What are Idaho’s safest and most dangerous cities? Here’s what crime data shows
Idaho is one of the safest states in the country, according to Safehome. The home security website recently ranked the Idaho cities with the highest — and lowest — violent and property crime rates, based on FBI data.
“The secret is out: Idaho has comparatively lower living costs and crime rates than many of its neighbors,” home security expert Derek Prall wrote in the study, published in August.
With a largely rural landscape sprinkled with densely populated areas, Idaho has the lowest property crime rate in the United States, according to SafeHome.
The Gem State was the 13th safest state overall in the United States, the study found.
Did your city make the list of Idaho’s safest cities? Take a look:
Where are the safest cities in Idaho?
The three safest cities in Idaho see less than 60 crimes per 100,000 people per year, according to the SafeHome report.
According to SafeHome, these cities saw the lowest violent crimes 2023.
1. Moscow: 15 violent crimes per 100,000 people
2. Rigby: 35
3. St. Anthony: 51
Moscow, which made national headlines after four University of Idaho students were stabbed to death in 2022, recorded the lowest violent crime rate out of Idaho cities, according to SafeHome’s report.
The city is known as a “thriving college town” with a “strong” community, the report said.
These Idaho cities topped SafeHome’s list of the locations with the lowest property crime rates:
1. Sun Valley: 112 property crimes per 100,000 people
2. Osburn: 117
3. Weiser: 166
The majority of Sun Valley residents are over the age of 50, the SafeHome report said, noting that the median household income in the city is $162,000 a year.
Weiser, a small community on the Idaho-Oregon border, had low rates of burglary, larceny and vehicle theft, SafeHome said.
What Idaho cities have highest crime, property rates?
One of Boise’s neighboring cities ranked among the most dangerous cities in Idaho, based on violent and property crime rates, SafeHome said.
Garden City saw its population rise steadily between 2000 and 2024, according to Ada County.
That led to an increase in violent and property crimes, SafeHome said.
However, the city’s crime rates have steadily decreased over the past five years, the report found.
According to SafeHome, these Idaho cities had the highest violent crime rates in the state:
1. Garden City: 664 violent crimes per 100,000 people
2. Parma: 607
3. Rupert: 507
According to SafeHome, these cities had the highest property crime rates in Idaho:
1. Chubbuck: 3,106 property crimes per 100,000 people
2. Garden City: 1,662
3. Twin Falls: 1,540
According to SafeHome, Twin Falls has seen high property crimes as more people flock to the southeastern Idaho city in search of jobs in food processing and manufacturing.
Twin Fall’s population has grown more than 50% in the past quarter of a century, leading to increased traffic congestion. according to the report.
However, the city still “feels safe,” , SafeHome said.
How does crime in Boise compare?
According to SafeHome, Boise didn’t rank among the safest or most dangerous cities in Idaho.
The overall crime rate in Idaho’s capital city, which looks at both violent and property crimes, decreased by 26% between 2023 and 2024, according to Idaho State Police.
In 2024, Boise reported 24.54 crimes per 100,000 people, Idaho State Police said, compared to 34.54 crimes per 100,000 residents in 2023.
Gun-related deaths, rape increase in Idaho
Though Idaho bosts lower murder, aggravated assault and robbery rates than the national average, gun-related deaths in the state are 30% higher, according to SafeHome.
In Idaho, the state saw 18.12 gun-related deaths per 100,000 people in 2023, according to the John Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.
On average, the United States reported 13.9 gun deaths per 100,000 people in 2023, according to the center.
About 60% of Idaho households have at least one gun, according to SafeHome, meaning that the state has the fourth highest gun ownership rate in the country.
“Many Idahoans view holding firearms as a means of protection or for hunting purposes,” SafeHome said. “Residents generally take great care in responsible gun ownership.
Idaho reported 42.9 rape-related crimes per 100,000 people 2023, slightly higher than the national average of 38 rape-related crimes per 100,000 people, according to SafeHome.
At 809 property crimes per 100,000 people, Idaho had a property crime rate that was 58% below the national average of 1,917, SafeHome and USAFacts said, helping attract new residents looking to live in a safe state.
How did home security website come up with findings?
SafeHome came up with its rankings of the safest and most dangerous cities in Idaho using FBI data via the Crime Data Explorer and the FBI’s 2023 Crime in the United States Report, according to the report.
Cities with crime rates of zero were excluded from the lists.