Most Dangerous & Safest Counties in Massachusetts

Massachusetts has 11 counties with crime data. The county with the highest homicide rate is Suffolk County at 5.9 per 100K , while the safest is Hampshire County at 1.0 per 100K .

All rates are per 100,000 residents and come from County Health Rankings, which compiles data from the CDC, FBI, and other federal sources.

Metric

Most Dangerous Counties in Massachusetts

Top 10 counties ranked by homicide rate.

# County Homicides
1 Suffolk County 5.9 per 100K -26.7%
2 Hampden County 5.4 per 100K -32.6%
3 Berkshire County 2.9 per 100K -63.3%
4 Bristol County 2.2 per 100K -72.6%
5 Plymouth County 2.1 per 100K -73.6%
6 Essex County 1.9 per 100K -75.9%
7 Worcester County 1.8 per 100K -77.9%
8 Barnstable County 1.4 per 100K -82.0%
9 Norfolk County 1.3 per 100K -84.4%
10 Middlesex County 1.0 per 100K -87.6%

Safest Counties in Massachusetts

Bottom 10 counties ranked by homicide rate.

# County Homicides
11 Hampshire County 1.0 per 100K -87.9%
10 Middlesex County 1.0 per 100K -87.6%
9 Norfolk County 1.3 per 100K -84.4%
8 Barnstable County 1.4 per 100K -82.0%
7 Worcester County 1.8 per 100K -77.9%
6 Essex County 1.9 per 100K -75.9%
5 Plymouth County 2.1 per 100K -73.6%
4 Bristol County 2.2 per 100K -72.6%
3 Berkshire County 2.9 per 100K -63.3%
2 Hampden County 5.4 per 100K -32.6%

All 11 Counties Ranked

Every county in Massachusetts ranked by homicide rate. Click any county for its full profile.

# County Homicides
1 Suffolk County 5.9 per 100K -26.7%
2 Hampden County 5.4 per 100K -32.6%
3 Berkshire County 2.9 per 100K -63.3%
4 Bristol County 2.2 per 100K -72.6%
5 Plymouth County 2.1 per 100K -73.6%
6 Essex County 1.9 per 100K -75.9%
7 Worcester County 1.8 per 100K -77.9%
8 Barnstable County 1.4 per 100K -82.0%
9 Norfolk County 1.3 per 100K -84.4%
10 Middlesex County 1.0 per 100K -87.6%
11 Hampshire County 1.0 per 100K -87.9%

About This Data

All figures are estimates from the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps (CDC, FBI, NCHS), published by the U.S. Census Bureau. Values are subject to sampling variability and margin of error.

Rankings are within Massachusetts only and may differ from national rankings. For more information, see our methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most dangerous county in Massachusetts?
The county with the highest homicide rate in Massachusetts is Suffolk County, at 5.9 per 100,000 residents. This is 27% below the national rate of 8 per 100K.
What is the safest county in Massachusetts?
The county with the lowest homicide rate in Massachusetts is Hampshire County, at 1.0 per 100,000 residents.
How does Massachusetts's crime rate compare to the national average?
0 of 11 counties in Massachusetts (0%) have a homicide rate above the national average of 8 per 100,000 residents.
Which county in Massachusetts has the most firearm fatalities?
Hampden County has the highest firearm fatality rate in Massachusetts at 8.4 per 100,000 residents.
Which county in Massachusetts has the most drug overdose deaths?
Hampden County has the highest drug overdose death rate in Massachusetts at 52.0 per 100,000 residents.