Memphis recorded the highest violent crime rate of any large city in America in 2024 — about 2,500 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, per WSMV’s analysis of FBI data. But the most dangerous cities in Tennessee are not just Memphis and Nashville: compiled 2024 FBI Crime Data Explorer figures show small western Tennessee towns posting rates that rival the state’s biggest metros.
TL;DR: Memphis is Tennessee’s most dangerous city (about 2,500 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024, highest of any large U.S. city). Small western Tennessee towns — Ripley, Brownsville, Covington — rank next; Nashville placed 7th. Rankings use 2024 FBI rates per 100,000 residents.
How this ranking was built
Cities are ordered by violent crime rate per 100,000 residents for 2024, using FBI Crime Data Explorer figures compiled by The Local Observer. Caveat: in very small towns a handful of incidents swings the rate. The top figures are independently confirmed: WSMV’s FBI analysis put Memphis at 2,501 and Nashville at 1,124.1, 13th among large U.S. cities.
The 10 most dangerous cities in Tennessee
1. Memphis — about 2,500 per 100,000
Memphis stands alone: 2,501 violent crimes per 100,000 in 2024, the highest of any large U.S. city and nearly seven times the national average of 359.1. Its murder rate fell nearly 30 percent to 39.8 per 100,000 (homicides down from a record 351 in 2023 to 250, per TBI data), though aggravated assault still tops 2,000 per 100,000.
2. Ripley — 1,717 per 100,000
This Lauderdale County town of under 8,000 reported 132 violent crimes in 2024. Its murder rate of 65 per 100,000 reflects a few killings in a tiny population, but an assault rate of 1,509 per 100,000 is a genuine pattern.
3. Brownsville — 1,617 per 100,000
Brownsville logged 151 violent crimes in 2024, led by aggravated assault at 1,360 per 100,000. Its rape rate of 139 per 100,000 was among the state’s highest.
4. Covington — 1,474 per 100,000
Covington reported 130 violent crimes and zero murders in 2024, but aggravated assault at 1,361 per 100,000 put it fourth — the third small western Tennessee town in the top four.
5. Chattanooga — 1,359 per 100,000
The first large metro after Memphis: 2,504 violent crimes in 2024, including 33 murders. Robbery (145.5) and property crime (6,356 per 100,000) run roughly double statewide averages.
6. Dyersburg — 1,276 per 100,000
Dyersburg reported 207 violent crimes in 2024, with assault at 1,097 per 100,000 and the state’s second-highest property crime rate (6,798 per 100,000).
7. Nashville — about 1,124 per 100,000
Music City’s 2024 rate ranked 13th among large U.S. cities, with robbery the standout problem at 308 per 100,000. Police say violent crime hit a post-2019 low in early 2025.
8. Jackson — 1,046 per 100,000
Jackson reported 703 violent crimes in 2024, mostly aggravated assault at 867 per 100,000.
9. Cleveland — 987 per 100,000
Cleveland reported 454 violent crimes in 2024; assault (802 per 100,000) and property crime (5,027 per 100,000) exceed state averages.
10. McMinnville — 949 per 100,000
McMinnville closes the top 10 with 130 violent crimes in 2024, driven by assault (781) and rape (95) rates per 100,000.
Tennessee in national context
Tennessee ranked fourth among states for violent crime in 2023 at 628 incidents per 100,000 residents, about 68 percent above the U.S. average, per Justice Center data reported by WVLT. Just 39 percent of violent crimes statewide were solved in 2023. Crime concentrates in a few neighborhoods, so compare neighborhood-level data if you are moving. See also our Ohio ranking and Texas murder data.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most dangerous city in Tennessee?
Memphis. In 2024 it recorded about 2,500 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, the highest rate of any large U.S. city, per WSMV’s analysis of FBI data.
Is Nashville dangerous compared to other Tennessee cities?
Nashville ranked 7th in Tennessee at about 1,124 violent crimes per 100,000 in 2024, behind Memphis, Ripley, Brownsville, Covington, Chattanooga, and Dyersburg.
What counts as violent crime in these rankings?
Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, per the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting program.
Why do small towns like Ripley rank so high?
Rates are per 100,000 residents, so in towns under 10,000 a few incidents produce a very high rate. Ripley’s 1,717 comes from about 132 reported violent crimes.
How does Tennessee compare to other states?
Tennessee ranked 4th among states in 2023 at 628 violent incidents per 100,000 residents, about 68 percent above the U.S. average, per Justice Center data reported by WVLT.
Is crime in Memphis improving?
Modestly. TBI data shows Memphis’s murder rate fell nearly 30 percent in 2024 (56.4 to 39.8 per 100,000); homicides fell from a record 351 in 2023 to 250. It still led the nation.
