Watch CBS News

Minneapolis Listed As One Of America's Most Dangerous Cities

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Following the FBI's release of 2015 crime statistics earlier this week, Minneapolis was named one of the most dangerous cities in the U.S.

However, the good news is that the City of Lakes was ranked low (No. 25) on the dangerous end of the list, compiled by the financial news website 24/7 Wall St.

The website says it made the list after going over the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, which was released on Monday. The report said that violent crime jumped nearly 4 percent in 2015, with a total of 1,197,704 violent crimes occurring nationwide.

Violent crimes are divided in the FBI report into four categories: murder and manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Nationally, for every 100,000 people, 372 such crimes are committed.

In making its list, 24/7 Wall St. says it reviewed the violent crime data for cities with at least 100,000 residents. The website also reviewed the FBI's property crime data (theft, vehicle theft and arson) as well as financial data (median household income, poverty rates and the percentage of residents with high educational achievement).

Minneapolis landed on the 25th spot on the list, with a violent crime rate of 1,063 incidents per 100,000 residents. The website noted that robbery is especially common in Minneapolis, with 459 reported incidents per 100,000 residents – the 10th highest robbery rate in the nation.

While the website says that poor economic conditions can often be seen in cities with high crime rates, Minneapolis has an unemployment rate (3.3 percent) that is well below the national average (5.3 percent).

What the website doesn't address, however, is that the city has struggled with stark racial disparities, with people of color, particularly blacks, making less money, having lower home ownership rates and higher unemployment rates.

24/7 Wall St.'s top five most dangerous cities were:

1. St. Louis, Missouri (1,817 violent crimes per 100,000 residents)
2. Detroit, Michigan (1,759)
3. Birmingham, Alabama (1,746)
4. Memphis, Tennessee (1,740)
5. Milwaukee, Wisconsin (1,596)

Meanwhile, the website also ranked the safest cities with at least 100,000 residents in the U.S. None are in Minnesota. The top 5 safest cities were:

1. Cary, North Carolina (50 violent crimes per 100,000 residents)
2. Irvine, California (55)
3. Murrieta, California (63)
4. Gilbert, Arizona (71)
5. Naperville, Illinois (87)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.