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MDMaryland rankings

Safest towns in Maryland

Ranked by crime reported to police per 1,000 residents, averaged over 2023–2025, with violent crimes counted four times as heavily as property crimes. Lower is safer. 49 towns with 2,500+ residents whose police reported every year.

U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year

Frostburg 1 Frostburg 3.3 Violent 0.6 per 1,000 Map of Ocean Pines 2 Ocean Pines 3.5 Violent 0.3 per 1,000 Boonsboro 3 Boonsboro 5.9 Violent 0.4 per 1,000
#TownWeighted crime rateViolentProperty
1 Frostburg Frostburg6,977 people 3.3 0.6 per 1,000 1.0 per 1,000
2 Map of Ocean Pines Ocean Pines12,351 people 3.5 0.3 per 1,000 2.5 per 1,000
3 Boonsboro Boonsboro3,809 people 5.9 0.4 per 1,000 4.5 per 1,000
4 Manchester Manchester5,439 people 7.8 1.6 per 1,000 1.3 per 1,000
5 Thurmont Thurmont6,254 people 8.5 0.8 per 1,000 5.3 per 1,000
6 Map of Smithsburg Smithsburg3,115 people 9.6 1.1 per 1,000 5.1 per 1,000
7 Sykesville Sykesville4,491 people 10.3 0.8 per 1,000 7.0 per 1,000
8 Brunswick Brunswick8,450 people 12.1 1.7 per 1,000 5.3 per 1,000
9 Snow Hill Snow Hill2,659 people 13.7 1.9 per 1,000 6.2 per 1,000
10 Map of University Park University Park2,698 people 14.1 0.4 per 1,000 12.5 per 1,000
11 Map of Glenarden Glenarden6,344 people 15.4 1.9 per 1,000 8.0 per 1,000
12 Hampstead Hampstead6,251 people 15.6 2.3 per 1,000 6.6 per 1,000
13 Map of Greensboro Greensboro2,634 people 18.6 2.6 per 1,000 8.3 per 1,000
14 Rockville Rockville67,671 people 18.9 1.3 per 1,000 13.6 per 1,000
15 Gaithersburg Gaithersburg69,825 people 22.1 2.3 per 1,000 12.8 per 1,000
16 Berwyn Heights Berwyn Heights3,318 people 23.1 2.4 per 1,000 13.7 per 1,000
17 Map of Fruitland Fruitland5,801 people 24.2 1.7 per 1,000 17.3 per 1,000
18 La Plata La Plata10,683 people 24.2 1.9 per 1,000 16.6 per 1,000
19 Bowie Bowie57,926 people 26.2 1.8 per 1,000 18.9 per 1,000
20 Westminster20,445 people 27.7 2.4 per 1,000 18.2 per 1,000
21 Bel Air Bel Air10,585 people 29.3 1.9 per 1,000 21.6 per 1,000
22 Map of Chestertown Chestertown5,594 people 29.6 3.2 per 1,000 16.6 per 1,000
23 Frederick Frederick83,395 people 32.5 3.9 per 1,000 16.9 per 1,000
24 New Carrollton New Carrollton13,564 people 32.9 3.1 per 1,000 20.6 per 1,000
25 Capitol Heights Capitol Heights4,020 people 33.6 4.6 per 1,000 15.4 per 1,000
26 Map of Hurlock Hurlock2,819 people 34.4 4.5 per 1,000 16.6 per 1,000
27 North East4,134 people 35.0 4.0 per 1,000 19.1 per 1,000
28 Easton Easton17,308 people 35.5 4.3 per 1,000 18.5 per 1,000
29 Map of Cheverly Cheverly6,096 people 37.4 2.8 per 1,000 26.1 per 1,000
30 Map of District Heights District Heights5,891 people 39.1 5.2 per 1,000 18.2 per 1,000
31 Aberdeen Aberdeen17,298 people 43.6 6.0 per 1,000 19.5 per 1,000
32 Denton Denton4,936 people 44.9 4.4 per 1,000 27.2 per 1,000
33 Annapolis Annapolis40,720 people 48.6 7.3 per 1,000 19.5 per 1,000
34 Hagerstown Hagerstown43,665 people 50.1 6.7 per 1,000 23.5 per 1,000
35 Pocomoke City Pocomoke City4,405 people 50.5 5.0 per 1,000 30.7 per 1,000
36 Mount Rainier Mount Rainier8,245 people 51.4 5.8 per 1,000 28.1 per 1,000
37 Map of Riverdale Park Riverdale Park7,270 people 52.4 6.6 per 1,000 26.2 per 1,000
38 Map of Seat Pleasant Seat Pleasant4,489 people 56.9 7.2 per 1,000 28.2 per 1,000
39 Cumberland Cumberland18,804 people 58.6 4.6 per 1,000 40.2 per 1,000
40 Map of Cambridge Cambridge13,152 people 60.2 6.0 per 1,000 36.1 per 1,000
41 Laurel Laurel29,798 people 62.7 4.7 per 1,000 43.9 per 1,000
42 Salisbury Salisbury33,285 people 63.7 9.3 per 1,000 26.6 per 1,000
43 Bladensburg Bladensburg9,583 people 64.8 7.2 per 1,000 36.1 per 1,000
44 Hyattsville Hyattsville20,966 people 67.4 7.2 per 1,000 38.5 per 1,000
45 Greenbelt Greenbelt24,678 people 70.7 6.4 per 1,000 44.9 per 1,000
46 Takoma Park Takoma Park17,632 people 72.4 4.7 per 1,000 53.7 per 1,000
47 Elkton Elkton15,910 people 84.2 9.1 per 1,000 47.7 per 1,000
48 Princess Anne Princess Anne3,569 people 97.0 14.2 per 1,000 40.1 per 1,000
49 Baltimore Baltimore573,243 people 101.8 15.1 per 1,000 41.4 per 1,000

How this ranking works

For each town we add up the violent and property crimes its police reported to the FBI over 2023–2025 and divide by the population they served, giving a rate per 1,000 residents. Violent crimes (homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault) count four times as much as property crimes (burglary, theft, vehicle theft and arson), because they weigh more on how safe a place feels. The lowest weighted rate ranks #1.

These are crimes reported to police, not convictions, and towns with a campus, highway, beach or shopping center also count incidents involving visitors. A town is ranked only if its police department reported a full year in every one of these years; towns patrolled by a county sheriff or state police don't have their own figures. There is no “most dangerous” list, on purpose.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, offenses known to law enforcement by city. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states

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