Nevada: The Best and Worst Cities for Crime

Statewide Crime Trends in Nevada

For both property crime and violent crime, Nevada’s overall statewide rates are higher than the national rates and the state has the eighth-highest property crime rate. Additionally, it just barely missed out on having the top 10 rates of both types of crimes, as its violent crime rate is the 11th highest in the country.

But compared to other states in its region, Nevada stacks up more favorably due to many states in the region having high crime rates. For example, the four highest property crime rates are all in the West — as are seven of the top 10. Additionally, the two states with the highest violent crime rates: New Mexico and Alaska. Both are in the West.

Property Crime in Nevada

When determining property crime rates in Nevada, we looked at larceny-theft, burglary, and motor vehicle theft incidents.

• Nevada’s total property crime rate per 100,000 people is 2,380, which is about 22 percent higher than the overall U.S. rate of 1,954 per 100,000.
• Nevada ranks eighth among the states in property crime.
• Larceny continues to be the most common property crime in Nevada, as it is everywhere else in the country, with about 1,454 incidents per 100,000 people:

Violent Crime in Nevada

Violent crimes include murder/non-negligent homicide, aggravated assault, rape, and robbery, and in Nevada and elsewhere, these incidents are much less common than property crimes.

• Nevada’s overall violent crime rate is 454 per 100,000 people, about 19 percent higher than the overall U.S. rate.
• Nevada ranks 11th among all states for violent crimes.
• Aggravated assault is the most common type of violent crime in Nevada, and the state has the third-highest murder/homicide rate in the Western U.S.

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.