The Safest and Most Dangerous Cities in Alabama

Alabama Cities With the Lowest and Highest Crime

We begin in Rainsville, which has the lowest property and violent crime rates in the state. This northeast Alabama city is the largest community on Sand Mountain, a sandstone plateau that forms the southern tip of the Appalachian Mountains (fun fact: That same plateau extends into Tennessee, where it’s known as Raccoon Mountain).

Rainsville’s per-capita property crime rate is 139 per 100,000 people while its violent crime rate is 35 per 100,000. In a city with an actual population of about 5,700 people, which equates to just a handful of crimes each year.

The rural community of Ashville and the Dothan suburb of Kinsey take the number two and three spots for least violent crime in the state. Ashville, a town with only 2,200 residents, had a single aggravated assault in 2023. Kinsey, which is similarly sized at 2,300 residents, had one robbery. The per-capita violent crime rates in these locations are 42 and 43 incidents per 100,000 people, respectively.

For the lowest property crime, the tiny town of Coosada falls right behind Rainsville. Coosada, which takes its name from the native Muskogean language, had only two property-related crimes in 2023. That translates to a per-capita property crime rate of 159. Southside, which is known as “the loveliest village on the Coosa River,” also has a very low amount of property crime with a per-capita rate of 261.

When it comes to violent crime, Alabama has some notoriously dangerous cities.

Brighton takes the least safe spot with 2,777 violent crimes per 100,000 people. Much of the crime in Brighton bleeds over from nearby Birmingham, where there were multiple mass shootings in 2024.²
Bessemer, another Birmingham suburb, comes in just behind Brighton with 2,368 violent incidents per 100,000 people. In 2023, Bessemer was dubbed the “most dangerous city in America” (Brighton didn’t make the list because the rankings only included places with more than 25,000 residents).³

Bessemer also takes another undesirable title on our list: Most property crime. It has a whopping 7,931 property-related incidents per 100,000 people, which in 2023 included more than 1,400 reports of theft.

The Mobile suburb of Semmes and the small town of Attalla round out the top three for Alabama cities with the highest property crime. In both of these communities, theft is the most common incident.

How Does Crime in Alabama Compare to Other States?

Based on some of the statistics we’ve covered so far, it might surprise you to hear that Alabama is safer than much of the rest of the country in certain crime categories. Vehicle theft, for example, is 36% lower in Alabama than the nation overall while larceny-theft is 8% lower. Some violent crimes are less common too, such as rape, which happens 22% less frequently than in the rest of the country and robbery, which is 46% below the national average.

The biggest crime that sets Alabama apart, unfortunately, is murder. The state’s homicide rate is a staggering 81% above the national average and aggravated assault is 24% higher. These high violence rates are driven in large part by firearms; Alabama has the fourth highest rate of gun violence in the U.S.⁴ The state’s gun laws are some of the most permissive in the country, allowing anyone 19 years of age or older to purchase a handgun and carry it openly or concealed without a permit.^5/sup>

Experts also believe social challenges contribute to Alabama’s high rate of violence. The Birmingham area, for example, has one of the highest rates of single-family households in the U.S.⁶ Families with one primary caregiver are more likely to struggle with poverty, which is closely linked with higher crime rates.⁷

Finally, it’s worthwhile to note that in some parts of the state with the highest crime rates, a small number of individuals are responsible for a disproportionate number of incidents. Once again, the Birmingham area is a prime example and this one is pretty shocking: Within a three-month period in 2024, two men were responsible for 30% of the murders that occurred.⁶ At least one of the incidents, which killed four people, is believed to have been a targeted hit. This is useful context because it shows that the average person isn’t necessarily more likely to be the victim of random violence just because they live in Alabama.

Statewide, Alabama’s most common violent crime is aggravated assault while its most common property crime is larceny-theft. This mirrors the rest of the nation.

Is Alabama a Safe Place to Live?

Safety in Alabama can vary greatly depending on where you are. Sometimes, even a distance of a few miles can make a significant difference in crime levels. Many of the state’s small towns and suburbs are incredibly safe, with low crime rates and strong community networks. Some of the state’s larger cities, such as Birmingham, Mobile and their immediate metro areas, have higher rates of crime.

Thanks to affordable housing prices, a low cost of living and southern charm by the truckload, many people consider Alabama a great place to call home. With careful research into specific regions and neighborhoods, Alabama can be an overall safe place to live.

Where Our Crime Data Comes From

Unless specified otherwise, the information in this article is based on crime data compiled by the FBI and made available through the Crime Data Explorer. Statewide violent and property crime statistics are drawn from the FBI’s 2023 Crime in the United States Report (Table 5) and for city-level crime rates, we referred to Table 8, which lists reported offenses by state and city.

Important note: Crime statistics offer valuable insights, but they aren’t the only way to evaluate a community’s safety. Local context, law enforcement practices and reporting standards can all influence how crime is recorded. Additionally, FBI publication tables and the data displayed on the Crime Data Explorer may differ slightly due to variations in methodology.