Tennessee is known for its legendary music, scenic mountain landscapes, and welcoming Southern culture. From the entertainment districts of Nashville to the historic streets of Memphis and the natural beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains, the state attracts millions of visitors and new residents every year.
While Tennessee offers many desirable places to live, not every community experiences the same level of public safety. Crime rates can vary significantly from one city to another due to factors such as population density, economic conditions, policing strategies, and local social challenges. Understanding these differences can help residents, homebuyers, and travelers make more informed decisions.
Quick Guide
- State: Tennessee
- Topic: Crime & Safety
- Based On: Violent crime rates per 100,000 residents
- Best For: People considering relocation, travel planning, and local safety research
- Key Takeaway: Crime rates vary widely across Tennessee, and many cities have neighborhoods that are considered much safer than the citywide average.
- Source: areavibes
This ranking highlights the cities with the highest reported violent crime rates in Tennessee, using violent crimes per 100,000 residents as the primary metric. Violent crimes include homicide, aggravated assault, robbery, and rape. It’s important to remember that crime is often concentrated in specific neighborhoods, meaning many parts of these cities remain safe places to live, work, and visit.
10. Chattanooga
- Population: 187,734
- 824 violent crimes per 100k
- violent crimes per day: 2.26
- chance of being a victim: 1 in 121
- Total Crimes / 100k: 4,766
Rounding out our list at #10 is Chattanooga, TN. With a population of 187,734 and a violent crime rate of 824 per 100,000 people (39% higher than the Tennessee average), some parts of Chattanooga are incredible unsafe.
The violent crime rate consists of 626 counts of assault, 94 counts of robbery, 91 counts of rape and 13 counts of homicide. Residents can expect to have a 1 in 121 chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime.
9. Jackson
- Population: 69,498
- 950 violent crimes per 100k
- violent crimes per day: 2.60
- chance of being a victim: 1 in 105
- Total Crimes / 100k: 4,111
Economic conditions, education, social environment, law enforcement and urbanization can all have an impact on crime rates. Feeling the effects of most of those issues, Jackson, TN comes in as the 9th most dangerous city in Tennessee with a violent crime rate of 950 per 100,000 people.…