The 10 most dangerous cities in Massachusetts don’t line up the way most people expect. For 2026, the top spot belongs to North Adams — a Berkshires city of 12,395 with a reported violent crime rate of 1,194 per 100,000, per HomeSnacks’ 2026 analysis of 2024 FBI data. This ranking orders those cities by pure violent-crime rate per 100,000; HomeSnacks’ own published order differs slightly because it also weights property crime.
TL;DR: By reported violent crime per 100,000 (HomeSnacks’ 2026 analysis of 2024 FBI data), Massachusetts’ most dangerous cities are North Adams (1,194), Holyoke (1,041), and Chelsea (979), followed by Springfield (891) and Boston (628). SafeHome.org’s 2023 FBI figures confirm the same top trio. “Dangerous” means the highest reported citywide rates — not a verdict on every neighborhood.
How the most dangerous cities in Massachusetts were ranked
This ranking uses HomeSnacks’ “10 Most Dangerous Cities In Massachusetts [2026],” based on the FBI’s 2024 “Crime In The United States” report for cities of 5,000 or more residents. HomeSnacks publishes its own list in a “Dangerous Index” order that also weights property crime — Holyoke first, then North Adams, Springfield, Greenfield, Boston, Hadley, Chicopee, Chelsea, Lowell, and Cambridge. The list below re-orders those same ten cities by pure violent crime per 100,000 residents. HomeSnacks flags the ranking as “opinion based on facts… meant as infotainment,” so treat the ordering as a data exercise, not a verdict on any city. The figures cross-check: SafeHome.org’s 2023 FBI analysis confirms the same top trio — North Adams (1,079), Holyoke (989), Chelsea (967) — in the same order, and South Hill Enterprise matches HomeSnacks exactly (Holyoke 1,041, Chelsea 979, Springfield 891). Springfield’s 891.4 per 100,000 breaks down as 1,386 violent crimes in 2024: 17 murders, 325 robberies, 971 aggravated assaults. (Reolink’s 2026 Massachusetts piece cites materially different figures from an unclear methodology and was not used here.)
The 10 most dangerous cities in Massachusetts for 2026
1. North Adams — 1,194
Population 12,395. The Berkshires city tops the ranking — a small population where each incident weighs heavily in the per-100,000 math.
2. Holyoke — 1,041
Population 38,232. Second on violent crime — first in HomeSnacks’ own published order, which also weights property crime.
3. Chelsea — 979
Population 38,307. The small city across the Mystic River from Boston ranks third; it lands higher here than on most published lists because its violent crime outpaces its property crime.
4. Springfield — 891
Population 155,491. The state’s third-largest city reported 1,386 violent crimes in 2024 (17 murders, 325 robberies, 971 aggravated assaults).
5. Greenfield — 695
Population 17,419. The Franklin County seat lands fifth; like North Adams, its small size amplifies a real but numerically modest crime count.
6. Boston — 628
Population 659,049. The state’s largest city — but sixth per capita.
7. Chicopee — 567
Population 55,770. Springfield’s northern neighbor in Hampden County sits seventh.
8. Lowell — 532
Population 116,062. The Merrimack Valley city — one of the state’s largest — lands eighth.
9. Hadley — 456
Population 5,264. The smallest city on the list — a handful of incidents moves its rate dramatically.
10. Cambridge — 437
Population 120,447. The university city rounds out the list at the lowest rate of the ten.
The per-capita math behind the ranking
A rate per 100,000 is designed to compare places of different sizes — but it behaves strangely at small populations. Hadley has 5,264 residents: every single violent crime there adds roughly 19 points to its rate. So a handful of incidents in a small city can produce a higher rate than hundreds in Boston, which spreads its 628 across 659,049 residents. “Most dangerous” here means highest reported violent crimes per resident — not most total crime.
What these rates don’t tell you
Three caveats. First, these are reported crimes — reporting practices vary by department. Second, citywide rates hide neighborhood variation: most blocks in Springfield, Boston, and Lowell run well below their averages. Third, the ordering is methodology-sensitive — HomeSnacks weights property crime in its own published order, and SafeHome used 2023 data rather than 2024.
Fall River (12th, 743), Brockton (14th, 599), Lynn (18th, 575), New Bedford (21st, 353), and Lawrence (28th, 440) all missed the top 10; Worcester isn’t in the top 30. Compare with Nevada’s 10 most dangerous cities for 2026.
Frequently asked questions about Massachusetts’ most dangerous cities
What is the most dangerous city in Massachusetts in 2026?
North Adams: 1,194 violent crimes per 100,000 (HomeSnacks’ 2026 analysis of 2024 FBI data). SafeHome.org’s 2023 FBI figures agree, ranking it first at 1,079.
Why do some lists rank Holyoke as No. 1 instead?
HomeSnacks’ own published order weights property crime too — and Holyoke leads on its combined “Dangerous Index.” By pure violent-crime rate, North Adams is first, Holyoke second.
Is Boston dangerous?
Boston ranks sixth at 628 per 100,000 — a citywide average hiding enormous neighborhood variation.
Is Springfield dangerous?
Springfield ranks fourth at 891 per 100,000 — 1,386 violent crimes in 2024 (17 murders, 325 robberies, 971 aggravated assaults).
Are these rankings based on FBI data?
Yes: HomeSnacks’ 2026 analysis of the FBI’s 2024 report (cities 5,000+), cross-checked against SafeHome.org (2023 FBI) and South Hill Enterprise.
Why do small towns top the list?
Per-capita math: with 5,264 residents (Hadley) or 12,395 (North Adams), each incident weighs far more than in a city of 600,000.
Does a high city rate mean every neighborhood is unsafe?
No — citywide rates are blunt instruments, and many neighborhoods run far below their city averages.
Which Massachusetts cities just missed the top 10?
Fall River (12th, 743), Brockton (14th, 599), Lynn (18th, 575), New Bedford (21st, 353), Lawrence (28th, 440). Worcester isn’t in the top 30.
Can I trust these rankings?
The figures are FBI-derived and cross-checked across three sources — but HomeSnacks calls its ranking “opinion based on facts… meant as infotainment.”
