These SouthCoast Cities Among Most Dangerous in Massachusetts
Massachusetts is home to nearly 7 million people and that can mean a lot of crime. According to FBI statistics, residents report 1,362 crimes per 100,000 people and 338 violent crimes per 100,000 people. Math-wise, that makes the Bay State among the safest in the country.
But across the 10,565 square miles that make up our home state, there are definitely some cities with higher crime rates than others. One SouthCoast city, in particular, cracked the top five most dangerous places to live in the entire state: Fall River.
Yes, Fall River has been dubbed the 4th most dangerous city in all of Massachusetts, based on 2020 FBI data. Tracking all violent crimes in each Bay State town, Fall River and New Bedford made the state's dubious Top 10 list.
What makes Fall River so dangerous?
According to the FBI data compiled for 2020, Fall River saw two homicides and 1,036 violent crimes overall. There were 1,660 assault offenses, 1,979 crimes against property and 359 burglaries/break-ins.
How dangerous is New Bedford?
When you compare the hard numbers, New Bedford does appear more dangerous than its SouthCoast counterpart. The same FBI data shows New Bedford having four homicides, 2,643 assault offenses, 3,619 crimes against property and 296 burglaries/break-ins.
Yet when you take into consideration the New Bedford population is 94,886, that makes the SouthCoast's most populated city slightly safer than its second most populated city. Yet didn't quite keep New Bedford off the state's top ten most dangerous cities list.
Massachusetts 10 Most Dangerous Cities 2020
Using the most current FBI data, here are the top 10 most dangerous places to live in Massachusetts.
10. Chicopee
9. New Bedford
8. Webster
7. Brockton
6. Worcester
5. Springfield
4. Fall River
3. North Adams
2. Holyoke
1. Pittsfield
Take a closer look at the numbers in SouthCoast towns below.