Ohio: The Best and Worst Cities for Crime

Cleveland is one of the top ten most dangerous cities in the U.S.
Ohio header map with a magnifying glass
Derek Prall
July 26, 2024 Derek Prall Derek Prall , Home Security Expert | July 26, 2024
Statewide Crime Trends in Ohio Property Crime in Ohio Violent Crime In Ohio

Although where you live, visit, or travel in Ohio can make a big difference in safety, according to United States federal crime data compiled by the FBI and reviewed by SafeHome.org for our annual national city safety ranking.

Home of Amish Country, Cedar Point, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and the Wright Brothers ― Ohio was one of the first states to join the U.S. after the Constitution was formed and is one of the most populous states in the union, with nearly 12 million residents.

That makes Ohio's average crime statistics for both violent and property crimes in the state fairly impressive compared to other large states like New York and California.

Ohio city crime map

This may be due in part to Ohio’s smaller cities with a population more evenly distributed across its land mass. The largest city in the state is Columbus, with fewer than a million people. The Buckeye State’s second-largest city, Cleveland, has fewer than 400,000 residents.

According to FBI crime data from 2022, Cleveland is one of the top ten most dangerous cities in the U.S., ranking number eight. Meanwhile, Cincinnati ranked a less dubious #33 nationwide and Columbus ranked a more prosaic #86.

A recent study by a research team at the University of Miami and the University of Colorado Denver found that crime in Ohio costs the state over $2.6 million annually in Cleveland alone. By comparison, crime in Dayton costs $705,374 per year, according to figures from the study.

Property Crime in Ohio

Ohio ranked in the exact middle among U.S. states for property crime at #25, with an annual property crime rate of 1,783 per 100,000 residents ― 9% below the national average property crime rate, according to the most recent available FBI uniform crime report information.

Ohio property crime rates bar graph

The least safe city in Ohio from property crimes is Holland, with 20,924 property crimes per 100,000 residents over the most recent year, followed by Fairfax with 13,003. The safest city in Ohio is Lexington, with only 21 property crimes reported.

Columbus had a property crime rate of 3,484 and Cincinnati had 3,751 reported incidents per 100,000 people.

Violent Crime In Ohio

Ohio ranked #29 out of all 50 states for violent crime, fairly impressive for the sixth most populous state in the U.S. With a violent crime rate per 100,000 of 294, Ohio has a violent crime level 23% lower than the national average. Columbus’ violent crime rate is 450 per 100,000.

Ohio violent crime rates bar graph

The most violent city in Ohio according to crime statistics is Cleveland, with a violent crime rate of 1,614 per 100,000 residents. The safest cities in Ohio from violent crime are mostly smaller-sized cities, such as Amherst, Broadview Heights, and Hinckley Township.

Our Data

Our data comes from comprehensive reporting compiled by the FBI and accessed via the Crime Data Explorer (CDE) 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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