These Utah Cities Have the HIGHEST Violent Crime Rates

Utah has a reputation for beautiful scenery, family-friendly communities, and outdoor adventures. But how safe are its cities when the numbers are put under a microscope? Recent crime statistics reveal some significant differences between communities, with a handful reporting considerably higher violent crime rates than others.

Using 2024 FBI crime data, here is a look at the Utah cities with the highest reported violent crime rates, ranked from highest to lower among cities with at least 10,000 residents.

Salt Lake City takes the top spot, reporting approximately 864 violent offenses per 100,000 residents in 2024. That puts its rate well above Utah's statewide rate of approximately 229 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. Violent crime includes offenses such as homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.

Source: OpenCrime's Utah crime rankings.

South Salt Lake ranks second, with a reported violent crime rate of 767.5 per 100,000 residents. Although considerably smaller than Salt Lake City, its rate remains high compared with the state average. The figures are a reminder that crime rates can vary substantially even between neighboring communities.

Source: American Factbook's Utah crime rankings.

Ogden ranks third in this comparison, with roughly 505 violent offenses per 100,000 residents. The city reported a substantially higher rate than Utah overall, placing it among the state's highest-ranking larger cities for violent crime.

Source: PlainCrime's 2024 Utah crime data.

West Valley City comes in fourth, with a rate of about 470 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. With a population exceeding 130,000 in the dataset, it is also one of the larger communities on this list. Its crime rate is approximately twice Utah's statewide figure.

Source: OpenCrime's Utah rankings.

Tooele rounds out the top five, reporting roughly 349 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. While its rate is lower than those of the four cities above it, it still exceeds the statewide average.

Source: American Factbook's Utah crime rankings.

Southern Utah communities also appear in crime statistics, but the picture is more nuanced than a simple safest-versus-dangerous label. For example, the 2024 data lists Cedar City's violent crime rate at approximately 147 per 100,000 residents, while Washington City's rate is approximately 151. Both figures are below the statewide rate reported in the same dataset.

Source: OpenCrime's Utah rankings.

Before crossing any city off your road-trip list, remember that these figures measure reported violent crime per 100,000 residents, not the likelihood that any particular visitor will become a victim. They do not account for every type of crime, differences between neighborhoods, or how much crime occurs in busy commercial and tourist areas.

For a more comprehensive statewide picture, the Utah Department of Public Safety's 2024 Crime in Utah Report provides official statistics compiled from law enforcement agencies.

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The takeaway? Salt Lake City, South Salt Lake, Ogden, West Valley City, and Tooele lead this comparison of larger Utah cities by reported violent crime rates. But a citywide ranking is only one piece of the puzzle. Looking at neighborhood-level information, recent local police reports, and the type of crime involved offers a much more useful picture of safety.