According To FBI Statistics, These Are The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In North Dakota

North Dakota can easily say it's one of the safest states in the country. With low crime across the prairie, there is little to be concerned about here. However, that's not to say crime doesn't happen at all. Unfortunately, it does happen even in the Peace Garden State, and the latest FBI statistics can show us where it happens most. Here are the most dangerous cities in North Dakota for 2022 based on the most recent (2018) FBI numbers.

1. Williston

Williston, North Dakota tops the list as the most dangerous city in North Dakota. Known as a "boomtown," people have flocked in from all over the place to work in the oil fields. Unsurprisingly, with a sudden influx of residents came a higher rate of crime, as well. In the most recent year of data taken, 142 counts of violent crime were recorded along with nearly 600 reports of theft. Over 775 counts of property theft were recorded, as well.

2. Fargo

North Dakota's largest city, at around 125,000 residents, is number 2 on this list. Property crime is at some of the highest rates in the state and there were nearly 3,000 counts of theft and larceny recorded by the FBI in a single year. Still, compared to other state's largest cities, it is considered one of the safer ones in the country.

3. Mandan

Mandan comes in at number 3 in terms of crime in North Dakota. With just under 23,000 residents, there were 82 recorded instances of violent crimes in a year, 70 aggravated assaults, and nearly 700 cases of property theft.

4. Bismarck

Coming along right next to Mandan is Bismarck, the capital of North Dakota. These two cities share the same metropolitan area and also similar crime statistics. Violent crime has raised in the past few years, with 223 counts of it recorded in 2018 alone. However, things like property theft have lowered recently.

5. Devils Lake

Devils Lake certainly isn't one of North Dakota's biggest cities, at only 7,314 residents, but its crime rates put it at 5th on the list. It has some of the highest rates of property crime and larceny in the state.

6. Grand Forks

North Dakota's third largest city comes in at number 6 in terms of dangerous cities in the state. At nearly 58,000 residents, there were over 2,700 combined instances of property crimes, burglaries, thefts, and motor vehicle thefts in a single year.

7. Watford City

Watford City is similar to Williston - people came flocking to it when good work opportunities came in the oil fields. The population went up by nearly 60% due to the boom. Though quieter now than it was some years ago, the crime rates are still high enough to get it a spot on the list.

8. Jamestown

Jamestown ranks 8th on this list. With a population around 15,000, it showed a recent increase in property crimes and violent crimes are not unheard of here.

9. Valley City

The "City of Bridges" comes in at number 9. It is the smallest city on this list at only just over 6,400 residents. It has relatively high property crime rates for North Dakota and had a rise in violent crimes in the past few years.

10. Minot

At the very end of the list is Minot, the "Magic City," known for it's huge and fast expansion back in the day. It is North Dakota's fourth largest city and, although it has seen a downward trend in its crime rates recently, still has just enough to put it on the list.

While these cities would be considered the most dangerous in North Dakota, it's good to remember that compared to the rest of the country, these rates are rather low. The state still has some of the best rankings in safety, and there are tons of other cities and towns across the prairie with little to no crime recorded. You can see a few of them on the FBI list that has zeros across the board in terms of crimes recorded. Here is a list of some of the safest places in North Dakota.

Did any of this data surprise you?