Alabama’s Safest Cities of 2024

Alabama’s property crime rate fell below the national average of 20.7 incidents per 1,000, landing at 19.9. And even though the state saw a significant drop—20% year over year—Alabama is still a bit over the national violent crime rate of 4.0 incidents per 1,000 people.  The violent crime rate fell from 6.0 per 1,000 residents to 4.8 this year. The state’s property crime rate also had an impressive decline—plummeting 23% year over year to 19.9 incidents per 1,000.

Alabama fell below the national property crime rate for the first time in at least three years—plummeting 23% from 25.9 incidents per 1,000 people to 19.9. This reversal is a feather in Alabama's cap—especially in a year when property crime rose nationwide.

• 25% of survey respondents reported having a personal experience with property crime in the past 12 months. That’s lower than the national average (27%) but one point higher than last year.
• 28% of Alabamans fell prey to porch pirates in the 12 months prior to being surveyed, which is 19% lower than the national average.
• Larceny-theft is the most common property crime in Alabama, making up 74% of all property crimes—almost matching the US proportion of larceny-thefts (72%).
• Burglary makes up 15% of all property crime in Alabama, compared to 13% nationwide. 
• 14% of survey respondents use no form of property protection (US 25%).
• Firearms, security cameras, and security systems are used most often to guard property.
• Of those that use property protection, 40% use firearms, 38% use security cameras, 34% use a home security system.

Despite a dramatic decline  year over year, Alabama still sees slightly more violent crime than most of the country—making violent crime the most worrisome issue in Alabama. But residents seem to be feeling the improvement, with 10% more survey respondents saying they feel safe in the state than they did the previous year. Surprisingly, more respondents reported a personal experience with violent crime than in the previous survey year. 

• 63% of Alabamans worry about a violent crime happening to them—that’s 26% higher than the national average.
• 2 in 10 of survey respondents reported having a personal experience with violent crime in the past 12 months—higher than the national average of 15%.
• Alabama sees the same percentage of murders as the rest of the country, with murder accounting for 2% of all violent crime.
• Robberies make up 16% of all violent crime in Alabama—matching the national average.
• Aggravated assault is the most common violent crime in the state, with it reporting over 18,000 cases—but that's 6,000 fewer than the previous year.
• Half of the Alabama survey respondents use some form of personal protection like pepper spray. That's much higher than the national average of 36%.
• Concealed firearms (62%) are the most popular form of personal protection used in Alabama. 

• 56% named gun violence a safety concern (US 51%).
• 19% reported an experience with gun violence in the 12 months prior to being surveyed. That's a 58% jump year over year.
• Alabama reported the sixth highest amount of personal experience with a gun violence in the country.
• Mass shooting incidents are down 31% year over year in Alabama, from 16 incidents to 11. 
• 62% of Alabamans said that they use concealed weapons for personal protection (US 41%).

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.

• All of the safest cities reported fewer than 2 violent crimes per 1,000 residents. 
• Tuscumbia reported zero violent crimes, catapulting it 21 spots to claim the title of the safest city in Alabama.
• Warrior, last year's #1 city, fell 13 spots to 14 this year.
• The safest cities have a 84% lower crime rate than the rest of the state.
• 5 cities made the list for the first time this year: Eutaw, Helena , Lake View, Hartford, and Triana.

• Best Home Security Systems
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• 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.