Safest Cities in Massachusetts (2026 Rankings)

Updated October 2026 · Based on 2024 FBI UCR data

Northampton is the safest city in Massachusetts with a crime rate of 19.1 per 1,000 residents, earning a B safety grade. Beverly (19.2/1K) and Melrose (19.2/1K) round out the top three. Rankings based on 58 cities with 2024 FBI Uniform Crime Report data.

Avg Crime Rate

21.9per 1K

Below National Avg

31of 58 cities

Above National Avg

27of 58 cities

All 58 Cities Ranked by Safety

#	City	Grade	Crime/1K	Risk Level	Violent	Property
1	Northampton	B	19.1	Below Average Risk	342	1570
2	Beverly	B	19.2	Below Average Risk	297	1618
3	Melrose	B	19.2	Below Average Risk	338	1580
4	Palmer Town	B-	19.4	Moderate	400	1538
5	Easthampton	B-	19.5	Moderate	341	1612
6	North Attleborough Town	B-	19.6	Moderate	330	1634
7	Fall River	B-	19.7	Moderate	367	1607
8	North Adams	B-	19.7	Moderate	419	1549
9	Revere	B-	19.9	Moderate	428	1565
10	Newburyport	B-	19.9	Moderate	408	1583
11	Lawrence	B-	20	Moderate	331	1666
12	Waltham	B-	20.4	Moderate	425	1614
13	Methuen	B-	20.4	Moderate	360	1677
14	Everett	B-	20.4	Moderate	319	1721
15	Salem	B-	20.4	Moderate	329	1706
16	Marlborough	B-	20.4	Moderate	384	1660
17	Chelsea	B-	20.5	Moderate	432	1620
18	West Springfield Town	B-	20.5	Moderate	343	1707
19	Quincy	B-	20.6	Moderate	409	1651
20	Holyoke	B-	20.7	Moderate	399	1672
21	Worcester	B-	20.8	Moderate	335	1742
22	Weymouth Town	B-	20.8	Moderate	383	1700
23	Medford	B-	21	Moderate	393	1712
24	Lynn	B-	21.3	Moderate	329	1805
25	Gloucester	B-	21.3	Moderate	296	1830
26	Pittsfield	B-	21.4	Moderate	401	1742
27	Southbridge Town	B-	21.4	Moderate	400	1744
28	Randolph Town	B-	21.5	Moderate	371	1779
29	Leominster	B-	21.6	Moderate	300	1857
30	Agawam Town	B-	21.6	Moderate	365	1798
31	Winthrop Town	B-	21.6	Moderate	425	1738
32	Boston	B-	22	Moderate	600	1600
33	Cambridge	B-	22.1	Moderate	314	1893
34	Barnstable Town	B-	22.4	Moderate	416	1825
35	Franklin Town	B-	22.4	Moderate	365	1872
36	Taunton	B-	22.5	Moderate	340	1907
37	Attleboro	B-	22.5	Moderate	381	1873
38	Lowell	B-	22.6	Moderate	407	1858
39	Braintree Town	B-	22.6	Moderate	311	1950
40	Watertown	B-	22.7	Moderate	423	1851
41	Newton	B-	22.8	Moderate	359	1919
42	Bridgewater Town	C+	23.2	Moderate	357	1961
43	Amesbury	C+	23.2	Moderate	298	2019
44	Chicopee	C+	23.4	Moderate	423	1920
45	Amherst Town	C+	23.4	Moderate	381	1954
46	Springfield	C+	23.5	Moderate	447	1899
47	Malden	C+	23.6	Moderate	404	1961
48	Gardner	C+	23.9	Moderate	429	1961
49	Haverhill	C+	24	Moderate	389	2012
50	Greenfield	C+	24	Moderate	326	2072
51	Somerville	C+	24.3	Moderate	384	2047
52	Fitchburg	C+	24.3	Moderate	389	2040
53	Westfield	C+	24.4	Moderate	307	2128
54	Framingham	C+	24.9	Moderate	322	2167
55	Woburn	C+	25.1	Moderate	403	2111
56	Brockton	C+	25.3	Moderate	438	2092
57	New Bedford	C+	25.4	Moderate	373	2166
58	Peabody	C+	26	Moderate	420	2177

Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents. 2024 FBI Uniform Crime Report data.

Most Dangerous Cities in Massachusetts

The highest crime rates among tracked cities in Massachusetts. These cities have the most crime per capita based on FBI data.

C+

Peabody26/1K · Moderate · Violent: 420/100K

C+

New Bedford25.4/1K · Moderate · Violent: 373/100K

C+

Brockton25.3/1K · Moderate · Violent: 438/100K

C+

Woburn25.1/1K · Moderate · Violent: 403/100K

C+

Framingham24.9/1K · Moderate · Violent: 322/100K

Frequently Asked Questions About Safety in Massachusetts

What is the safest city in Massachusetts?

As of 2026, Northampton is the safest city in Massachusetts with a crime rate of 19.1 per 1,000 residents and a B safety grade. It ranks above 60% of all US cities.

What are the top 10 safest cities in Massachusetts?

Based on 2026 FBI Uniform Crime Report data, the top 10 safest cities in Massachusetts based on crime rate are: Northampton, Beverly, Melrose, Palmer Town, Easthampton, North Attleborough Town, Fall River, North Adams, Revere, Newburyport.

What is the most dangerous city in Massachusetts?

Peabody has the highest crime rate in Massachusetts at 26 per 1,000 residents, earning a C+ safety grade.

What is the average crime rate in Massachusetts?

The average crime rate across 58 tracked cities in Massachusetts is 21.9 per 1,000 residents. The average violent crime rate is 376 per 100K and property crime averages 1814 per 100K.

Is Massachusetts safe to live in?

Massachusetts has a higher-than-average violent crime rate at 376 per 100K (national: 363.8). However, safety varies widely by city. Northampton earns a B while Peabody gets a C+. 31 of 58 cities have crime rates at or below the national average.

How many cities are ranked in Massachusetts?

58 cities in Massachusetts are ranked using FBI Uniform Crime Report data. 31 have crime rates at or below the national average.

See 2027 rankings for Massachusetts →View all Massachusetts city safety grades Safety index for all 50 states

2024 FBI Uniform Crime Report data and Census Bureau population estimates. Safety grades calculated using national and state-level crime rate distributions. Not a substitute for local law enforcement guidance.

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