Illinois’s Safest Cities of 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.

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.

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%).

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.

• 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.

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.

• 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.