When we hear or see the word ‘Florida,’ the first thing that comes to mind is a vacation, beautiful beaches, theme parks, and grand resorts. We imagine a picture-perfect city that is bustling with tourists all day, every day. While we paint a sunny view of this picturesque town, there is another side of Florida that’s not so bright. There are several cities in Florida with high crime rates and poverty rates that you may have to think twice about booking your next trip to this ‘Sunshine State.’ Below, we’ve listed the top 10 most ghetto cities in Florida that can be dangerous for visitors and tourists alike.
Table of Contents
10. Belle Glade
Population: 19,358 (0.954% 1-Year Growth)
Poverty Rate: 42.1%
Crime Index: 14 (100 is safest)
Annual Crimes: 661
Crime Rate per 1k Residents: 30.35
The odds of becoming a victim of a crime in this Belle Glade is 1 in 33. According to FBI crime data, this small city in Palm Beach County is not one of America’s safest communities.
With fewer than 20,000 people, this city is comparatively smaller than other cities in the area. Still, it ranks at the top of our list because of the alarming crime rates.
This city surpasses every category’s average crime rates in the state and national statistics per 100k. But, the most noticeable of these statistics is their rate of murder category. They have an average of 15.6, which is alarmingly higher than the state average of 5.
This close-knit city is known for its soil, ornamental cane fields and sod farms, the number of football players that go pro, and its academics. Everyone is friendly there, and they care about their community despite the violence and crime that goes on there. You can see a lot of abandoned buildings and areas there.
9. Lake Park
Population: 8,505 (0.258% 1-Year Decline)
Poverty Rate: 17.7%
Crime Index:
Annual Crimes:
Crime Rate per 1k Residents:
Lake Park is a small town known for its laid-back seaside lifestyle and beautiful waters; you may have probably never heard of it. Located about 7 miles north of West Palm Beach, many visitors enjoy the various water activities Lake Park has to offer. It only has a population of fewer than 10,000 people, and the community knows one another.
This attractive locale might paint a pretty picture, but its crime rates in 2020 are notably high. Their crime rate is four times higher than the average rate, and that is alarming.
8. Palatka
Population: 10,320 (0.282% 1-Year Growth)
Poverty Rate: 35.9%
Crime Index: 4 (100 is safest)
Annual Crimes: 556
Crime Rate per 1k Residents: 53.20
Ranking at the number 8 spot on our list, Palatka is a city in Putnam County in Florida State and is situated near several parks and holds several world-class hotels. This city has about 11,000 residents, which is more than less compared to other cities of Florida. You might be thinking that a small population such as this would have less crime, but this city has a relatively high crime rate.
For example, its property crime rate per 100k is at 5114.2, three times the country’s average rate. Poverty is one reason why there is an increase in crime rates in the area.
7. Daytona Beach
Population: 66,520 (1.81% 1-Year Growth)
Poverty Rate: 26.3%
Crime Index: 4 (100 is safest)
Annual Crimes: 3,637
Crime Rate per 1k Residents: 52.57
Daytona Beach is one of Florida’s most popular destinations, where NASCAR holds its events each year. Although it is a sandy beach, the ground is rock-hard, and the government has permitted people to drive on the sand. Also, this is where summer festivals happen and where the ever-famous Daytona Lagoon water park is.
Based on the crime statistics of the town, Daytona Beach’s average per 100k is 1107.1. Compared to other areas, this is significantly low. But, its national crime statistics show that Daytona Beach has an average of 382.9.
If you come here to this city for its beach, shop at its malls, stores, and tourist areas during regular business hours, you will be perfectly safe. In contrast, there are unsafe areas with drunks and gang members where criminal activities occur, such as drug purchases, vandalism, and theft.
6. Leesburg
Population: 22,243 (1.78% 1-Year Growth)
Poverty Rate: 25.3%
Crime Index: 3 (100 is safest)
Annual Crimes: 1,371
Crime Rate per 1k Residents: 57.95
On the number six spot, Leesburg has a population of fewer than 30,000 residents. It might seem like a small population compared to other cities, but it has a relatively high crime rating. The city’s murder per 100k rate is at 22.0, and the national average of its crime rates is 5.3.
In 2017, Leesburg had about 21% of its residents living in poverty, which may explain the high crime rates in the area. Deprivation can lead to crimes because people are desperate to feed their families and have no other choice at the moment.
5. Lake City
Population: 11,977 (0.465% 1-Year Decline)
Poverty Rate: 22.7%
Crime Index: 1 (100 is safest)
Annual Crimes: 948
Crime Rate per 1k Residents: 76.75
At number five, Lake City is one of Florida’s top three cities with the highest crime rates. It has about 12,000 residents, but its crimes are too much that this city appears on our number five spot. Although 22 percent of its residents live in poverty, which is relatively lower than Opa Locka, it has a higher number of crimes committed each year.
Theft and property crimes are the most crimes committed in the area. Its average property crime rate is at 7426.3, which is higher than the average 263.2 of the United States. A city this small can produce so much crime that it causes a stir in its residents.
4. Panama City Beach
Population: 12,683 (1.78% 1-Year Growth)
Poverty Rate: 5.32%
Crime Index: 1 (100 is safest)
Annual Crimes: 975
Crime Rate per 1k Residents: 77.49
Panama City Beach is another beautiful and vibrant place to visit in Florida, especially during spring break. When the spring break crowd comes around in the summer, expect alcohol and drugs to be seen and not enough police to protect the public.
The crime rates of Panama City Beach are also high, comparable to the crime rates of Miami Beach. The most concerning of it all is the property crime rate of Panama City Beach. The state average per 100k is 423.2. But, this city has an average of 7,222.6, which is 17 times higher than the average.
3. Miami Beach
Population: 91,826 (0.392% 1-Year Decline)
Poverty Rate: 14.9%
Crime Index: 0 (100 is safest)
Annual Crimes: 7,842
Crime Rate per 1k Residents: 88.23
Miami Beach is one of Florida’s best beaches and one of the most popular places to go in Florida for vacation. Miami Beach features beautiful sceneries, crystal clear blue waters, skyscrapers (it has the third tallest skyline in the US), and delicious foods. It is considered a must-go in many travelers’ lists.
But there’s more to Miami Beach that meets the eye. What the movies do not show is the alarmingly high crime rates in the area. This city has the highest rates of violence, gangs, drugs, theft, and property crimes. When Spring Break comes around, it will get crazy.
There’s no doubt Miami has a significant problem with drugs, gangs, and crime.
It’s relatively safe for travelers, and here are neighborhoods in the area to avoid:
- Overtown
- Model City
- Downtown
- Little Haiti
- Allapattah
- Wynwood
- Upper Eastside
2. Opa Locka
Population: 16,420 (0.0365% 1-Year Decline)
Poverty Rate: 47.2%
Crime Index: 1 (100 is safest)
Annual Crimes: 1,337
Crime Rate per 1k Residents: 84.16
Opa Locka, a suburb of Miami, is a small city that is only 4.2 square miles. A town this little should not be ranking on the top 3 of this list, but with a poverty rate of 47 percent, crime rates are also high.
The violent crime rate in 2019 for Opa Locka was 1,109.0 and compared to the US average of 205.8, that contrast is staggering.
Don’t live here. I’ve lived here for 5 years and this is the worst neighborhood I’ve lived in Miami, and I’ve lived in just about every single neighborhood… It’s very dangerous getting out especially as a female.
– Current Resident
Violent crimes, property crimes, and robberies are the categories Opa Locka surpass the country’s average crime rate. We cannot hide the fact that a high poverty rate also increases the crime rate of an area, and this is what happened to the city of Opa Locka.
1. Florida City
Population: 12,096 (0.436% 1-Year Decline)
Poverty Rate: 38.3%
Crime Index: 0 (100 is safest)
Annual Crimes: 1,412
Crime Rate per 1k Residents: 119.96
Florida City is a famous world destination. Movies and books have painted a picture in our heads that this city is thriving. Yes, it is true, but there is a hidden problem in the city. Although it is a popular tourist destination, 38.3 percent of Florida City’s population live below the poverty line. This percentage is higher than the national average of 13 percent. With a high poverty rate, crimes are also increasing in numbers.
It’s dangerous here. There are always gunfire going off somewhere. I would not recommend coming here, just move to Homestead or don’t come to Florida. I believe Florida City is one of the most dangerous cities in Florida.
– Current Resident
Violent crime rates are alarmingly high compared to the national average. According to FBI data, the total crime rate in Florida City is 10,175.8 per 100,000 people. That’s 296.20% higher than the national rate of 2,568.4 per 100,000 people and 281.58% higher than the Florida total crime rate of 2,666.7 per 100,000 people.
Conclusion
The State of Florida is a special place where people travel each year. This place is packed with history and culture, and to experience it is fantastic. But, there’s no doubt that Florida State experiences crimes. The world today is getting harder to live in. Most people struggle to make ends meet and often do the unthinkable to bring food to their tables.
If you plan to move to Florida, this is an excellent way to get to know the cities. In planning on moving to a different place, you do no tool only for good but also for the bad. It will help if you weigh your pros and cons so you can decide before making a significant change that could potentially become permanent.
This is a guide for you to decide where you want to go. Also, this is an eye-opener to all of us because crimes and poverty is something we do not see all the time. We think that if a city is beautiful, it is already perfect. But, in each place we go, there are poor people, and there are criminals waiting for an attack because of financial problems that lead them to this kind of life.
Not only in Florida but also in cities worldwide are experiencing high poverty and crime rates that increase each year. But, we always choose to be blind when it comes to this issue. This is unavoidable, especially with all the world problems we are facing now. The only thing we can do is to pray and to try and live an honest life. Also, we could help our community in any way to prevent poverty and crime from increasing every year.
Visit beautiful Florida today, just not these cities.
A couple of fights or car break ins in the bar area of Miami Beach is pretty silly to include. No poverty, no homeless, no homicides, and million dollar homes aren’t very “ghetto.”
No homeless people are you blind?
Obviously written by a non-American anti-American (grammar, inaccuracies, and bias) intent on portraying all criminals as unavoidable victims of poverty rather than their own poor choices.
I’m a professional writer who gets paid to write things like this – or I used to – many places don’t care about quality and pay about $15 (or even less) for pieces like this. I was hired as an “editor” for a company that hires hundreds of writers to quickly and cheaply create “content” for websites. I lasted 2 weeks. I made too many corrections on spelling and grammar just for starters. The writers were in the US (coincidentally mostly from the Tampa area were the small brick and mortar address is located for this particular place.) The “writers”… Read more »
And yep. My response has typos.
As father-Trump would say: Yer Fired!
Two examples of the lame untruths in this poorly researched article that was probably written in mass with other articles like it – real facts or journalism not the goal – but click baiting pseudo true landing pages. 1. Florida City is an old rural town which like Belle Glade suffers from high poverty ratings and very low employment. And like Belle Glade is no longer really on “the way somewhere” nor could many Floridians (born and raised) tell you Where they are located in the state and even fewer have been there. Unlike the comment about “Florida City” being… Read more »
Florida is free-buuuubs, open beer, and chochi for free. No way to run America. Let’s Trumpify Florida before we lose it!
every time i feel homesick I go on these sites. i miss you ghetto white trash fl and all of your brain dead residents,