You can find exotic beaches, vibrant cities, swamplands, theme parks, southern charm, and everything in between in Florida. While the Sunshine State is a well-liked destination for travel and vacations, its cities don’t have the finest reputations, and the crime rates in many Old Florida towns are infamously high. Unfortunately, Florida’s most attractive and historically significant cities have some of the highest crime rates. With Florida ranking as the third most populous state in the USA, there are a lot of crimes; regrettably, most of these issues concentrate in the state’s most hazardous areas. According to City Data.com, this article will list Florida’s top 10 dangerous cities.
List of the Most Dangerous Cities in Florida
Table Of Contents
- Florida City (Miami)
- Marianna
- Lake city
- Orlando
- Opa-Locka
- Homestead
- Panama city beach
- Lake Park
- Tallahassee
- Cocoa
Florida City (Miami)
Florida city is a little Miami suburb in Florida with a population of 12,180; the Everglades are just at its backdoor. You would imagine Florida City to be a picture-perfect paradise given that it bills itself as the “Gateway to the Florida Keys.” Not at all. With a safety rating of -3.66, Florida City is the most violent city in the state. According to FBI crime statistics, Florida City has a crime rate of 126 offenses for every 1,000 residents, making it one of the most dangerous cities nationwide and one of the most dangerous cities in Florida. Due to several factors, including laser gun restrictions that make it simpler for criminals to get weapons and commit violent crimes, violent crimes are rising in Florida cities. With a poverty rate of 41.2%, this region has many stealing offenses, accounting for around 62.7% of all crimes.
Marianna
A city like Mariana, Florida, has a tiny population of only 6920 people. Marianna, which refers to itself as the “City of Southern Charm,” is located along I-10 west of Tallahassee and boasts a blend of suburban and rural sensibilities. Despite being a quaint city, it has a high poverty rate of about four times the national norm and a murder rate of more than six times the national average. In Marianna, there is a 1 in 24 chance that you will become a victim of crime. Naturally, this changes depending on where you are. Marianna’s congested center neighborhoods are the most dangerous, while the northeastern parts of the city are the safest. Its crime rate is a little skewed, perhaps as a result of its small population. Its 93 violent crimes gave it a ratio of 1,647.8 per 100,000 citizens, while its 159 property crimes gave it a ratio of 2,817.2 per 100,000 citizens.
Lake city
Lake City, once known as “Alligator, Florida,” is located directly between Jacksonville and Tallahassee, across the state from Florida City, and was the scene of Florida’s largest-ever civil war combat. However, escaping the crime requires more than just traveling to the other side of the state. It remains the third most hazardous city for violent crimes per capita, with a 1 in 15 probability that a resident will be robbed or suffer property damage. Although a lot has changed in the area since the civil war, you should still lock your doors at night. About 12,141 people live in this city.
Orlando
Orlando is most known for its theme parks, including Disneyworld and Universal Studios Park (which include a Harry Potter-themed portion). Sadly, increased crime rates are just another result of the heavy tourist traffic. Orlando has a crime rate of 57 offenses per 1,000 residents, which is substantially higher than Tampa and nearly as high as Daytona Beach. As of 2019, according to neighbourhoodscout, Orlando’s murder rate was likewise increasing. Orlando’s crime rate (violent and property offenses combined) is significantly higher than the national average compared to other municipalities with a comparable population. Orlando’s crime rate per thousand residents stands out when compared to places with similar population numbers, regardless of how it performs compared to all American communities of all sizes.
Opa-Locka
The city is known for having one of the country’s largest collections of Moorish Revival structures. With a crime rate of 78 offenses per 1,000 residents, it gets a safety rating of -2.93. Despite the high crime rate, you find this region in Miami; thus, numerous stunning beaches are nearby; be careful while you travel there. Opa-Locka has a lower poverty rate than Florida City, with 50.9% of the low population income. Property crime is also very high, ranking sixth in the country and three times the national average due to poverty.
Homestead
Homestead was listed as one of the 100 most hazardous cities in the nation and one of the riskiest locations to avoid in Florida. Homestead, a mid-sized city, played a significant role in its ranking. Homestead’s safety ranking is in the worst 20% of all cities, meaning that 80% of cities are safer and 20% are riskier. Only the proper boundaries of the Homestead are in this analysis. In Homestead, 44.20 crimes get committed against every 1,000 residents in a typical year, and the northwest area of Homestead may be the safest for locals. In Homestead, you will likely become a victim of crime. It can range from 1 in 1 in the southwest neighborhoods to 1 in 40 in the northwest.
Panama city beach
With its glistening white beaches and upscale shopping, Panama City Beach is the most attractive inclusion on this list. Unfortunately, Panama City Beach has the fifth-highest rate of property crime in the state and the most significant incidence of rapes. It probably comes as no surprise that most of this crime also occurs in the spring and summer, when travel is at its busiest. The FBI’s latest statistics show that there are 6,982.6 crimes committed per 100,000 residents in Panama City Beach. And this is 224.32 percent higher than Florida’s overall crime rate of 2,153.0 per 100,000 people and 197.64 percent higher than the national rate of 2,346.0 per 100,000.
Lake Park
With one conspicuous exception—property crime—Lake Park, Florida, the state’s first zoned town, appears to be the perfect place to raise a family. Compared to other Florida cities, this one has the highest rate of property crimes per resident. In Lake Park, which has the highest property crime rate in all of Florida, you have a startling 1 in 12 chance of having your wallet taken. You should maintain a closer eye on all of your belongings even though you might not be the victim of a violent crime. With a murder rate that ranks among the top 10 in the country, the city isn’t slack in terms of violent crime. Be careful if you visit the state park or the city’s western areas because they are known to be some of the hotspots for property crime.
Tallahassee
With 55 crimes per 1,000 people, Tallahassee is another Florida city with a high crime rate. The notorious serial killer Ted Bundy committed numerous high-profile killings in Tallahassee and the Sims family’s triple slaying in 1966, which is still unsolved. Tallahassee is nevertheless a thriving city despite this.
Cocoa
The FBI’s latest statistics show that Cocoa has a total crime rate of 7,006.2 per 100,000 residents. And this is 225.41 percent higher than Florida’s overall crime rate of 2,153.0 per 100,000 people and 198.64 percent higher than the national rate of 2,346.0 per 100,000. The renowned Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, and Cocoa Beach are all within a short drive to Cocoa, which is in Brevard County. Unfortunately, the crime rate there is substantially greater.
In addition to having a 1 in 19 chance of becoming a victim of property crime, Cocoa has violent crime rates that are more than twice as high as the national average. The two main property crime categories in Cocoa, which are over 100% greater than the national average, are burglaries and theft. Roughly 18285 people live there, and the poverty rate is about 20%, which is one of the reasons there are so many property crimes.
Conclusion
To ensure that you and your family are never victims of crime in these neighborhoods, create the safest atmosphere possible. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement asserts that crime has progressively decreased over the past 50 years, even though there are always hotspots. And this excludes specific crime categories, such as violent crime, which marginally climbed from 2020 to 2021 by 2.3%, while property crime decreased by nearly 14%.