While the Sunshine State is a popular place to visit and vacation, its cities don’t have the best track record, and crime rate statistics for many a town in Old Florida are notoriously high. Some of the most historic and charming cities in Florida, unfortunately, have the highest crime rates. We’ve reviewed recent data from Neighborhood Scout to compile the following list of the most dangerous cities in Florida. They’re not in any particular order, but as a side note, these cities are by no means places to avoid or eschew; rather, take the information and exercise extra caution when visiting or vacationing in these (statistically) dangerous Florida cities.

1. Homestead
Homestead, FL, USA
Ebyabe/Wikimedia Commons
Homestead was rated as one of the dangerous places to avoid in Florida and also ranks in the Top 100 most dangerous cities in the entire country. Homestead being a mid-sized city was probably a large factor in its place on the list. Even with its ranking, Homestead is a unique city full of one-of-a-kind attractions and a lot of reasons to visit, including its location next to two of the best parks in Florida, the Everglades and Biscayne National Park.

Enjoy this walking tour of Homestead:

2. Fort Pierce
Fort Pierce, FL, USA
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM
Fort Pierce is home to some of the most beautiful parks and natural areas in the state. But unfortunately, this Florida city has a higher-than-average rate of property crime. For comparison, one's chances of being a victim of property crime are 1 in 50 in Fort Pierce, compared to 1 in 56 for the entire state of Florida. Violent crime rates are also significantly higher than the state average. By and large, however, Fort Pierce is known as a charming historic city in St. Lucie County on our Treasure Coast. Visitors will appreciate its historic waterfront downtown area, which is home to some wonderful restaurants and attractions.
3. Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, FL, USA
Pat (Cletch) Williams/Flickr
Daytona Beach is 51 miles northeast of Orlando, that's known for its scenic beauty and abundance of attractions, accommodations, and restaurants. So it's pretty alarming how high it is on this list; Daytona Beach is safer than only 8% of U.S. cities. In other words, 92% of U.S. cities have lower property and violent crime rates than this tourist town. We hope visitors will still enjoy all Daytona has to offer, from the famous Daytona 500 to the recently restored historic Daytona Beach Pier.

Take a walk around Daytona Beach:

4. Lake Worth
Lake Worth, FL, USA
Flickr/Steven Martin
Both violent and property-related crimes in Lake Worth are much loftier than state and national averages, a state that unfortunately makes the "most dangerous towns in Florida" lists time and time again. These figures are even more upsetting considering that this locale is not one of Florida's big cities by any means. Nonetheless, we definitely recommend a visit to the country's largest street painting festival, where temporary masterpieces seem to jump off the pavement.
5. Miami
Miami, FL, USA
Richard Tanswell/Flickr
Miami is a popular destination for the rich and famous, but even as a city of over 440,000, it still has higher than average crime rates for its size. In fact, Miami is safer than just 10% of all other U.S. cities. As an Old Town Florida destination, it's disheartening to have crime rate stats that are so high. We believe these ratings are good to be aware of, but it's not our goal to convince people never to visit. There are tons of Miami Attractions, so just take precautions to stay safe while enjoying the city.

Find out what there is to do in Miami:

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6. Fort Myers
Fort Myers, FL, USA
Flickr/Dennis Church
Fort Myers doesn't have the worst numbers on this list of most dangerous cities in Florida, but once again, factoring in the size of the city (under 90,000) makes its high violent crime and murder rates even more unusual. Ironically, Punta Rassa, a census-designated place in Fort Myers, is one of the safest places in Florida. Visitors should still be sure to make a trip to Fort Myers to visit one of Florida's great attractions, the winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford.
7. Riviera Beach
Riviera Beach, FL, USA
Flickr/Doug Kerr
Although the number of violent crimes and property-related crimes is lower for Riviera Beach than Miami Beach, it's placed higher on the list because its crime rates are particularly alarming when compared to other cities of its size, which is just around 37,000 people. Despite these numbers, Riviera Beach has a lot of nice parks perfect for those who prefer outdoor activities.
8. Miami Beach
Miami Beach, FL, USA
chensiyuan/Wikipedia
Miami Beach has much higher-than-average crime rates. Nonetheless, we think it's still worth visiting this city's incredible Art Deco Historic District, the largest collection of Art Deco architecture in the world. Miami Beach pulses with a vibrant infusion of life, color, flavor, and activity, and with the proper planning and precautions, it's a place worth exploring and enjoying.
9. Lauderdale Lakes
Lauderdale Lakes, FL, USA
Daniel Piraino/Flickr
https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/florida/village-by-the-sea-fl-long-weekend/Lauderdale Lakes is a town in southeast Florida with about 36,000 people. (For reference, Lauderdale Lakes is the 96th largest community in Florida.) Lauderdale Lakes has a shockingly high crime rate for a town of its size, with a violent crime rate more than twice that of the average for the state. We hope this city that calls itself the "Heart of Broward County" can find a way to become safer for its residents.
10. St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL, USA
GPlantam/Wikipedia
St. Petersburg, also known as The Sunshine City, has a lot of awesome things to see, from its acclaimed Moonlight Market and world-renowned attractions like The Salvador Dali Museum and the home of the Florida Orchestra, Mahaffey Theater, but this popular city for retirement has loftier-than-average violent and property crime rates, earning it a place on our list of the most dangerous towns in Florida.

Do you feel safe in these cities and in your hometown? Did you know about the town crime rate stats in Old Florida? What do you think are the safest and most dangerous cities in Florida? Tell us in the comments below!

Now for some good news: Florida has some truly wonderful and safe places to vacation, live, and retire! Here are some of the best of the best.

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More to Explore

Most Dangerous Towns in Florida

Danielle Schwartz | June 12, 2022

What are the most scenic towns in Florida?

The most scenic towns in Florida include:

  • St. Augustine
  • Cedar Key
  • Chipley

The Sunshine State is a gorgeous place and has many beautiful towns. You'll find lots of scenic towns in Florida that you'll love going to, whether you live here or you're visiting on a fantastic vacation. One lovely town is St. Augustine, which is particularly appealing to history buffs. Cedar Key is a nice town that has an old-world charm. It's a great place to vacation and is known for its sweet places to stay and pretty shops and restaurants. If you're looking for a fun nature excursion, head to Chipley for some great natural sights. The tallest waterfall in the state is in the town's Falling Waters State Park!

Why are the town crime rate statistics in Old Florida so high?

Town crime rate statistics in Old Florida are so high due to being a high-traffic destination.

Since "Old Florida" includes many a tourist town and locale, these places tend to attract lots of crowds and businesses, which, unfortunately, can result in high crime rate statistics. When visiting these high-traffic areas, exercise extra caution, common sense, and be aware of your surroundings. Some of the state's coolest attractions and towns are on this list of most dangerous towns in Florida, and we certainly want to encourage readers to get out explore -- armed with a healthy dose of knowledge, of course.

What are some of the coolest Old Town Florida towns to explore?

Some of the coolest Old Town Florida towns to explore are:

  • Jacksonville
  • Apalachicola
  • Quincy
  • Key West

Florida is an interesting place, and it has a very interesting history. It makes sense that some of the best places in our state are charming and historic towns, especially the oldest ones. It’s difficult to pin down the oldest places in the state because so many of our towns predate Florida as a state, or even as a U.S. territory. We have settled on using the official date of incorporation to help us find the top 10 oldest towns in Florida, but it’s all open to interpretation. These towns also happen to be great places to visit. Here are the oldest towns in Florida that we simply love exploring. Jacksonville, Apalachicola, Quincy, and Key West are just a few of our favorites.

 

 

 

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