NH · 1 city
Dangerous neighborhoods in New Hampshire
New Hampshire recorded 119 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2025, 64% below the national rate and down 11% since 2022. Our Manchester guide breaks down the specific blocks, transit points and hours where a little more attention pays off, and below you'll see how Manchester compares with the state's other cities.
FBI data · 2025
Most dangerous cities in New Hampshire, ranked
New Hampshire's 7 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. 6 of 7 run above the state average of 119. A high citywide rate doesn't make a whole city unsafe: crime clusters in a few areas, and our Manchester guide above shows where.
- 1
Manchester
322 violent crimes per 100k
2.7× the state average
- 2
Concord
183 violent crimes per 100k
1.5× the state average
- 3
Keene
179 violent crimes per 100k
1.6× the state average
| # | City | Violent per 100k | Property per 100k | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester | 322 | 1,540 | 116,606 |
| 2 | Concord | 183 | 1,430 | 44,834 |
| 3 | Keene2024 | 179 | 2,114 | 22,874 |
| 4 | Salem | 147 | 1,531 | 31,998 |
| 5 | Derry | 144 | 629 | 34,024 |
| 6 | Portsmouth2023 | 143 | 1,140 | 23,057 |
| 7 | Nashua | 110 | 1,030 | 92,016 |
| New Hampshire average | 119 | 829 | ||
| US average | 330 |
Safest cities in New Hampshire
At the other end of the list, these have the lowest violent crime rates of the 7 cities in this ranking.
- Nashua110 per 100k · near the state average
- Portsmouth143 per 100k · 1.2× the state average
- Derry144 per 100k · 1.2× 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.
New Hampshire crime: frequently asked questions
What is the most dangerous city in New Hampshire?
Of the 7 New Hampshire cities in our ranking, Manchester has the highest violent crime rate: 322 offenses per 100,000 residents in 2025, 2.7 times the state average. Concord and Keene come next. Even in Manchester, crime is concentrated in a few areas, and our Manchester guide shows which ones.
What is the safest city in New Hampshire?
Among the cities we rank, Nashua has the lowest violent crime rate, at 110 per 100,000 residents in 2025, 8% below the state average. Portsmouth follows with 143.
Is New Hampshire safe to visit?
For most visitors, yes, with ordinary precautions. New Hampshire recorded 119 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2025, 64% below 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 Manchester guide covers them block by block.
Which New Hampshire cities have above-average crime?
6 of the 7 cities we rank have a violent crime rate above the New Hampshire average of 119 per 100,000 residents: Manchester, Concord, Keene, Salem, Derry and Portsmouth. The other 1 are below it.
Is crime going up or down in New Hampshire?
Violent crime in New Hampshire went from 134 offenses per 100,000 residents in 2022 to 119 in 2025, down 11%. Property crime went from 1,047 to 829 over 2022–2025, down 21%.
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.