The Most Dangerous Cities To Live Right Now In Wisconsin

No matter which state you explore in America, there is going to be a wide variety of living experiences available, depending on which city you visit, and some are going to be overall safer than others.

Wisconsin is no different, and a study was recently published listing the 10 most dangerous cities to live in the Badger State, based on two annual crime datasets that the FBI releases on cities in the state.

The first is a preliminary dataset limited to the biggest cities in Wisconsin, which is then followed by a more detailed release at the end of the year.

For analysis, the study focused on the 2024 data, specifically the 2024 Crime In The United States Report for Wisconsin, focusing on the following criteria:

Violent Crimes Per Capita
Property Crimes Per Capita

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To keep the analysis fair and accurate, only Wisconsin cities with a population of over 5,000 were considered, which left a total of 134 cities.

The Ten Most Dangerous Places To Live In Wisconsin

10. Ashwaubenon

Ashwaubenon, a suburb of Green Bay, is technically a village in Brown County, Wisconsin, with the following stats:

Population: 16,992
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 235 (27th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,212 (14th most dangerous)
Murders: 0

9. Grand Chute

Population: 24,397
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 233 (28th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,414 (Most dangerous)
Murders: 0

Grand Chute is a town in Outagamie County, Wisconsin. Grand Chute averaged just over one violent crime per week in 2024, and for a city of over 24,000, that's not horrible. However, about 2 property crimes were committed each day, enough to give the town the highest property crime rate in the state.

8. Wisconsin Rapids

Population: 18,602
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 532 (Second most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 1,892 (23rd most dangerous)
Murders: 0

Known for its papermaking history, Wisconsin Rapids is located in Wood County. The city has a population of 18,602 and recorded 99 violent and 352 property crimes.

The city’s crime rate stands at 2,424/100k, making it one of the highest in the state.

7. Fond du Lac

Population: 44,164
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 387 (Seventh most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,103 (17th most dangerous)
Murders: 2

Fond du Lac is located at the southern end of Lake Winnebago and had a population of 44,678 at the 2020 census. Overall, crime in Fond du Lac is 17.53% above the national average.

6. Brown Deer

Population: 12,636
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 348 (12th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,611 (Eighth most dangerous)
Murders: 0

A suburb north of Milwaukee, the village of Brown Deer had the eighth-highest property crime rate in Wisconsin, and a car got stolen here every other week, on average, which is quite unsettling for a place with only 12,636 people.

5. Beloit

Population: 36,231
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 391 (Fifth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,213 (13th most dangerous)
Murders: 4

Beloit is located about an hour south of Madison, and it is one of the places on this list to rank in the top ten statewide for both violent and property crime.

4. Glendale

Population: 12,877
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 295 (16th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,185 (Second most dangerous)
Murders: 0

A suburb north of Milwaukee, Glendale is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area and offers historic sites, plenty of outdoor activities, and breweries and beer gardens, such as Sprecher Brewery and Estabrook Beer Garden.

Glendale improved its ranking on this list by 2 spots from last year, but property crime still ranks as the second-highest in the state, with residents recently facing a 1 in 23 chance of having their stuff stolen or damaged.

3. Sparta

Population: 9,781
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 316 (13th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,128 (Fifth most dangerous)
Murders: 0

Sitting along the La Crosse River in Wisconsin’s Monroe County, Sparta has a rich history dating back to the 19th century. Unfortunately, the city has had a recent surge in violent crimes, including 5 cases of rape and 26 aggravated assaults.

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With a violent crime rate of 316/100k, Sparta holds the 13th highest position in the state. Its property crime rate stands at 3,128/100k.

2. La Crosse

Population: 50,893
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 391 (Sixth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,711 (Third most dangerous)
Murders: 1

La Crosse sits along the Mississippi River, across the water from Minnesota, and is one of the main cities in its region. It features plenty of parks near the river, and a host of museums and universities.

The city does suffer from some of the crime that can go along with a high population density, such as high rates of larceny and car theft.

1. Milwaukee

Population: 560,416
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,430 (Most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 2,700 (Seventh most dangerous)
Murders: 134

Milwaukee is Wisconsin's biggest city and, unfortunately, its most violent. People in Milwaukee had a 1 in 69 chance of being the victim of a murder, rape, robbery, or assault last year. Milwaukee had the highest murder rate statewide and the second-highest burglary rate in Wisconsin, averaging about ten burglaries a day.

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However, the study notes that despite these stats, there are still great neighborhoods to live in Milwaukee, including those their research found to be the top 10: