St. Louis – Just days after the St. Louis Cardinals won the top honor in Major League Baseball, their hometown jumped to first place on a list no one wants to lead: the most dangerous cities in the United States.
Denver, in position 303 on the list, came in behind Las Vegas (#300) and Aurora (#257).
St. Louis has long been in the upper tiers of the annual ranking of the nation’s safest and most dangerous cities, compiled by Morgan Quitno Press. Violent crime surged nearly 20 percent there from 2004 to last year, when the rate of such crimes rose much faster in the Midwest than in the rest of nation, according to FBI figures released in June.
“It’s just sad the way this city is,” resident Sam Dawson said. “On the news you hear killings, someone’s been shot.”
The ranking, being released today, came as the city was still celebrating Friday’s World Series victory at the new Busch Stadium.
St. Louis has been spending millions of dollars on urban renewal even as the crime rate climbs.
Mayor Francis Slay did not return calls to his office seeking comment Sunday.
Scott Morgan, president of Morgan Quitno Press, a private research and publishing company specializing in state and city reference books, said he was not surprised to see St. Louis top the list, since it has been among the 10 most dangerous cities for years.
Morgan said the study looks at crime only within St. Louis city limits, with a population of about 330,000. It doesn’t take into account the suburbs in St. Louis County, which has roughly 980,000 residents.
The national FBI figures released in June showed the murder rate in St. Louis jumped 16 percent from 2004 to 2005, compared with 4.8 percent nationally.
The overall violent-crime rate increased nearly 20 percent, compared with 2.5 percent nationally.
While crime increased in all regions last year, the 5.7 percent rise in the 12 Midwestern states was at least three times higher than any other region, according to the FBI.
Visiting St. Louis on Thursday, FBI Director Robert Mueller said it was too early to tell why some types of crime were rising faster in the Midwest.
A list of the safest and most dangerous cities overall, as compiled by Morgan Quitno Press, which bases the rankings on FBI figures released in June. The list starts with the safest cities and ends with the most dangerous.
Only cities that reported crime rates were included in the list.
For example, New Orleans was not included this year because its police department did not report figures.
1. Brick, N.J.
2. Amherst, N.Y.
3. Mission Viejo, Calif.
4. Newton, Mass.
5. Troy, Mich.
6. Colonie, N.Y.
7. Irvine, Calif.
8. Cary, N.C.
9. Greece, N.Y.
10. Coral Springs, Fla.
11. Thousand Oaks, Calif.
12. Orem, Utah
13. Round Rock, Texas
14. Dover, N.J.
15. Lake Forest, Calif.
16. Sterling Heights, Mich.
17. Simi Valley, Calif.
18. Roswell, Ga.
19. Lee’s Summit, Mo.
20. Broken Arrow, Okla.
21. Chino Hills, Calif.
22. Gilbert, Ariz.
23. Edison, N.J.
24. Cranston, R.I.
25. Port St. Lucie, Fla.
26. Sandy, Utah 27. Nashua, N.H.
28. Danbury, Conn.
29. Huntington Beach, Calif.
30. Orange, Calif.
31. Hamilton, N.J.
32. Parma, Ohio 33. Overland Park, Kan.
34. Santa Clarita, Calif.
35. Stamford, Conn.
36. Cheektowaga, N.Y.
37. Livonia, Mich.
38. Sunnyvale, Calif.
39. Murrieta, Calif.
40. Canton, Mich.
41. Plano, Texas 42. Warwick, R.I.
43. Torrance, Calif.
44. Clifton, N.J.
44. Newport Beach, Calif.
46. Woodbridge, N.J.
47. Fargo, N.D.
48. Norman, Okla.
49. Olathe, Kan.
50. Boca Raton, Fla.
51. Livermore, Calif.
52. Centennial, Colo.
53. Fremont, Calif.
54. Clinton, Mich.
55. Vacaville, Calif.
56. Tracy, Calif.
57. Bellevue, Wash.
58. Carlsbad, Calif.
59. Pembroke Pines, Fla.
60. Farmington Hills, Mich.
61. Richardson, Texas
62. Rancho Cucamon., Calif.
63. Boulder, Colo.
64. McKinney, Texas
65. Rochester, Minn.
66. Beaverton, Ore.
67. Santa Clara, Calif.
68. Daly City, Calif.
69. Lewisville, Texas
70. Napa, Calif.
71. Burbank, Calif.
72. Arvada, Colo.
73. Alexandria, Va.
74. Virginia Beach, Va.
75. Ann Arbor, Mich.
76. Quincy, Mass.
77. Glendale, Calif.
78. Ventura, Calif.
79. Provo, Utah 80.
Fullerton, Calif.
81. Lawrence, Kan.
82. Scottsdale, Ariz.
83. Carrollton, Texas
84. Hillsboro, Ore.
85. Somerville, Mass.
86. Kenosha, Wis.
87. Davie, Fla.
88. Chino, Calif.
89. Sunrise, Fla.
90. Cape Coral, Fla.
91. Henderson, Nev.
92. Billings, Mont.
93. Cedar Rapids, Iowa
94. Plantation, Fla.
95. Costa Mesa, Calif.
96. San Mateo, Calif.
97. Garland, Texas
98. Madison, Wis.
99. Corona, Calif.
100. Clovis, Calif.
101. Yonkers, N.Y.
102. Alhambra, Calif.
103. Buena Park, Calif.
104. Odessa, Texas
105. Chandler, Ariz.
106. Norwalk, Conn.
107. Upper Darby, Pa.
108. Peoria, Ariz.
109. Westminster, Calif.
110. Roseville, Calif.
111. Lakewood, Calif.
112. San Jose, Calif.
113. Honolulu, Hawaii
114. El Paso, Texas
115. Santa Barbara, Calif.
116. Temecula, Calif.
117. Cambridge, Mass.
118. Pasadena, Texas
119. Brownsville, Texas
120. Boise, Idaho
121. Garden Grove, Calif.
122. Mesquite, Texas
123. Westminster, Colo.
124. Manchester, N.H.
125. Whittier, Calif.
126. Westland, Mich.
127. McAllen, Texas
128. Lincoln, Neb.
129. Pasadena, Calif.
130. Columbia, Mo.
131. Midland, Texas
132. Chesapeake, Va.
133. Santa Rosa, Calif.
134. Spokane Valley, Wash.
135. Anaheim, Calif.
136. Athens-Clarke, Ga.
137. Green Bay, Wis.
138. Irving, Texas
139. Fort Collins, Colo.
140. Escondido, Calif.
141. Miramar, Fla.
142. Concord, Calif.
143. West Covina, Calif.
144. Hampton, Va.
145. New York City
146. Denton, Texas
147. Palm Bay, Fla.
148. Sioux City, Iowa
149. Sioux Falls, S.D.
150. Thornton, Colo.
151. Salem, Ore.
152. Hialeah, Fla.
153. Baldwin Park, Calif.
154. Erie, Pa.
155. San Angelo, Texas
156. Oxnard, Calif.
157. Oceanside, Calif.
158. Austin, Texas
159. Evansville, Ind.
160. Lakeland, Fla.
161. Laredo, Texas
162. Raleigh, N.C.
163. El Monte, Calif.
164. Waterbury, Conn.
165. Vista, Calif.
166. Murfreesboro, Tenn.
167. Fontana, Calif.
168. Grand Prairie, Texas
169. Fort Wayne, Ind.
170. Santa Ana, Calif.
171. Santa Monica, Calif.
172. Lexington, Ky.
173. Colorado Springs, Colo.
174. Suffolk, Va.
175. Hollywood, Fla.
176. Eugene, Ore.
177. Norwalk, Calif.
178. Santa Maria, Calif.
179. Downey, Calif.
180. Abilene, Texas
181. Chula Vista, Calif.
182. Ogden, Utah
183. Melbourne, Fla.
184. Clarksville, Tenn.
185. Sparks, Nev.
186. San Diego, Calif.
187. Carson, Calif.
188. Vancouver, Wash.
189. Greeley, Colo.
190. Springfield, Mo.
191. Mesa, Ariz.
192. Moreno Valley, Calif.
193. Tyler, Texas
194. Dearborn, Mich.
195. Des Moines, Iowa
196. Lowell, Mass.
197. San Antonio
198. Corpus Christi, Texas
199. El Cajon, Calif.
200. Salinas, Calif.
201. Fairfield, Calif.
202. Lakewood, Colo.
203. Redding, Calif.
204. Ontario, Calif.
205. South Gate, Calif.
206. Topeka, Kan.
207. Arlington, Texas
208. Lawton, Okla.
209. Riverside, Calif.
210. Antioch, Calif.
211. Long Beach, Calif.
212. Anchorage, Alaska
213. West Valley, Utah
214. Hawthorne, Calif.
215. Yuma, Ariz.
216. Louisville, Ky.
217. Omaha, Neb.
218. Clearwater, Fla.
219. Independence, Mo.
220. Spokane, Wash.
221. Reno, Nev.
222. Grand Rapids, Mich.
223. Pueblo, Colo.
224. Hayward, Calif.
225. Tuscaloosa, Ala.
226. Berkeley, Calif.
227. Las Cruces, N.M.
228. Mobile, Ala.
229. Worcester, Mass.
230. Palmdale, Calif.
231. Modesto, Calif.
232. Wichita Falls, Texas
233. Lubbock, Texas
234. San Leandro, Calif.
235. Amarillo, Texas
236. Bakersfield, Calif.
237. Columbus, Ga.
238. Gainesville, Fla.
239. Gresham, Ore.
240. Charleston, S.C.
241. Tempe, Ariz.
242. Lynn, Mass.
243. Lafayette, La.
244. Newport News, Va.
245. High Point, N.C.
246. Fort Worth, Texas
247. Salt Lake City, Utah
248. Jacksonville, Fla.
249. Portland, Ore.
250. Los Angeles
251. Victorville, Calif.
252. Bellflower, Calif.
253. Glendale, Ariz.
254. New Bedford, Mass.
255. Pomona, Calif.
256. Racine, Wis.
257. Aurora, Colo.
258. Elizabeth, N.J.
259. Rialto, Calif.
260. Savannah, Ga.
261. Paterson, N.J.
262. Seattle
263. Albany, Ga.
264. Southfield, Mich.
265. Lancaster, Calif.
266. Waco, Texas
267. Fresno, Calif.
268. Killeen, Texas
269. Greensboro, N.C.
270. San Francisco
271. Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
272. Durham, N.C.
273. Fort Smith, Ark.
274. Tallahassee, Fla.
275. South Bend, Ind.
276. Lansing, Mich.
277. Federal Way, Wash.
278. Huntsville, Ala.
279. Albuquerque, N.M.
280. Visalia, Calif.
281. Winston-Salem, N.C.
282. Providence, R.I.
283. Everett, Wash.
284. Davenport, Iowa
285. Hammond, Ind.
286. Roanoke, Va.
287. Norfolk, Va.
288. Fayetteville, N.C.
289. Kent, Wash.
290. Akron, Ohio
291. St. Paul, Minn.
292. Wilmington, N.C.
293. Portsmouth, Va.
294. Oklahoma City
295. Columbia, S.C.
296. Canton, Ohio
297. Knoxville, Tenn.
298. Montgomery, Ala.
299. Allentown, Pa.
300. North Las Vegas, Nev.
301. Beaumont, Texas
302. Las Vegas, Nev.
303. Denver
304. Yakima, Wash.
305. Syracuse, N.Y.
306. Longview, Texas
307. Pittsburgh
308. Tucson, Ariz.
309. Bridgeport, Conn.
310. Inglewood, Calif.
311. Pompano Beach, Fla.
312. Albany, N.Y.
313. Phoenix
314. Boston
315. Chattanooga, Tenn.
316. Tampa, Fla.
317. Jersey City, N.J.
318. Milwaukee
319. Miami Beach, Fla.
320. Indianapolis, Ind.
321. Shreveport, La.
322. Sacramento, Calif.
323. St. Petersburg, Fla.
324. Tacoma, Wash.
325. Houston
326. Columbus, Ohio
327. Miami
328. Baton Rouge, La.
329. Charlotte, N.C.
330. Jackson, Miss.
331. Toledo, Ohio
332. Macon, Ga.
333. Nashville, Tenn.
334. Rochester, N.Y.
335. Tulsa, Okla.
336. Stockton, Calif.
337. Hartford, Conn.
338. Dallas
339. Miami Gardens, Fla.
340. Buffalo, N.Y.
341. Springfield, Mass.
342. Kansas City, Kan.
343. Philadelphia
344. West Palm Beach, Fla.
345. Minneapolis
346. Dayton, Ohio
347. Orlando, Fla.
348. San Bernardino, Calif.
349. Little Rock, Ark.
350. Newark, N.J.
351. Reading, Pa.
352. North Charleston, S.C.
353. Washington
354. Cincinnati
355. Atlanta
356. Kansas City, Mo.
357. Richmond, Va.
358. Trenton, N.J.
359. Memphis, Tenn.
360. Baltimore
361. Richmond, Calif.
362. Gary, Ind.
363. Youngstown, Ohio
364. Oakland, Calif.
365. Cleveland
366. Birmingham, Ala.
367. Camden, N.J.
368. Compton, Calif.
369. Flint, Mich.
370. Detroit
371. St. Louis
