Illinois’s Safest Cities of 2024

Cathy Habas
Mar 18, 2024
Icon Time To Read3 min read
SafeWise is pleased to release the 10th annual Safest Cities report.

Here are the 10 Safest Cities in Illinois for 2024

See crime rates for the safest cities.

Illinois residents have the third-highest level of concern nationwide regarding overall daily safety, despite crime rates that are lower than nationwide averages. Illinois survey respondents also expressed the lowest level of confidence in how safe they feel in the state—with just two in 10 people telling us they feel safe in the Prairie State.

In this report

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NOTE: If your city is missing from our full report, it means that it was below the population threshold or didn’t submit a complete crime report to the FBI in 2022.

2024 Illinois crime rates

Illinois's crime rates are lower than nationwide rates.

Image: SafeWise

Illinois saw fewer violent crimes, with a rate of 3.9 incidents per 1,000, compared to 4.0 nationwide. Property crime rates were several points below the rest of the US at 17.8 incidents per 1,000 people compared to 20.7 nationwide. 

The safest cities report even lower crime rates. The collective violent crime rate of Illinois's safest cities is 86% below the statewide rate, and property crime in the safest cities is 81% lower than the statewide rate.

Property crime in Illinois: Fear vs. reality

Illinoisans' experience with property crime decreased from 31% in the previous survey to 22%. Around 53% of Illinois residents worry about property crime and 56% worry about package theft—decreases of around 13% each, year over year.

  • The property crime rate in Illinois (17.8) is the eighteenth-lowest in the US.
  • Illinois residents worry about property crime happening to them at a rate 3% higher than the average American.
  • 22% of Illinoisans experienced property crime in the 12 months prior to the survey, and 33% experienced package theft.
  • 7 in 10 survey respondents (71%) told us they use security measures to protect their property, a bit lower than the nationwide average of 75%.
  • Security cameras are the most-used form of property protection, with 34% using them. Guard dogs come in second with 25%.
  • Using verified delivery is the most popular forms of package theft prevention with 26% of those who try to protect their packages using it.
  • Almost 4 in 10 participants (37%) told us they increased their security measures in the 12 months prior to the survey (US 35%).

What security measures are used most in Illinois?

Security measures used most in Illinois: security cameras, guard dogs, security systems.

Image: SafeWise


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What crimes are Illinois residents concerned about most?

Image: SafeWise

Violent crime in Illinois: Fear vs. reality

In our most recent State of Safety survey, daily concern about violent crime decreased by 14% in Illinois. Even so, with 62% highly concerned, Illinois is the fifth-most worried state when it comes to violent crime.

Our Illinois respondents had more personal experience with violent crime than most Americans: 23% experienced violent crime in the 12 months prior to the survey—the second-highest in the nation. Notwithstanding those high numbers in our sentiment survey, Illinois's violent crime rate has decreased from 4.3 incidents per 1,000 people in 2022 to 3.9 this year.

  • Despite Illinois’s high levels of safety concern, only 39% of respondents said they use personal protection, with pepper spray being used most often (41%). Across the US, 36% of respondents carry some form of personal protection.
  • 2 in 10 survey respondents said they feel safe in Illinois—the lowest level of confidence from any state and 29% lower than our previous survey.

Attitudes about gun violence in Illinois

  • Gun violence experiences jumped from 17% to 25%; the highest in the US.
  • 66% named gun violence their top daily safety concern (US 53%)—the sixth-highest in the country.
  • Mass shooting incidents in Illinois fell by 11% in 2023, from 57 to 51. This is the second consecutive year the number has gone down.
  • Of the Illinois residents who use some form of protection, 28% use firearms for personal protection and 17% use firearms for property protection.

The safest cities in Illinois

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.

  • We couldn’t rank the safest cities in Illinois last year due to limited information reported to the FBI, so we can't do any year over year comparisons.
  • 166 cities met criteria to be considered for ranking.
  • Campton Hills is the safest city in Illinois thanks to reporting only 1 crime, a burglary. 
  • Western Springs is the only other city to report zero violent crimes.
  • Pingree Grove is the only city to report zero burglaries.
  • Every safest city reported fewer than 1 violent crime per 1,000 people. 
  • No safest city reported more than 5.5 property crimes per 1,000 people. 
  • Oswego is the most populous safest city, with over 35,000 residents, making its low crime rates even more impressive.
  • 3 cities reported zero aggravated assaults, which is the most common violent crime in Illinois and the US: Campton Hills, Gilberts, and Western Springs.
  • 3 cities reported zero car thefts: Campton Hills, Harrisburg, and Gilberts.

The 20 safest cities in Illinois

Silhouette of Ilinois with pins marking where the safest cities are.

Image: SafeWise

Campton Hills, Illinois
#1
Campton Hills
(
New
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    10,802
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.0, N/A, N/A
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.1, N/A, N/A
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
#2
Libertyville
(
New
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    20,434
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.3, N/A, N/A
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    2.0, N/A, N/A
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Wauconda, IL map
#3
Wauconda
(
New
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    13,945
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.3, 0.4, N/A
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    2.1, 1.9, N/A
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Pingree Grove, Illinois
#4
Pingree Grove
(
New
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    11,078
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.5, N/A, N/A
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    1.7, N/A, N/A
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Harrisburg, IL map
#5
Harrisburg
(
New
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    8,020
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.7, N/A, N/A
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    1.2, N/A, N/A
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
La Salle, Illinois
#6
La Salle
(
New
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    9,450
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.6, N/A, N/A
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    1.6, N/A, N/A
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Gilberts, Illinois
#7
Gilberts
(
New
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    8,339
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.1, N/A, N/A
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    3.2, N/A, N/A
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Western Springs, Illinois
#8
Western Springs
(
New
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    13,175
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.0, N/A, N/A
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    3.7, N/A, N/A
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Winfield, Illinois
#9
Winfield
(
New
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    10,460
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.6, N/A, N/A
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    2.6, N/A, N/A
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Hampshire, Illinois
#10
Hampshire
(
New
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    7,881
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.5, N/A, N/A
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    2.8, N/A, N/A
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Lake in the Hills, Illinois
#11
Lake in the Hills
(
New
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    28,961
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.5, 0.6, N/A
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    2.8, 2.6, N/A
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Manhattan, Illinois
#12
Manhattan
(
New
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    10,569
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.5, N/A, N/A
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    3.1, N/A, N/A
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Homer Glen, Illinois
#13
Homer Glen
(
New
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    24,524
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.4, N/A, N/A
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    3.9, N/A, N/A
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
#14
Lindenhurst
(
New
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    14,242
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.8, N/A, N/A
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    3.2, N/A, N/A
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Mascoutah, Illinois
#15
Mascoutah
(
New
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    8,622
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.7, N/A, N/A
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    3.8, N/A, N/A
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Lemont, Illinois
#16
Lemont
(
New
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    17,394
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.5, 0.7, N/A
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    4.8, 4.0, N/A
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Palos Hills, Illinois
#17
Palos Hills
(
New
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    17,790
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.7, N/A, N/A
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    4.5, N/A, N/A
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Yorkville, Illinois
#18
Yorkville
(
New
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    23,635
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.9, N/A, N/A
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    4.4, N/A, N/A
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Roscoe, Illinois
#19
Roscoe
(
New
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    10,815
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.6, N/A, N/A
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    5.5, N/A, N/A
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime
Oswego, Illinois
#20
Oswego
(
New
)
  • Circle Population
    Population
    35,932
  • Circle Gun
    VC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    0.9, 0.6, N/A
  • Circle Property
    PC Rate 2024, 2023, 2022
    5.1, 3.3, N/A
  • Info
    VC=Violent crime, PC=Property crime

How we determined the safest cities

Learn how we identified the safest cities on our methodology page.

How to make a safe home anywhere

Over 6 in 10 Americans surveyed don't have a home security system, despite over 50% of all burglaries being residential. Unfortunately, a majority of people who have a security system added it after they had a break-in. One of the best ways to stop a burglary before it happens—and get immediate help if a break-in is detected—is to add a monitored home security system.

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Endnotes and sources

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.

For over 11 years, SafeWise experts have conducted independent research and testing to create unbiased, human reviews. Learn how we test and review.

Cathy Habas
Written by
With over eight years of experience as a content writer, Cathy has a knack for untangling complex information. Her natural curiosity and ability to empathize help Cathy offer insightful, friendly advice. She believes in empowering readers who may not feel confident about a purchase, project, or topic. Cathy earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Indiana University Southeast and began her professional writing career immediately after graduation. She is a certified Safe Sleep Ambassador and has contributed to sites like Safety.com, Reviews.com, Hunker, and Thumbtack. Cathy’s pride and joy is her Appaloosa “Chacos.” She also likes to crochet while watching stand-up comedy specials on Netflix.

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