North Dakota’s Safest Cities of 2024

See crime rates for the safest cities.

In our most recent State of Safety survey, just 35% of respondents in North Dakota said that they regularly worry about their safety overall. This makes North Dakota the sixth least-concerned state in the country.

The lack of concern lines up with North Dakota’s below-average violent crime rate and only slightly above-average property crime rate. The state's five safest cities are well below statewide and national crime rate averages.

North Dakota's violent crime rate went up this year, with 3.4 incidents per 1,000 people compared to last year’s 2.6. The state's property crime rate decreased from 21.9 per 1,000 people to 21.6. North Dakota has the fifteenth lowest violent crime rate in the US, and the fourteenth-highest property crime rate.

North Dakotans we surveyed had 33% more personal experience with property crime this year compared to last year's report. Still, the state saw an overall decrease in property crime—from 21.9 incidents per 1,000 to 21.6. 

• More people in North Dakota (28%) reported personal experiences with property crime this year compared to last year (21%).
• Concern about property crime fell 9% year over year, with 4 in 10 survey respondents (40%) saying they worry about it on a daily basis (US 52%).
• Burglary accounts for 16% of all property crimes in The Peace Garden State. Its 5 safest cities average 12%. 
• 38% of respondents reported experiencing package theft, putting North Dakota just above the US average of 35%.
• 74% of respondents in North Dakota use some form of property protection—on par with the 75% national average.
• The top form of property protection in North Dakota this year was security cameras, with 40% of survey respondents using them. This is slightly higher than the national average of 39%.
• 31% of survey participants told us they increased their security measure in the 12 months prior to the survey.

Nearly three-quarters (73%) of North Dakota residents feel safe in their home state, which is much more than the national average (45%) The Peace Garden State also has fewer residents concerned about violent crime.

• 3 in 10 survey respondents said they worry about violent crime on a regular basis—far below the national average of 5 in 10.
• 13% of North Dakota residents told us they had a personal experience with violent crime in the 12 months prior to the survey; 63% more than the previous year.
• Overall, violent crime make up a smaller proportion (12%) of all crime in North Dakota than the nationwide proportion of 16%.
• 35% of survey participants report using some form of personal protection—slightly under the US average (36%).
• Pepper spray is the most common form of personal protection, with 54% of respondents saying they use one.
• North Dakota is the number one state where people say they feel safe in their state.

• 29% of North Dakota residents named gun violence as a safety concern (US 51%)—that's the second-lowest in the country.
• 8% of survey participants reported experiencing gun violence in 12 months prior to the survey, which is 60% higher than last year (5%).
• There was 1 mass shooting event in North Dakota in 2023—the first one reported in the past four years.
• 29% of residents who use any form of personal protection carry a concealed firearm (US 41%).
• 26% of respondents rely on a firearm to help protect their property (US 28%).

For the purposes of this report, the terms “dangerous” and “safest” refer explicitly to crime rates as calculated from FBI crime data—no other characterization of any community is implied or intended.

• Hazen is the safest city in North Dakota thanks to 0 violent crimes and just 3 property crimes reported for the most recent reporting period.
• Tioga is new to the safest cities this year.
• Lisbon also reported zero violent crimes.
• All of North Dakota’s safest cities reported a collective 4 total violent crimes, and there were no robberies reported at all.
• The safest cities have far better per capita violent crime (0.4) and property crime rates (3.9) than the state and national average.
• Every safest city reported 15 or fewer total property crimes.
• Hazen is the only city to report zero burglaries.
• Carrington held on to the number 4 spot for the second consecutive year. 

• 100 Safest Cities in the U.S.
• 10 Safest Big Cities in the U.S.
• Best Home Security Systems
• Best Home Security Cameras
• Best Video Doorbell Cameras
• Burglary Stats & Facts
• Over 50% Of All Burglaries Are Residential—How To Protect Your Family
• The Best Personal Safety Devices for Every Situation

Find all endnotes and sources in our full methodology.

FBI Crime Data Explorer, "Documents & Downloads." Accessed March 18, 2024.

• 2022 and 2021 Crime in the United States Annual Reports
  • Offenses Known to Law Enforcement
• 2022 NIBRS Estimation Tables

Bureau of Justice Statistics, "National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)." Accessed March 18, 2024.

Gun Violence Archive, "Mass Shootings." Accessed March 18, 2023.