State hub ยท IA
Safest cities in Iowa? Lowest and highest property-crime candidates
Use this hub to compare validated Iowa city candidates by reported selected property-offense rate. It is a cautious city-page index, not a statewide safety ranking or personal-risk score.
Candidate-city rate
18.66
per 1,000 residents across listed cities; not a statewide risk score
Validated cities71Current candidate pages
Candidate population1,658,280Sum of listed city estimates
Selected offenses30,951FBI NIBRS offense records
Highest-rate city candidates
Use the city pages for source notes, trend handling, and offense mix. Small or ambiguous places remain outside automatic publication.
Windsor Heights
45.14 selected property offenses per 1,000 residents
Davenport
35.88 selected property offenses per 1,000 residents
Fort Dodge
33.26 selected property offenses per 1,000 residents
Des Moines
31.36 selected property offenses per 1,000 residents
Clinton
27.91 selected property offenses per 1,000 residents
Cedar Rapids
27.00 selected property offenses per 1,000 residents
Lowest-rate city candidates
Searchers often ask for the safest cities in a state. This section answers that intent carefully by showing the lowest reported selected property-offense rates among validated city candidates only.
Sioux Center
0.80 selected property offenses per 1,000 residents
Asbury
0.99 selected property offenses per 1,000 residents
Algona
1.30 selected property offenses per 1,000 residents
Norwalk
1.95 selected property offenses per 1,000 residents
Decorah
2.30 selected property offenses per 1,000 residents
Estherville
3.12 selected property offenses per 1,000 residents
Home-security guides
City data pages point into practical guides for renters, no-subscription setups, package areas, cameras, and entry alerts.
Door and window alarms for renters
Compare simple entry alarms for apartments, rented homes, garages, and windows before moving into heavier systems.
No-subscription home security starter kit
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Package theft camera checklist
Check porch visibility, driveway angles, storage, Wi-Fi, and evidence needs before buying a camera for package areas.
Security camera checklist
Evaluate exterior visibility, entry coverage, storage needs, and placement before choosing a camera system.
Smart lock and entry sensor checklist
Start with reliable locks, entry sensors, lighting, and backup access before adding convenience features.
Basic home-security checklist
A balanced setup can cover entries, packages, motion, lighting, and alerts without overbuying.
Iowa city candidates
| City | Population | Selected offenses | Rate per 1,000 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windsor Heights | 5,095 | 230 | 45.14 | Increasing |
| Davenport | 100,467 | 3,605 | 35.88 | Roughly stable |
| Fort Dodge | 24,836 | 826 | 33.26 | Increasing |
| Des Moines | 212,277 | 6,658 | 31.36 | Roughly stable |
| Clinton | 24,109 | 673 | 27.91 | Mixed |
| Cedar Rapids | 137,022 | 3,700 | 27.00 | Roughly stable |
| Ottumwa | 25,469 | 674 | 26.46 | Decreasing |
| Council Bluffs | 62,484 | 1,542 | 24.68 | Decreasing |
| Waterloo | 67,005 | 1,613 | 24.07 | Decreasing |
| Osceola | 5,621 | 121 | 21.53 | Increasing |
| Atlantic | 6,703 | 143 | 21.33 | Increasing |
| Coralville | 23,770 | 499 | 20.99 | Mixed |
| Maquoketa | 6,054 | 125 | 20.65 | Mixed |
| Altoona | 22,505 | 455 | 20.22 | Increasing |
| Washington | 7,251 | 136 | 18.76 | Decreasing |
| Burlington | 23,452 | 437 | 18.63 | Decreasing |
| Knoxville | 7,463 | 137 | 18.36 | Roughly stable |
| Marshalltown | 27,692 | 507 | 18.31 | Roughly stable |
| Fort Madison | 10,016 | 175 | 17.47 | Decreasing |
| West Des Moines | 74,081 | 1,268 | 17.12 | Roughly stable |
| Storm Lake | 11,548 | 196 | 16.97 | Increasing |
| Clear Lake | 7,563 | 124 | 16.40 | Decreasing |
| Keokuk | 9,516 | 146 | 15.34 | Decreasing |
| Dubuque | 58,823 | 860 | 14.62 | Decreasing |
| Ames | 68,381 | 991 | 14.49 | Roughly stable |
| Spirit Lake | 5,540 | 78 | 14.08 | Decreasing |
| Indianola | 16,814 | 236 | 14.04 | Decreasing |
| Newton | 15,713 | 216 | 13.75 | Decreasing |
| Grinnell | 9,479 | 122 | 12.87 | Decreasing |
| Muscatine | 23,333 | 294 | 12.60 | Decreasing |
| Clive | 19,671 | 231 | 11.74 | Roughly stable |
| Manchester | 5,275 | 60 | 11.37 | Roughly stable |
| Centerville | 5,341 | 60 | 11.23 | Decreasing |
| Mount Pleasant | 8,522 | 90 | 10.56 | Increasing |
| Creston | 7,398 | 78 | 10.54 | Decreasing |
| Ankeny | 76,455 | 794 | 10.39 | Roughly stable |
| Clarinda | 5,331 | 54 | 10.13 | Roughly stable |
| Spencer | 11,445 | 115 | 10.05 | Decreasing |
| DeWitt | 5,615 | 56 | 9.97 | Decreasing |
| Hiawatha | 7,315 | 72 | 9.84 | Mixed |
| Carroll | 10,157 | 98 | 9.65 | Roughly stable |
| Pella | 10,878 | 105 | 9.65 | Increasing |
| Red Oak | 5,418 | 52 | 9.60 | Mixed |
| Oskaloosa | 11,502 | 107 | 9.30 | Decreasing |
| Le Mars | 10,605 | 98 | 9.24 | Decreasing |
| Waverly | 10,583 | 94 | 8.88 | Decreasing |
| Bettendorf | 40,132 | 345 | 8.60 | Decreasing |
| Denison | 8,245 | 68 | 8.25 | Roughly stable |
| Johnston | 24,938 | 189 | 7.58 | Mixed |
| Winterset | 5,443 | 41 | 7.53 | Trend pending |
| Waukee | 31,927 | 230 | 7.20 | Roughly stable |
| Pleasant Hill | 11,082 | 75 | 6.77 | Decreasing |
| Independence | 6,255 | 42 | 6.71 | Decreasing |
| Glenwood | 5,233 | 35 | 6.69 | Decreasing |
| Sheldon | 5,568 | 36 | 6.47 | Decreasing |
| Urbandale | 47,926 | 307 | 6.41 | Decreasing |
| Perry | 8,241 | 51 | 6.19 | Decreasing |
| Adel | 6,939 | 41 | 5.91 | Decreasing |
| Oelwein | 5,783 | 34 | 5.88 | Decreasing |
| Anamosa | 5,866 | 34 | 5.80 | Increasing |
| Marion | 42,353 | 217 | 5.12 | Decreasing |
| Fairfield | 9,289 | 45 | 4.84 | Decreasing |
| North Liberty | 21,704 | 87 | 4.01 | Roughly stable |
| Eldridge | 6,927 | 23 | 3.32 | Decreasing |
| Cherokee | 5,134 | 17 | 3.31 | Decreasing |
| Estherville | 5,772 | 18 | 3.12 | Decreasing |
| Decorah | 7,390 | 17 | 2.30 | Decreasing |
| Norwalk | 14,332 | 28 | 1.95 | Increasing |
| Algona | 5,367 | 7 | 1.30 | Decreasing |
| Asbury | 6,040 | 6 | 0.99 | Decreasing |
| Sioux Center | 8,801 | 7 | 0.80 | Mixed |
Important context
These figures are based on reported selected property offenses and Census population context for validated city candidates. Agency reporting boundaries can differ from municipal boundaries, so the methodology page explains why ambiguous or tiny-denominator rows stay out of automatic publication.