LA · 4 cities
Dangerous neighborhoods in Louisiana
Louisiana recorded 584 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2023, 1.5 times the national rate and down 27% since 2022. Of the 4 cities we cover, New Orleans, Shreveport and Lafayette have the highest rates and Baton Rouge the lowest. Each guide breaks down the specific blocks, transit points and hours where a little more attention pays off.
New Orleans
Baton Rouge
Lafayette
ShreveportFBI data · 2023
Most dangerous cities in Louisiana, ranked
The 4 Louisiana cities we cover, ordered by their official violent crime rate: murders, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults per 100,000 residents. 4 of 4 run above the state average of 584. A high citywide rate doesn't make a whole city unsafe: crime clusters in a few areas, and each guide above shows where.
- 1
New Orleans
1,361 violent crimes per 100k
2.3× the state average
- 2
Shreveport
1,163 violent crimes per 100k
2.5× the state average
- 3
Lafayette
1,131 violent crimes per 100k
2.4× the state average
| # | City | Violent per 100k | Property per 100k | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Orleans | 1,361 | 5,090 | 364,197 |
| 2 | Shreveport2025 | 1,163 | 3,612 | 174,114 |
| 3 | Lafayette2025 | 1,131 | 3,471 | 122,489 |
| 4 | Baton Rouge | 1,009 | 5,543 | 219,086 |
| Louisiana average | 584 | 2,620 | ||
| US average | 386 |
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported by each city's police department per 100,000 residents; most cities use 2023 data, and a small year next to a name marks a different latest complete year. Only cities with a neighborhood guide are included, and years with incomplete reporting are left out. How we rank cities.
Louisiana crime: frequently asked questions
What is the most dangerous city in Louisiana?
Of the 4 Louisiana cities in our ranking, New Orleans has the highest violent crime rate: 1,361 offenses per 100,000 residents in 2023, 2.3 times the state average. Shreveport and Lafayette come next. Even in New Orleans, crime is concentrated in a few areas, and our New Orleans guide shows which ones.
What is the safest city in Louisiana?
Among the cities we rank, Baton Rouge has the lowest violent crime rate, at 1,009 per 100,000 residents in 2023, 1.7 times the state average. Lafayette follows with 1,131. All 4 are large cities with rates above the Louisiana average, so many smaller towns in the state are safer still.
Is Louisiana safe to visit?
Most visits go without trouble, but Louisiana has more violent crime than the US as a whole. Louisiana recorded 584 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2023, 1.5 times the national rate of 386. Crime is concentrated in specific neighborhoods and hours rather than spread evenly, so knowing where those areas are matters more than the statewide figure; our 4 city guides cover them block by block.
Which Louisiana cities have above-average crime?
4 of the 4 cities we rank have a violent crime rate above the Louisiana average of 584 per 100,000 residents: New Orleans, Shreveport, Lafayette and Baton Rouge. The other 0 are below it.
Is crime going up or down in Louisiana?
Violent crime in Louisiana went from 642 offenses per 100,000 residents in 2022 to 466 in 2025, down 27%. Property crime went from 2,820 to 1,860 over 2022–2025, down 34%.
Where do these crime figures come from?
From the FBI Crime Data Explorer, which collects the offenses reported by each police department. Rates are offenses per 100,000 residents, so cities of different sizes can be compared, and years with incomplete reporting are left out. Our methodology explains the details.