If Louisiana is on your shortlist for a move, start with the numbers. RoadSnacks’ analysis of the latest FBI crime data — 39 Louisiana cities with more than 5,000 residents, reported by the Shreveport Times in May 2026 — names Alexandria the most dangerous city: 2,713 violent crimes and 6,596 property crimes per 100,000 residents. Monroe, Bastrop, and Opelousas round out the top four.
How this Louisiana ranking was built
One dataset, one method: RoadSnacks analyzed violent and property crime per capita — drawn from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting program — for the 39 Louisiana cities with over 5,000 residents, and ranked them by overall crime rate. A city can top this list on property crime alone, so this is a measure of total criminal activity, not just violence. Raw figures are available through the FBI Crime Data Explorer.
The 10 most dangerous cities in Louisiana
1. Alexandria — 2,713 violent crimes per 100k
Alexandria’s overall crime rate is nearly four times the national average, with 6,596 property crimes and 16 murders per 100,000. Residents face a one in 15 chance of becoming a property crime victim.
2. Monroe — 1,892 violent crimes per 100k
Monroe logs 5,733 property crimes per 100,000 and seven murders per 100,000 — with the state’s 20th highest rape rate and 11th highest murder rate. Residents face a one in 52 chance of being a violent crime victim.
3. Bastrop — 1,421 violent crimes per 100k
With under 10,000 residents, Bastrop punches above its weight: 4,833 property crimes per 100,000 and the state’s second-highest burglary rate. Two murders per 100,000 were recorded.
4. Opelousas — 1,369 violent crimes per 100k
Opelousas logs 5,018 property crimes and six murders per 100,000, plus the 11th highest rape rate in the state. One in 73 residents can expect to be a violent crime victim.
5. West Monroe — 1,156 violent crimes per 100k
West Monroe has the state’s second-highest property crime rate (5,886 per 100,000): one in 17 residents face having something stolen or damaged. One murder per 100,000 was recorded.
6. Shreveport — 1,228 violent crimes per 100k
Shreveport runs 146.27% above the national average, but its defining stat is the murder rate: 47 per 100,000 — by far the highest in this top 10. Property crime is 3,990 per 100,000.
7. Bogalusa — 1,131 violent crimes per 100k
Bogalusa is 152.23% above the national average, with 4,213 property crimes and one murder per 100,000. Residents face a one in 88.4 chance of being a violent crime victim.
8. Lafayette — 1,066 violent crimes per 100k
Lafayette records 4,347 property crimes and 18 murders per 100,000. The one-in-93.8 chance of being a violent crime victim is worse than the statewide one-in-192.4 average.
9. Natchitoches — 891 violent crimes per 100k
Natchitoches had the state’s third-highest burglary rate, with 4,384 property crimes and five murders per 100,000 — 148.95% above the national average and 87.34% above the state average.
10. Plaquemine — 1,215 violent crimes per 100k
Plaquemine has the state’s sixth highest violent crime rate and 14th highest property rate (3,291 per 100,000), plus two murders per 100,000.
What the numbers mean if you’re moving to Louisiana
Crime rates are only one input in a relocation decision, but in Louisiana they deserve real weight: the state ranks third most dangerous nationally, running roughly 30.5% above the U.S. average. When comparing cities, remember smaller places like Bastrop and Plaquemine look different per-capita than in raw totals — always compare rates, not counts.
For a city-level comparison in other Southern states, see our ranking of Florida’s most dangerous cities.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most dangerous city in Louisiana?
Alexandria. RoadSnacks’ analysis of the latest FBI crime data — reported by the Shreveport Times in May 2026 — gave it the highest overall rate among 39 Louisiana cities over 5,000 residents: 2,713 violent and 6,596 property crimes per 100,000.
How many violent crimes does Monroe, Louisiana have per 100,000 residents?
Monroe records 1,892 violent crimes, 5,733 property crimes, and seven murders per 100,000 — making it Louisiana’s second most dangerous city in this analysis.
Is New Orleans the most dangerous city in Louisiana?
Not by this measure: New Orleans does not appear in this top 10, which weighs violent and property crime together. Neighborhood-level crime within the city, however, can be severe — see our guide to the most dangerous neighborhoods in New Orleans.
Which Louisiana city has the highest murder rate?
Among this top 10, Shreveport — at 47 murders per 100,000 residents, the highest in the analysis by a wide margin.
What counts as a violent crime in FBI data?
The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting program classifies four offenses as violent crime: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.
How dangerous is Louisiana overall?
Louisiana is ranked the third most dangerous state in the U.S. by RoadSnacks, with violent and property crime rates roughly 30.5% above the national average.
Are these Louisiana cities safe to visit?
Millions visit Louisiana’s cities each year without incident, and per-capita rates don’t predict any single visitor’s experience. Standard travel precautions still apply.
Where can I check the raw crime data myself?
The FBI Crime Data Explorer (cde.ucr.cjis.gov) publishes the underlying data by agency and year, and the Shreveport Times report details the methodology.
