025.
Percentage changes reflect offense counts, rather than population-adjusted crime rates.
Is Louisiana a Safe Place to Live
Louisiana’s crime counts have declined, but its murder rate remains more than twice the national figure and burglary is also elevated. Central has the lowest reported rates in both categories, with other low-rate cities also below national benchmarks. Those local differences deserve attention alongside the state’s serious public safety concerns.
Where Our Crime Data Comes From
Unless specified otherwise, the information in this article is based on the FBI’s Crime in the United States tables. Statewide offense counts and published crime rates come from Table 5, national benchmarks come from Table 1, and city-level figures come from Table 8.
The state and national rate comparisons use 2025 data. Changes in Louisiana’s violent and property crime counts compare 2022 with 2025. The trend percentages reflect changes in offense counts, rather than population-adjusted rates.
For the local rankings, we calculated violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents using the populations and offense counts in the 2025 dataset. Only places with at least 10,000 residents were eligible. We included zero reported rates and all places tied at the cutoff for the three lowest-rate selections. Missing values were not treated as zero. State rankings compare the 50 states and exclude the District of Columbia.
Percentages are rounded to whole numbers, and crime rates are rounded to one decimal place. Calculations and rankings use unrounded values. Rankings describe the jurisdictions included in the dataset rather than every community in the state.
Important note: Crime statistics offer valuable insights, but they aren’t the only way to evaluate a community’s safety. Local context, law enforcement participation, reporting practices, population estimates, and geographic boundaries can influence the figures. A zero reported rate does not guarantee that no crime occurred. These comparisons do not establish why crime is higher or lower in a particular place.
Citations
- KALB. (2024, Sept 27). Homicides in Alexandria.
https://www.kalb.com/2024/09/27/homicides-alexandria/ - U.S. Census Bureau. (2024). QuickFacts: United States; Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana.
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US,avoyellesparishlouisiana/PST045223 - U.S. Census Bureau. (2024). American Community Survey | Selected Economic Characteristics.
https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDP1Y2023.DP03 - FOX8. (2017, May 2). Heart of Louisiana: Frog Capital of the World.
https://www.fox8live.com/story/35324756/heart-of-louisiana-frog-capital-of-the-world/ - WAFB. (2024, Apr 11). EBRSO announces new unit targeting gangs, groups.
https://www.wafb.com/2024/04/11/ebrso-announces-new-unit-targeting-gangs-groups/ - United Teachers of New Orleans. (2024). Why is Louisiana ranked so low in education?
https://utno.la.aft.org/news/why-louisiana-ranked-so-low-education - Public News Service. (2024, Jan 25). LA schools among the nation’s most chronically underfunded.
https://www.publicnewsservice.org/2024-01-25/education/la-schools-among-the-nations-most-chronically-underfunded/a88459-1 - Louisiana.gov. (2024, Feb 16). Governor Landry Issues Executive Order: Declares State of Emergency Due to Officer Shortage in Louisiana.
https://gov.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/newsroom/detail/4423 - The New York Times. (2024, Mar 6). With Sweeping New Laws, Louisiana Embraces Tough-on-Crime Approach.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/06/us/louisiana-laws-crime.html