Safest Cities in Illinois

Based upon data reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, AdvisorSmith discovered the safest cities in the state of Illinois. In our study, we calculated a crime score for cities across the state that was based upon the levels of reported crimes in each city, as well as the composition of the crimes. More serious crimes, such as rape, murder, and assault, were given higher weights than property crimes. Across the state, the average crime score was 40, and crime scores for cities in the state ranged from as low as 3 to as high as 754.

We analyzed data for 547 cities in Illinois in order to find the safest cities in the state. To provide greater comparability among cities of similar characteristics, we divided the cities in the state into small, midsize, and large cities based upon population. There were 342 small cities examined, all of which had populations under 10,000. A total of 177 midsize cities, with populations between 10,000 and 50,000 residents were ranked, and 28 large cities with over 50,000 residents were also studied.

Safest Large Cities in Illinois

In total, our study considered crime reports from 28 large cities in the state of Illinois, all of which had populations of at least 50,000 residents. The average crime score in large cities was 44, ranging from 9 in the safest city, up to a high of 131 in the city with the most reported crime.

The safest large city in Illinois is Palatine. This city is located in the northwestern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area. The city is largely suburban in character and has a well-developed downtown business district. Some of the corporations headquartered in the city include the Square D corporation and Weber Stephens barbecue grills. The city also offers numerous recreational activities including parks, golf courses, and bicycle trails.

Rockford, Illinois had the most crime among large cities in the state. Located in northern central Illinois on the banks of the Rock River, the city was historically a manufacturing center, having produced heavy machinery, hardware, and furniture in the past. Today, the city continues to be a center for automotive and aerospace manufacturing.

The table below shows the safest large cities in the state, including the levels of violent and property crimes, as well as each city’s crime score and ranking.

Rank	City	Violent Crimes per 1,000 Residents	Property Crimes per 1,000 Residents	Crime Score
1	Palatine	0.6	4.5	9.0
2	Arlington Heights	0.4	8.0	11.2
3	Mount Prospect	0.5	8.6	12.5
4	Wheaton	0.8	11.5	17.4
5	Des Plaines	0.9	11.0	17.6
6	Hoffman Estates	1.3	8.5	18.0
7	Orland Park	0.4	16.3	19.1
8	Bolingbrook	1.7	8.8	20.4
9	Naperville	0.9	16.2	22.5
10	Oak Lawn	1.5	14.9	24.7
11	Berwyn	2.1	10.9	25.7
12	Schaumburg	1.0	21.3	28.9
13	Elgin	2.6	16.4	33.7
14	Evanston	1.6	26.2	35.9
15	Normal	2.8	17.0	36.7
16	Aurora	3.9	15.2	40.8
17	Cicero	3.2	19.4	40.9
18	Skokie	2.4	29.6	45.1
19	Waukegan	3.8	22.3	46.2
20	Bloomington	5.0	14.0	46.3
21	Oak Park	3.0	30.5	49.4
22	Joliet	5.5	15.7	50.6
23	Decatur	5.3	27.6	63.0
24	Champaign	9.3	24.8	84.0
25	Chicago	9.4	29.8	89.7
26	Springfield	7.8	44.4	95.1
27	Peoria	10.4	37.5	103.4
28	Rockford	35.5	33.3	131.3

Safest Midsize Cities in Illinois

The average crime score for midsize cities in Illinois was 35. For midsize cities, which included those with populations between 10,000 and 50,000 residents, the minimum crime score was 4, while the maximum crime score was 355.

The safest midsize city in Illinois was Campton Hills. This city is a suburb on the western outskirts of the Chicago metropolitan area. The city has a semi-rural character with high median incomes and high-quality public schools. The city has just over 11,000 residents.

Rank	City	Violent Crimes per 1,000 Residents	Property Crimes per 1,000 Residents	Crime Score
1	Campton Hills	0.3	1.9	3.5
2	Lindenhurst	0.3	2.9	6.2
3	Homer Glen	0.2	5.0	6.5
4	Winnetka	0.1	6.4	6.9
5	Huntley	0.2	5.8	6.9
6	Justice	0.3	4.7	7.2
7	Glen Carbon	0.3	6.6	8.4
8	La Grange Park	0.5	6.1	8.8
9	Lake Forest	0.4	6.3	8.9
10	South Elgin	0.7	4.4	9.1
11	Deerfield	0.4	7.0	9.3
12	Lake In The Hills	0.7	3.6	9.3
13	Lisle	0.4	6.3	9.3
14	Park Ridge	0.3	7.9	10.0
15	Wilmette	0.3	8.1	10.3
16	Chatham	0.5	7.0	10.5
17	Palos Heights	0.4	8.1	10.8
18	Cary	0.5	7.8	10.9
19	Western Springs	0.2	9.7	11.1
20	Geneva	0.7	6.6	11.2
21	Warrenville	0.8	6.8	11.9
22	Edwardsville	0.6	7.7	12.0
23	Round Lake	0.9	6.6	12.0
24	Mundelein	0.7	7.1	12.2
25	Prospect Heights	1.1	4.9	12.6
26	Roscoe	1.0	6.1	12.8
27	Libertyville	0.2	11.7	13.0
28	Grayslake	0.6	8.5	13.0
29	Hinsdale	0.3	11.5	13.4
30	Buffalo Grove	0.4	10.5	13.6
31	Glen Ellyn	0.7	8.7	13.6
32	Morton Grove	0.8	8.5	13.6
33	Highland Park	1.0	7.0	13.6
34	Darien	0.5	10.0	13.9
35	Palos Hills	1.1	6.6	13.9
36	Carpentersville	0.6	10.1	14.0
37	Oswego	0.6	9.5	14.1
38	Charleston	1.6	4.2	14.1
39	Lockport	0.8	8.3	14.3
40	La Grange	0.6	10.5	14.4
41	Roselle	0.8	7.7	14.4
42	Bartlett	0.9	7.7	14.8
43	Glenview	1.1	8.3	15.0
44	Plainfield	1.3	5.9	15.2
45	Carol Stream	0.7	10.4	15.5
46	Lake Zurich	0.4	12.4	15.6
47	St. Charles	1.3	6.4	15.6
48	Elmhurst	0.7	10.2	15.7
49	Rolling Meadows	0.8	10.7	15.8
50	Columbia	1.6	5.9	16.1
51	Wheeling	0.7	10.7	16.1
52	Morton	1.9	4.8	16.3
53	Lemont	1.0	8.9	16.4
54	Frankfort	0.8	11.0	16.5
55	Northbrook	0.3	14.5	16.6
56	Woodstock	0.7	11.3	16.6
57	Woodridge	1.1	9.0	16.7
58	Itasca	0.8	10.9	16.8
59	Westchester	1.2	9.1	16.9
60	Westmont	0.6	12.9	17.2
61	Glendale Heights	0.8	11.0	17.3
62	Antioch	1.2	9.7	17.4
63	Tinley Park	0.5	14.6	17.8
64	Bensenville	0.9	10.7	18.1
65	Yorkville	1.4	6.9	18.2
66	West Chicago	1.4	8.1	18.5
67	Mchenry	1.5	8.5	18.5
68	Sycamore	1.2	11.0	19.4
69	Shorewood	1.4	8.5	19.8
70	Troy	1.4	7.1	20.0
71	Mokena	0.8	14.9	20.1
72	Lyons	1.5	9.5	20.2
73	Crystal Lake	1.1	12.3	20.3
74	Elk Grove Village	0.9	14.0	20.3
75	Burbank	1.9	8.6	20.6
76	Vernon Hills	0.7	16.2	21.0
77	Algonquin	1.0	13.7	21.0
78	Shiloh	1.0	14.3	21.2
79	Downers Grove	0.9	14.8	21.2
80	Batavia	1.3	12.8	21.4
81	Streamwood	1.5	10.5	21.4
82	Wood Dale	0.9	14.9	21.4
83	Washington	1.6	9.9	21.7
84	Taylorville	1.1	16.0	22.7
85	Hanover Park	1.5	12.5	22.7
86	New Lenox	1.1	14.1	22.8
87	Oak Forest	1.9	10.4	23.2
88	North Aurora	1.4	14.0	23.2
89	Lincolnwood	1.1	16.5	23.6
90	Romeoville	2.0	10.1	23.7
91	Ottawa	1.5	15.1	24.5
92	Villa Park	1.6	13.6	24.9
93	Franklin Park	2.3	10.3	25.3
94	Addison	2.0	11.5	26.2
95	Hickory Hills	1.5	14.0	26.3
96	Bloomingdale	0.9	19.8	26.4
97	O'Fallon	1.8	14.2	26.7
98	Swansea	1.5	16.1	27.1
99	Morris	1.1	18.8	27.2
100	Elmwood Park	2.7	11.1	27.2
101	Lombard	1.0	21.2	27.6
102	Belvidere	2.5	10.3	27.9
103	River Forest	1.1	21.3	28.0
104	Pontiac	2.5	13.2	28.2
105	Crest Hill	2.7	10.7	29.5
106	Niles	1.2	21.4	29.5
107	Worth	2.9	6.6	29.6
108	Midlothian	1.5	20.4	29.7
109	Canton	2.9	9.6	30.0
110	Round Lake Beach	1.5	20.3	30.3
111	Schiller Park	2.3	16.7	30.7
112	Bourbonnais	2.9	12.9	32.2
113	Melrose Park	3.0	12.7	32.9
114	Chicago Ridge	1.2	24.7	33.1
115	Norridge	0.9	28.2	33.7
116	Northlake	1.6	22.7	33.8
117	Freeport	2.1	21.0	35.7
118	Machesney Park	2.5	18.5	35.7
119	Bridgeview	2.6	19.5	36.6
120	Macomb	3.4	14.5	37.2
121	East Moline	3.1	15.4	37.4
122	East Peoria	3.1	18.2	38.7
123	Lincoln	3.2	17.7	39.2
124	Dixon	2.5	18.4	40.0
125	Herrin	3.3	19.5	41.1
126	Montgomery	2.6	23.2	41.5
127	Alsip	2.8	23.7	42.3
128	Gurnee	1.3	32.6	42.4
129	Collinsville	2.9	22.7	42.5
130	Loves Park	3.4	18.4	42.6
131	Mattoon	4.7	9.9	44.6
132	Rantoul	2.5	25.0	45.0
133	Pekin	4.1	19.3	46.3
134	Urbana	2.9	25.9	46.5
135	Streator	2.8	20.8	46.9
136	Rock Island	3.7	23.4	47.2
137	Sterling	1.8	33.8	48.4
138	Summit	4.8	15.6	49.2
139	Bradley	2.7	32.9	49.3
140	Park Forest	4.7	17.9	49.8
141	Blue Island	5.5	14.3	50.5
142	Country Club Hills	2.7	33.5	51.5
143	Richton Park	4.5	22.1	52.9
144	Fairview Heights	2.5	36.1	53.1
145	South Holland	3.6	26.8	53.9
146	Homewood	1.9	42.8	56.3
147	Jacksonville	4.1	30.4	58.2
148	Moline	5.3	23.5	58.5
149	Maywood	5.8	20.2	60.1
150	Marion	5.9	22.0	62.3
151	Effingham	5.4	25.6	62.4
152	Calumet City	5.1	28.8	63.9
153	Bellwood	6.8	23.0	65.7
154	Belleville	5.5	26.7	65.7
155	Zion	5.5	27.1	65.9
156	Hazel Crest	4.5	36.0	66.1
157	Evergreen Park	3.2	43.7	67.2
158	Dekalb	5.8	30.3	68.9
159	Kewanee	4.5	39.2	69.9
160	Chicago Heights	7.7	19.5	70.2
161	Forest Park	4.4	41.5	70.6
162	Quincy	6.1	30.3	72.5
163	Galesburg	4.6	41.3	73.4
164	Granite City	8.2	23.1	77.5
165	Lansing	3.8	54.2	78.5
166	Riverdale	8.7	26.9	83.4
167	Wood River	6.0	40.6	83.8
168	Cahokia	6.0	45.4	86.5
169	East St. Louis	10.2	15.8	86.6
170	Kankakee	9.1	33.7	93.6
171	Carbondale	8.2	36.9	94.1
172	Alton	10.2	41.8	108.2
173	Matteson	13.0	28.0	109.9
174	Plano	11.5	6.0	114.6
175	Mount Vernon	14.5	49.4	141.8
176	Danville	17.5	44.7	157.1
177	Sauk Village	54.9	22.0	355.0

Safest Small Cities in Illinois

Among small cities with under 10,000 residents, the safest small city was Inverness. This city is also a suburb in the northwest region of the Chicago metropolitan area. The city maintains a rural character and has only one major business district, Williamsburg Village. The rest of the city is a quiet residential community, with a population of about 7,400 residents.

The average crime score for small cities in Illinois was 42. Crime scores for small cities ranged from as low as 3 to as high as 754. In the following table, we list 342 small cities in the state of Illinois, along with information about their levels of reported violent and property crime.

Rank	City	Violent Crimes per 1,000 Residents	Property Crimes per 1,000 Residents	Crime Score
1	Inverness	0.0	2.9	2.9
2	Hawthorn Woods	0.3	2.0	3.5
3	Gilberts	0.1	4.2	5.0
4	Orland Hills	0.2	4.2	5.3
5	Palos Park	0.3	4.0	5.5
6	Sleepy Hollow	0.0	5.8	5.8
7	Round Lake Park	0.5	3.1	6.2
8	Marquette Heights	0.0	6.4	6.4
9	Elburn	0.3	5.0	6.5
10	Smithton	0.0	6.7	6.7
11	Carterville	0.3	4.3	6.9
12	Spring Grove	0.6	3.4	6.9
13	Benton	0.6	2.3	7.0
14	Manhattan	0.1	6.2	7.1
15	Somonauk	0.0	7.4	7.4
16	South Barrington	0.2	6.3	7.5
17	Lakewood	0.3	6.0	7.6
18	Hinckley	0.0	7.9	7.9
19	Erie	0.0	8.0	8.0
20	Mascoutah	0.3	6.5	8.1
21	Lake Villa	0.6	4.8	8.2
22	Clarendon Hills	0.6	5.0	8.4
23	Glencoe	0.2	7.2	8.6
24	Oglesby	0.0	8.7	8.7
25	Winthrop Harbor	0.8	4.0	8.8
26	Hometown	0.9	4.0	9.1
27	Valmeyer	0.0	9.6	9.6
28	Peotone	0.0	9.9	9.9
29	Homer	0.0	10.3	10.3
30	Riverwoods	0.3	7.0	10.4
31	Mount Morris	0.4	8.3	10.4
32	Kildeer	0.0	10.4	10.4
33	Lake Bluff	0.2	9.6	10.7
34	Chenoa	1.0	5.2	11.0
35	Barrington Hills	0.0	11.0	11.0
36	Winfield	1.2	1.2	11.1
37	Greenville	0.8	6.4	11.1
38	New Berlin	0.0	11.3	11.3
39	Stickney	0.6	7.6	11.8
40	Freeburg	0.8	6.8	11.9
41	Chester	1.3	2.9	11.9
42	Ladd	0.0	12.0	12.0
43	Pingree Grove	0.7	5.8	12.1
44	Brighton	0.8	7.3	12.2
45	Fisher	0.0	12.2	12.2
46	Fairmont City	0.0	12.5	12.5
47	Coal City	0.8	5.9	12.5
48	Vienna	0.0	12.5	12.5
49	Downs	0.0	12.6	12.6
50	Cortland	0.5	9.8	12.6
51	Tolono	0.6	6.3	12.7
52	Mount Carroll	0.0	12.8	12.8
53	Channahon	0.7	8.0	13.1
54	Winnebago	0.3	11.1	13.2
55	Hudson	0.0	13.2	13.2
56	Mahomet	1.1	5.6	13.3
57	Willow Springs	0.4	10.2	13.3
58	Northfield	0.4	11.3	13.5
59	Aledo	0.0	13.6	13.6
60	Rock Falls	0.8	9.0	13.8
61	Auburn	2.1	1.5	13.9
62	Highwood	0.8	7.4	14.0
63	Blue Mound	0.0	14.0	14.0
64	Carthage	0.5	10.9	14.2
65	Witt	0.0	14.2	14.2
66	Stonington	0.0	14.2	14.2
67	Sherman	1.1	7.6	14.3
68	Orion	1.0	8.6	14.4
69	Cambridge	1.3	7.1	14.8
70	Highland	0.9	9.4	14.8
71	La Harpe	0.0	14.9	14.9
72	Bunker Hill	0.0	15.0	15.0
73	Pleasant Plains	0.0	15.1	15.1
74	Lakemoor	0.4	12.9	15.2
75	Hampshire	1.7	4.4	15.3
76	La Salle	0.6	11.6	15.3
77	Marshall	1.0	9.1	15.4
78	Maryville	1.2	7.7	15.7
79	Byron	1.0	10.0	16.1
80	Christopher	1.1	9.6	16.2
81	Fox River Grove	0.5	11.6	16.4
82	West Dundee	0.4	12.9	16.5
83	Rochester	1.3	7.4	16.5
84	Elizabeth	0.0	16.6	16.6
85	East Dundee	0.7	12.8	16.9
86	Trenton	1.5	7.7	17.0
87	Catlin	0.8	12.4	17.0
88	Sumner	1.8	4.4	17.0
89	Ridge Farm	0.0	17.1	17.1
90	Lebanon	0.7	12.9	17.1
91	Bethalto	1.1	8.1	17.2
92	Sandwich	2.0	4.2	17.5
93	Hopedale	0.0	17.5	17.5
94	Barrington	0.4	15.4	17.6
95	Island Lake	1.5	8.2	17.8
96	Petersburg	0.7	14.2	18.3
97	Indian Head Park	0.5	13.7	18.3
98	West Frankfort	0.3	16.8	18.4
99	Yates City	0.0	18.4	18.4
100	Braidwood	1.6	5.5	18.4
101	Monticello	2.2	4.8	18.5
102	Bluffs	0.0	18.5	18.5
103	Pinckneyville	2.2	5.2	18.6
104	Breese	1.3	9.6	18.7
105	North Pekin	1.0	12.8	18.7
106	Marengo	1.3	7.5	18.8
107	Riverside	1.0	10.4	19.0
108	Momence	0.4	17.0	19.1
109	Gibson City	2.0	5.3	19.1
110	Wayne	1.9	7.6	19.1
111	Du Quoin	2.5	4.7	19.5
112	Oakwood	1.1	12.6	19.5
113	Berkeley	1.2	12.7	19.8
114	Dwight	1.1	11.0	19.9
115	New Baden	1.3	12.5	20.5
116	Johnsburg	0.8	12.9	20.5
117	Monee	0.8	14.7	20.9
118	Tonica	0.0	20.9	20.9
119	Le Roy	1.8	7.4	20.9
120	Pittsfield	1.3	11.4	21.2
121	Mendota	1.7	9.3	21.4
122	Beecher	2.1	6.4	21.5
123	Hainesville	1.2	11.8	21.5
124	Martinsville	0.0	21.9	21.9
125	Glenwood	1.7	11.2	21.9
126	Athens	2.1	9.4	22.0
127	Toluca	1.6	12.6	22.1
128	Kenilworth	0.0	22.3	22.3
129	Flora	1.2	15.0	22.4
130	Shawneetown	1.2	15.5	22.7
131	Marseilles	2.1	10.3	22.7
132	Genoa	1.7	10.3	22.8
133	Fairbury	2.9	5.4	22.9
134	Grand Ridge	0.0	23.0	23.0
135	Energy	0.0	23.4	23.4
136	Maroa	1.2	11.7	23.4
137	Thomasboro	1.6	14.1	23.5
138	New Athens	1.8	9.1	23.6
139	Bannockburn	0.0	23.9	23.9
140	Arthur	1.0	17.8	24.1
141	Golf	0.0	24.2	24.2
142	Altamont	1.4	10.1	24.4
143	Waverly	0.0	25.0	25.0
144	Mount Carmel	1.1	18.2	25.0
145	Neoga	2.8	8.4	25.2
146	Pawnee	2.7	5.5	25.5
147	Cambria	2.3	11.7	25.8
148	Durand	1.7	8.6	25.9
149	Mount Zion	1.9	10.3	25.9
150	Round Lake Heights	2.0	12.0	26.0
151	Red Bud	3.4	5.6	26.1
152	Richmond	1.9	12.5	26.2
153	Fithian	0.0	26.4	26.4
154	Elwood	1.6	12.8	26.6
155	Gilman	0.7	22.9	26.8
156	Coal Valley	1.5	17.9	26.8
157	Fulton	1.5	18.0	27.0
158	Elmwood	2.4	8.3	27.3
159	Harvard	2.1	14.0	27.4
160	Rockton	1.1	17.2	27.4
161	Maple Park	0.0	27.5	27.5
162	Spring Valley	2.5	7.2	27.7
163	Cowden	0.0	27.8	27.8
164	Greenup	2.2	14.7	27.9
165	Rossville	1.4	19.6	28.0
166	Stockton	2.3	14.1	28.1
167	Pana	2.3	8.5	28.5
168	Earlville	0.8	20.2	28.5
169	Mount Pulaski	0.0	28.6	28.6
170	Bethany	1.6	19.1	28.6
171	Mount Olive	1.7	16.3	28.7
172	Mcleansboro	1.7	16.5	28.7
173	Colona	2.5	11.9	28.7
174	Princeton	1.5	18.5	28.9
175	Lanark	1.8	10.9	29.1
176	South Beloit	1.7	18.6	29.3
177	Polo	2.8	8.8	29.7
178	Burr Ridge	1.0	23.2	29.8
179	Paxton	2.9	10.0	30.0
180	Aviston	1.9	11.3	30.1
181	Henry	3.0	7.3	30.2
182	Minier	2.0	18.2	30.3
183	Lenzburg	0.0	30.8	30.8
184	St. Elmo	1.2	23.4	30.9
185	Posen	2.9	12.2	31.0
186	Peru	2.0	16.6	31.2
187	Dupo	1.8	20.2	31.2
188	Carlyle	2.2	16.7	31.3
189	Amboy	3.1	8.9	31.8
190	Willowbrook	1.4	20.8	31.9
191	Rochelle	2.4	12.0	31.9
192	Herscher	4.0	8.0	32.0
193	Grant Park	3.2	13.0	32.4
194	Mclean	2.5	17.6	32.6
195	Germantown	0.0	32.8	32.8
196	Arcola	2.1	15.9	32.9
197	Hampton	1.1	26.2	33.0
198	Crete	2.3	18.0	33.1
199	Barry	2.1	16.1	33.2
200	Delavan	1.4	25.1	33.3
201	Thornton	1.8	15.3	33.3
202	Pontoon Beach	3.2	12.2	33.5
203	Flossmoor	1.5	23.1	33.5
204	Hillsboro	2.3	16.4	33.8
205	Park City	2.6	12.1	33.9
206	Milledgeville	2.1	12.7	33.9
207	Millstadt	4.5	5.6	35.0
208	Tuscola	3.5	12.5	35.1
209	Rushville	1.7	24.8	35.2
210	Casey	3.1	14.6	36.1
211	Fairfield	1.6	25.4	36.7
212	Eldorado	1.8	26.1	36.8
213	Danvers	5.4	5.4	37.9
214	Harwood Heights	3.9	12.5	38.0
215	Monmouth	2.6	19.6	38.1
216	Lacon	5.2	6.9	38.2
217	Chillicothe	4.5	7.7	38.3
218	Colfax	2.9	20.6	38.3
219	Mackinaw	1.9	27.1	38.5
220	River Grove	3.2	16.0	38.5
221	Royalton	4.3	12.9	38.7
222	De Soto	5.0	8.9	38.7
223	Annawan	3.5	17.7	38.9
224	Minonk	3.0	15.2	39.5
225	Colchester	2.3	16.3	39.6
226	Manteno	3.3	15.2	39.7
227	Litchfield	1.0	34.1	40.4
228	Kincaid	4.0	16.6	40.4
229	Okawville	4.4	14.1	40.5
230	Countryside	1.5	30.4	40.8
231	Fox Lake	2.0	26.0	41.6
232	Rockdale	5.6	8.1	41.8
233	Onarga	2.4	18.8	42.3
234	Eureka	4.7	7.6	42.8
235	East Hazel Crest	1.3	35.2	43.1
236	Mazon	3.1	12.3	43.2
237	Clinton	1.7	28.1	43.2
238	Williamsville	4.0	9.4	44.2
239	Goodfield	1.5	35.4	44.6
240	Stone Park	4.8	11.4	44.9
241	Carrollton	4.2	13.3	44.9
242	Seneca	4.3	19.3	44.9
243	Vandalia	3.9	18.0	45.0
244	South Pekin	4.0	21.1	45.1
245	Milan	4.6	16.3	45.5
246	Warrensburg	6.4	8.5	47.0
247	East Dubuque	3.8	24.2	47.1
248	Palestine	3.5	25.9	47.2
249	Morrison	4.7	15.9	47.2
250	Hartford	3.8	19.1	47.2
251	Roodhouse	5.7	12.9	47.3
252	Fayetteville	0.0	47.8	47.8
253	Morrisonville	6.0	12.0	47.9
254	Mason City	5.1	13.5	48.4
255	Thayer	6.1	12.2	48.6
256	Jerseyville	4.0	17.8	48.7
257	Hillside	3.7	25.3	49.3
258	Georgetown	5.9	7.2	50.2
259	Peoria Heights	5.2	11.3	50.3
260	Galena	1.9	37.7	51.7
261	Olney	4.0	23.3	51.7
262	East Alton	4.0	22.9	52.2
263	Deer Creek	3.8	15.0	52.5
264	Newton	6.3	8.0	52.5
265	Virden	3.1	29.2	53.1
266	Lovington	5.7	12.9	53.2
267	Oregon	4.6	21.5	53.8
268	Nokomis	5.1	18.8	54.0
269	Tilton	3.0	33.4	54.6
270	Stanford	6.8	13.7	54.6
271	Leland	5.2	13.1	55.0
272	Edinburg	4.0	21.1	55.3
273	Warren	4.6	9.2	55.3
274	Bartonville	3.6	29.2	55.9
275	Watseka	3.3	28.7	56.1
276	Caseyville	5.6	16.6	56.3
277	Loami	0.0	56.3	56.3
278	Hanover	3.1	25.1	56.4
279	Potomac	6.9	17.2	58.6
280	Westville	6.1	18.2	60.1
281	Murphysboro	7.3	15.5	60.3
282	Broadview	2.6	44.8	60.4
283	White Hall	6.9	12.6	60.8
284	Dallas City	4.9	22.0	61.1
285	South Roxana	4.4	26.8	61.9
286	Oblong	7.0	20.2	62.3
287	Farmington	5.9	20.0	62.9
288	North Riverside	5.7	29.2	63.6
289	Oak Brook	0.7	57.9	63.8
290	Carlinville	4.2	35.5	64.9
291	Alexis	3.6	43.5	65.2
292	Assumption	6.4	27.2	65.6
293	Silvis	7.0	22.3	66.6
294	Atwood	5.1	15.4	66.8
295	Grafton	6.3	29.5	67.5
296	Ashland	4.4	36.3	68.2
297	Phoenix	6.8	27.9	68.8
298	Godley	5.7	11.5	68.9
299	Salem	3.0	47.4	69.2
300	Paris	8.2	18.7	70.3
301	Harrisburg	6.6	27.1	70.5
302	Robbins	8.9	11.7	71.2
303	Pleasant Hill	6.5	6.5	71.4
304	Merrionette Park	7.4	27.6	71.9
305	South Chicago Heights	4.5	40.5	72.2
306	Riverton	7.9	24.1	73.0
307	Marissa	7.8	26.6	73.7
308	Norris City	11.7	7.3	77.2
309	Hamel	8.9	14.8	79.7
310	Forest View	5.9	44.4	80.0
311	Greenfield	10.5	10.5	80.4
312	Findlay	6.3	18.8	81.4
313	Sullivan	11.6	11.4	81.8
314	Grandview	8.7	21.6	82.2
315	Anna	7.3	39.4	85.2
316	Metropolis	5.5	44.3	85.4
317	Gillespie	7.4	32.0	85.6
318	Savanna	9.0	25.7	85.7
319	Hoopeston	7.3	33.1	85.8
320	Roxana	7.5	20.8	85.9
321	Sandoval	7.0	33.8	87.5
322	Oakbrook Terrace	5.2	51.4	88.2
323	Steger	7.2	42.7	93.2
324	El Paso	11.0	14.3	93.5
325	Centreville	7.7	47.9	97.5
326	Beardstown	8.3	47.2	99.2
327	Havana	10.6	20.9	103.4
328	Grayville	9.7	45.9	104.3
329	Albany	13.8	4.6	106.0
330	Cherry Valley	5.9	67.2	107.5
331	Olympia Fields	2.7	101.6	121.1
332	West City	1.6	121.9	131.3
333	Mccook	9.9	59.5	138.8
334	Ruma	19.5	39.1	156.4
335	Hodgkins	3.7	136.5	160.9
336	Grantfork	0.0	177.5	177.5
337	Centralia	18.5	58.2	183.7
338	Rosemont	8.8	123.1	191.5
339	Brooklyn	27.4	20.6	192.0
340	Ina	0.0	205.5	205.5
341	Sauget	18.3	402.4	512.2
342	Bedford Park	15.0	644.5	754.2

Methodology

In this study, we examined crime data reported by cities across the state of Illinois. This data was reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Return A and published as part of the Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics, which are released on an annual basis. This data includes both violent crimes and property crime in cities across the country. Some of the crimes reported in this data set, which we used for our analysis, include murder, rape, robbery, assault, larceny, burglary, and motor vehicle theft.

We examed 547 cities in the state of Illinois, including 342 small cities, 177 midsize cities, and 28 large cities. The size of each city was determined by dividing Illinois cities based upon their population. Small cities were those with populations under 10,000 residents. Midsize cities were those with populations between 10,000 and 50,000 residents, and large cities were those with over 50,000 residents.

Our analysis was based upon crime data reported for cities in the calendar year 2019. Since not all cities reported crimes for the full 12 months of the calendar year, we made several adjustments to the data to ensure comparability. First, we excluded any cities that reported less than 2 months of crime data to prevent a single month of data from skewing the results. Secondly, for cities with less than 12 months of data, we scaled the data provided so that it would reflect a full year equivalent for comparison purposes.

AdvisorSmith calculated a crime score for each city in the study. This score was determined by applying a multiplier to each type of crime in order to account for the severity of the crime. For example, more severe crimes such as murder and rape received a higher multiplier to account for their severity. We then added the crime levels and their multipliers together, and we adjusted for each city’s population to arrive at a crime score. We used the crime score to rank cities within their population cohorts to discover the safest cities in Illinois.

Sources

1. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A, 2019