MD · 1 city
Dangerous neighborhoods in Maryland
Maryland recorded 365 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2025, 11% above the national rate and down 16% since 2022. Our Baltimore guide breaks down the specific blocks, transit points and hours where a little more attention pays off, and below you'll see how Baltimore compares with the state's other cities.
FBI data · 2025
Most dangerous cities in Maryland, ranked
Maryland's 16 cities of 10,000+ residents with recent FBI data, ordered by their official violent crime rate: murders, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults per 100,000 residents. 13 of 16 run above the state average of 365. A high citywide rate doesn't make a whole city unsafe: crime clusters in a few areas, and our Baltimore guide above shows where.
- 1
Baltimore
1,351 violent crimes per 100k
3.7× the state average
- 2
Salisbury
891 violent crimes per 100k
2.4× the state average
- 3
Elkton
793 violent crimes per 100k
2.2× the state average
| # | City | Violent per 100k | Property per 100k | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore | 1,351 | 4,009 | 562,811 |
| 2 | Salisbury | 891 | 2,475 | 33,779 |
| 3 | Elkton | 793 | 4,352 | 16,016 |
| 4 | Annapolis | 711 | 1,432 | 40,647 |
| 5 | Laurel2023 | 658 | 3,907 | 29,044 |
| 6 | Greenbelt | 632 | 3,869 | 24,838 |
| 7 | Cumberland2023 | 625 | 3,848 | 18,728 |
| 8 | Hagerstown | 616 | 2,454 | 44,007 |
| 9 | Hyattsville | 542 | 3,847 | 21,031 |
| 10 | Takoma Park2024 | 540 | 7,085 | 17,418 |
| 11 | Easton | 487 | 1,657 | 17,444 |
| 12 | Aberdeen | 404 | 1,580 | 19,047 |
| 13 | Frederick | 390 | 1,572 | 92,564 |
| 14 | Gaithersburg | 216 | 1,047 | 70,993 |
| 15 | Bowie | 205 | 1,951 | 58,471 |
| 16 | Rockville | 108 | 1,267 | 68,690 |
| Maryland average | 365 | 1,853 | ||
| US average | 330 |
Safest cities in Maryland
At the other end of the list, these have the lowest violent crime rates of the 16 cities in this ranking.
- Rockville108 per 100k · 70% below the state average
- Bowie205 per 100k · 44% below the state average
- Gaithersburg216 per 100k · 41% below the state average
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported by each city's police department per 100,000 residents; most cities use 2025 data, and a small year next to a name marks a different latest complete year. It includes every city of 10,000+ residents with complete recent data, and years with incomplete reporting are left out. How we rank cities.
Maryland crime: frequently asked questions
What is the most dangerous city in Maryland?
Of the 16 Maryland cities in our ranking, Baltimore has the highest violent crime rate: 1,351 offenses per 100,000 residents in 2025, 3.7 times the state average. Salisbury and Elkton come next. Even in Baltimore, crime is concentrated in a few areas, and our Baltimore guide shows which ones.
What is the safest city in Maryland?
Among the cities we rank, Rockville has the lowest violent crime rate, at 108 per 100,000 residents in 2025, 70% below the state average. Bowie follows with 205. A low citywide rate doesn't mean every block is the same, but day-to-day risk is lower.
Is Maryland safe to visit?
For most visitors, yes, with ordinary precautions. Maryland recorded 365 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2025, 11% above the national rate of 330. 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 Baltimore guide covers them block by block.
Which Maryland cities have above-average crime?
13 of the 16 cities we rank have a violent crime rate above the Maryland average of 365 per 100,000 residents: Baltimore, Salisbury, Elkton, Annapolis, Laurel, Greenbelt, Cumberland, Hagerstown and 5 more. The other 3 are below it.
Is crime going up or down in Maryland?
Violent crime in Maryland went from 434 offenses per 100,000 residents in 2022 to 365 in 2025, down 16%. Property crime went from 1,729 to 1,853 over 2022–2025, up 7%.
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.