Most Dangerous & Safest Counties in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has 47 counties with crime data. The county with the highest homicide rate is Philadelphia County at 26.1 per 100K , while the safest is Butler County at 1.0 per 100K .

6 of 47 counties (13%) have a homicide rate above the national average of 8 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 Pennsylvania

Top 10 counties ranked by homicide rate.

# County Homicides
1 Philadelphia County 26.1 per 100K +225.7%
2 Schuylkill County 14.9 per 100K +86.9%
3 Montour County 13.3 per 100K +66.9%
4 Lycoming County 10.3 per 100K +28.8%
5 Delaware County 8.6 per 100K +7.5%
6 Allegheny County 8.6 per 100K +7.0%
7 Dauphin County 7.2 per 100K -10.1%
8 Fayette County 5.8 per 100K -28.1%
9 Lawrence County 5.5 per 100K -31.4%
10 Cambria County 5.4 per 100K -32.3%

Safest Counties in Pennsylvania

Bottom 10 counties ranked by homicide rate.

# County Homicides
47 Butler County 1.0 per 100K -87.8%
46 Centre County 1.2 per 100K -84.5%
45 Chester County 1.7 per 100K -78.6%
44 Cumberland County 1.7 per 100K -78.4%
43 Indiana County 1.9 per 100K -76.6%
42 Bucks County 1.9 per 100K -76.6%
41 Somerset County 1.9 per 100K -75.8%
40 Clearfield County 2.0 per 100K -75.3%
39 Blair County 2.0 per 100K -75.1%
38 Northampton County 2.2 per 100K -72.8%

All 47 Counties Ranked

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

# County Homicides
1 Philadelphia County 26.1 per 100K +225.7%
2 Schuylkill County 14.9 per 100K +86.9%
3 Montour County 13.3 per 100K +66.9%
4 Lycoming County 10.3 per 100K +28.8%
5 Delaware County 8.6 per 100K +7.5%
6 Allegheny County 8.6 per 100K +7.0%
7 Dauphin County 7.2 per 100K -10.1%
8 Fayette County 5.8 per 100K -28.1%
9 Lawrence County 5.5 per 100K -31.4%
10 Cambria County 5.4 per 100K -32.3%
11 York County 5.1 per 100K -36.3%
12 Carbon County 4.9 per 100K -39.0%
13 Northumberland County 4.5 per 100K -43.3%
14 Erie County 4.4 per 100K -45.4%
15 Berks County 4.3 per 100K -46.8%
16 Luzerne County 4.2 per 100K -47.5%
17 Wayne County 4.2 per 100K -47.6%
18 Columbia County 4.2 per 100K -48.1%
19 Beaver County 4.0 per 100K -50.2%
20 Monroe County 4.0 per 100K -50.2%
21 Greene County 4.0 per 100K -50.5%
22 Lehigh County 3.9 per 100K -51.8%
23 Susquehanna County 3.6 per 100K -55.3%
24 Crawford County 3.4 per 100K -57.8%
25 Armstrong County 3.3 per 100K -58.9%
26 Bedford County 3.3 per 100K -59.0%
27 Mercer County 3.2 per 100K -59.5%
28 Adams County 2.9 per 100K -63.7%
29 Bradford County 2.8 per 100K -64.6%
30 Washington County 2.8 per 100K -64.8%
31 Pike County 2.5 per 100K -68.8%
32 Lebanon County 2.4 per 100K -69.8%
33 Westmoreland County 2.4 per 100K -70.5%
34 Lackawanna County 2.3 per 100K -71.4%
35 Lancaster County 2.2 per 100K -72.2%
36 Montgomery County 2.2 per 100K -72.2%
37 Franklin County 2.2 per 100K -72.4%
38 Northampton County 2.2 per 100K -72.8%
39 Blair County 2.0 per 100K -75.1%
40 Clearfield County 2.0 per 100K -75.3%
41 Somerset County 1.9 per 100K -75.8%
42 Bucks County 1.9 per 100K -76.6%
43 Indiana County 1.9 per 100K -76.6%
44 Cumberland County 1.7 per 100K -78.4%
45 Chester County 1.7 per 100K -78.6%
46 Centre County 1.2 per 100K -84.5%
47 Butler County 1.0 per 100K -87.8%

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 Pennsylvania only and may differ from national rankings. For more information, see our methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most dangerous county in Pennsylvania?
The county with the highest homicide rate in Pennsylvania is Philadelphia County, at 26.1 per 100,000 residents. This is 226% above the national rate of 8 per 100K.
What is the safest county in Pennsylvania?
The county with the lowest homicide rate in Pennsylvania is Butler County, at 1.0 per 100,000 residents.
How does Pennsylvania's crime rate compare to the national average?
6 of 47 counties in Pennsylvania (13%) have a homicide rate above the national average of 8 per 100,000 residents.
Which county in Pennsylvania has the most firearm fatalities?
Philadelphia County has the highest firearm fatality rate in Pennsylvania at 30.4 per 100,000 residents.
Which county in Pennsylvania has the most drug overdose deaths?
Philadelphia County has the highest drug overdose death rate in Pennsylvania at 75.4 per 100,000 residents.