The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In Delaware

The 10 Most Dangerous Places To Live In Delaware For 2024

When it comes to the community’s current highlights, we doubt anyone is bragging about its 13th highest place rank for rape and highest place rank for total crime in Delaware. In 2023, Seaford was lowest on this list. Its number 1 spot in 2024 suggests crime is trending down. If that pattern continues, high rates of lawlessness may even be a thing of the past someday.

Life in the area is not all bad though. This city is proud of its history, which visitors and residents alike can immerse themselves in at the Seaford Museum. Now that is a comforting thought to enjoy as you stroll along the nearby Nanticoke River.

Do not be deceived by the small-town charm of the first city on this list. You may want to watch your back in Laurel. Crime in this southern Delaware town is considerably higher than the national average.

Your possessions are most in trouble here. The community is number 8 in the state for burglaries. So, it might not be a bad idea to invest in extra home security if you live in Laurel. After a good night’s sleep, you can head out for a day at one of Delaware’s first state parks, Trap Pond. The wetland forest attracts hikers, bird-watchers, and fans of fishing.

Just make sure you keep an eye on those around you. Laurel ranks highest for violent crime.

Dover is headed in the wrong direction. The state’s capital was formerly the third most dangerous city in Delaware but is now the third.

A problem with property crime is partly to blame for the change. The second largest city on this list must have a decent population of people who enjoy playing with fire. More arson occurred in this community than any other one included in this countdown.

Being out and about in Dover is not safe either. Be sure to keep tabs on personal items when seeing sights like the Dover International Speedway. If you do not, you might join the 1,541 people who were victims of larceny in 2022 and discover that possessions like your phone or wallet are missing.

Georgetown has come a long way since 2023 as it now ranks as the fourth most dangerous city in Delaware. The Sussex county seat still has plenty of work to do though. Getting a grip on violent crime would be a good start.

During its traditional Return Day gathering, the town celebrates the notion of burying the hatchet. But ironically, residents and visitors seem to have a knack for ruffling each other’s feathers every other time of year. In 2024, there were 36 aggravated assaults in Georgetown.

If you do manage to avoid the violence, your belongings may not fare much better. The area ranks 3rd in Delaware for burglary.

A prime location between New York and Washington, D.C. draws people here but the criminal activity just might drive you away. This community does not snag the top spot as most dangerous, but it leads in plenty of other categories including violent and property crimes.

Wilmington’s 70,625 residents make it the most populous city in the state. The area is also the deadliest on this list. There were 18 murders recorded here in 2022. But shockingly enough, crime may be improving. In 2023, the community was the second most dangerous city in Delaware.

If you can handle the risks that come with being here, there is plenty to do in neighborhoods like the Riverfront.

Milford is a mid-sized city in Kent and Sussex counties. A sixth highest place rank for property crime in Delaware helped it land a spot on this list.

People here just cannot seem to keep their hands off items that belong to others. There were 413 larcenies, 35 burglaries, and 31 car thefts in 2022.

Your property is not all you have to worry about. The area has also been plagued by 90 violent crimes.

That is enough to make any resident want to get away from it all with a trip to Milford’s DuPont Nature Center or Abbott’s Mill Nature Center.

Head out of Delaware’s capital city of Dover going southwest on Highway 13 and you’ll pass by Camden. Why would you do that? We don’t know. The beaches are in the other direction. But maybe you want to check out parts of Maryland and Virginia that people don’t tend to visit.

Whatever the reason, be careful if you stop for gas. Camden has its crime problems. In fact, it represents the number 7 most dangerous community in Delaware. Violence isn’t a massive problem here, but keep an eye on your belongings. The town ranks number 2 in terms of highest rate of property crimes.

You might not get out of Harrington alive, literally. The city is the only area on this list with a population under 10,000 that had any homicides in 2022. Another disconcerting fact is that Harrington ranks 14th highest in the state for murder.

Your life is not the only thing you are taking a gamble on here. The area ranks seventh highest in Delaware for violent crime in general. The chance of one happening to you is one in 157. If you could care less about those odds, you might enjoy a visit to the local casino.

For people that can look past its imperfections and call Harrington home, there is some good news. Of the cities on this list, the community had one of the lower number of burglaries.

New Castle is only a short drive from downtown Wilmington. When exploring it, you may feel slightly at ease knowing that the area dropped in rank from the 11th most dangerous city in Delaware in 2023 to the ninth for 2024.

However, property crime is a major problem for this community, which ranks seventh highest in the state for it. In fact, the rate of property crime in New Castle is considerably above the national average. If that is not shocking enough, you have a one in 28 chance of being a victim of one.

Violent crime certainly exists here too but it was not as much of an issue in 2022.

You find yourself in Smyrna. That means you’re in a coastal city in Turkey, overlooking the glistening Aegean Sea, amid the ruins of a majestic ancient city that once represented a crucial site in ancient Greek culture. Or you’re in Delaware.

Where would you rather be? The Delaware version kind of lacks some of the historic grandeur of the spot in Anatolia. And you’ve got the crime rate to consider. Smyrna, Delaware, had 12 car thefts in a population of just 13,361 people. That ranks as the number 14.0 highest rate in the state.

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