Is Little Rock, Arkansas Safe? (2022 Crime Rates And Crime Stats)

If you are thinking about visiting Little Rock and have some qualms about the safety of the city, we got you covered.

We are going to deep dive into the statistics, look at some maps, graphs and talk to the residents of the city to give you a better understanding of how safe Little Rock really is.

Is Little Rock, Arkansas Safe?

Statistically speaking, Little Rock is not the safest place. In 2021, Little Rock had one of the highest crime rates in the country, 2,095.94 per 100,000 people. Little Rocks’s crime rate is on par with cities like Detroit, St. Louis and Memphis.

Here’s a chart that will give you some perspective on Little Rock’s crime rate

Little Rock, Arkansas Crime Stats

Here’s a breakdown of all the crimes in the city for 2021 compared to 2020:

	2020	2021	Percent Change
Homicide	49	62	27%
Rape	196	252	29%
Robbery	376	397	6%
Aggravated Assault	3,036	3,380	11%
VIOLENT CRIME TOTAL	3,657	4,091	12%
Burglary	1,527	1,970	29%
Larceny/Theft	7,062	7,594	8%
Motor Vehicle Theft	1,013	1,051	4%
Arson	70	93	33%
PROPERTY CRIME TOTAL	9,672	10,708	11%
TOTALS	13,329	14,799	11%

**All data is from the FBI Crime Data Explorer**

Little Rock’s Violent Crime Stats

In 2021 Little Rock reported 4,091 violent crimes and had a violent crime rate of 2,095.94 per 100,000 people.

Year over year violent crime has increased by 12%.
You have a 1 in 48 chance of becoming a victim of violent crime in Little Rock.

Here’s a map showing you how violent crime has trended in Little Rock over a 12 year period.

*Violent crimes include; homicides, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults and the violent crime rate is calculated by dividing the number of reported crimes by the total population; the result is multiplied by 100,000.

Little Rock’s Property Crime Stats

In 2021 Little Rock reported 10,708 property crimes and had a property crime rate of 5,486.02 per 100,000 people.

Year over year property crime in Little Rock has increased by 11%.
You have a 1 in 8 chance of becoming a victim of property crime in Little Rock.
Little Rock has a similar property crime rate to Baltimore, Cincinnati and Cleveland.

*Property crimes include; burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson and property crime rate is calculated by dividing the number of reported crimes by the total population; the result is multiplied by 100,000.

Little Rock’s Murder Stats

In 2021, Little Rock reported 62 homicide and had a homicide rate of 31.76 per 100,000 people.

In 2020, Little Rock reported 49 homicides, which is a 27% increase.
Little Rock has a similar homicide rate to cities like Washington DC, Chicago and Philadelphia.

Here’s a map showing you the locations of all the murders in the city of Little Rock from 01/01/2021 – 01/01/2022

Little Rock vs The Rest Of Arkansas (2020)

Here’s a graph showing you the violent crime rates of the 10 most populous cities in Arkansas. Little Rock’s violent crime rate ranked 2nd highest behind Pine Bluff.

	Population	Violent Crime Rates
Pine Bluff	41,253	1808.35
Little Rock	202,591	1805.11
Fort Smith	89,142	1156.58
North Little Rock	64,591	1029.56
Jonesboro	78,576	817.04
Conway	64,134	559.77
Fayetteville	93,949	550.30
Springdale	84,161	426.56
Rogers	69,908	391.94
Bentonville	54,164	337.86

Little Rock, Arkansas vs The Most Dangerous Cities in the United States (2020)

Here’s a list of the top 18 most dangerous cities in the United States ranked by violent crime rates. Little Rock’s violent crime rate ranks 4th highest.

City	Number of violent crimes in 2020	Violent Crime Rate
Memphis	15,310	2,418.24
Detroit	14,370	2,248.44
St. Louis	6,017	1,995.17
Little Rock	3,657	1,805.11
South Bend	1,765	1,706.09
Cleveland	6,294	1,689.10
Milwaukee	9,407	1,629.70
Birmingham	3,166	1,577.22
Kansas City	7,919	1,558.58
Lansing	1,699	1,508.29
Springfield	2,545	1,504.35
Baltimore	8,552	1,404.20
San Bernardino	3,033	1,365.59
New Orleans	5,215	1,358.08
Albuquerque	7,552	1,337.68
Oakland	5,653	1,282.89
Stockton	4,023	1,254.04

Most Dangerous Neighborhoods In Little Rock, Arkansas

South of I-630
Geyer Springs
Boyle Park
South of I 630 to Cedar, Mara Lynn Road, Boyle Park, West 25th
Roosevelt
Asher
12th and Pine
Battery
Martin Luther King
Baseline

Safest Neighborhoods in Little Rock, Arkansas

Heights
Hillcrest
Park Hill
Soma

Is Downtown Little Rock, Arkansas Safe?

Downtown Little Rock is generally a safe area to visit and wander around during the day time.

At night you want to stick to the SoMa and River Market area and avoid straying away too far from those areas.

What do residents of Little Rock say about it’s safety?

"Little Rock has a crime problem, but much of it is localized and in places a tourist would not want to go."
"Here’s a good rule of thumb for Little Rock, don’t go south of I-630 at night."
"Avoid south Little Rock and eastern Little Rock, just over the I30 bridge. Those areas are sketchy."
"Numbers don’t lie. However, I don’t feel unsafe in this town."
"Generally north of 630 is good. West of 430 is also pretty safe. South of 630 is not very safe."
"I don’t think Little Rock is safe. Crime seems to be everywhere. I lived in West Little Rock for a couple years. I’ve been mugged personally and multiple friends have been robbed at gunpoint."
"I know people love this city, but I don’t even really feel at safe going anywhere at night, or anywhere unfamiliar in Little Rock."
"The farther north and west you can get in Little Rock the safer you will be."
"West Little Rock, north of Chenal is the safest part of the city."
"Little Rock is like any other city. There are places you shouldn’t venture out to at night. It’s not like the Bangin’ In The Rock days anymore."
"Avoid going south of 630. North of 630 Is generally good, but there are some bad pockets."
"South of 630 is bad, but it gets better the closer you get to downtown."
"This Judgemental Map of Little Rock is accurate."
"I’ve lived in Little Rock for more than 5 decades and never had any real problems. I know the statistics speak differently but most of the crime is concentrated certain parts of the city and is relegated l to people who are involved in illicit activities."

Is Little Rock safe for women?

While there are no guarantees, Little Rock is generally safe for female solo travelers IF you learn the layout of the city, avoid problem areas, stay in well lit/well populated areas and avoid walking by yourself at night.

Is it safe to walk around Little Rock, Arkansas?

Little Rock is safe to walk around during the daytime, however we recommend that you avoid walking around in the dangerous neighborhoods mentioned above altogether.

At night the situations changes and Little Rock is not particularly safe. If you stick to Downtown (River Market area), SoMa, Heights, Park Hill and Hillcrest and follow the safety tips posted below, you should be able to mitigate your chances of being a victim.

Is Little Rock’s tap water safe to drink?

The tap water in Little Rock, Arkansas is generally safe to drink.

While the tap water in Little Rock meets the EPA health guidelines, it can still contain contaminants present in trace amounts that could potentially cause health issues over the long-run.

If you have any concerns about the tap water in Little Rock, we suggest that you use bottle water for your drinking needs.

Tips to stay safe while visiting Little Rock, Arkansas

Do your research BEFORE you visit. Research the areas you want to stay and visit and see if those areas are high crime areas.
Know where you’re going and at what time. Some areas of Little Rock you can visit during the day time with no problems, but at night time that changes.
Don’t keep valuables in your car or in plain sight in your car.
Don’t walk alone by yourself at night. Get an Uber or Lyft.
Always be aware of your surroundings. Don’t walk down the street scrolling through your phone and have your headphones glued into your ears.
Stay in well populated and well lit areas at night. Avoid going down alleys or desolate streets.
Travel in groups at night, especially if you’ve been drinking.
Be smart about where you’re parking, especially if you’re going to be leaving late.
Don’t drink in excess and be careful drinking on your own or with people you don’t know.
Trust your instincts and your gut feeling. If you don’t feel safe, if something feels wrong, don’t do it, don’t go, remove yourself from the situation.

A Few Things You Should Do While Visiting Little Rock According To Locals

The Root Cafe – The biscuits and gravy here will change your damn life.
The Pantry – Everything on the menu is great, and the atmosphere is tough to beat. Their cheesecake is off the charts too.
The River Trail is an absolute gem.
River Market – is nice on a Saturday morning with the farmers market and some stuff for the kids
Three Fold – Noodle soup and dumplings, nuff said.
Loblolly – great local ice creamery
Mellow Mushroom – The best pizza place in town. They put molasses in the crust and that’s why they are so good.
The Ouachita Trail and Ozark Highlands Trail are amazing.

Quick Facts About Little Rock, Arkansas

Fact	Little Rock, Arkansas	United States
Population, Census, April 1, 2020	202,591	331,449,281
Population, Census, April 1, 2010	193,524	308,745,538
Black or African American alone, percent	42.0%	13.4%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent	0.3%	1.3%
Asian alone, percent	3.3%	5.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent	0.1%	0.2%
Two or More Races, percent	2.3%	2.8%
Hispanic or Latino, percent	7.4%	18.5%
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent	45.1%	60.1%
Foreign born persons, percent, 2015-2019	7.7%	13.6%
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2015-2019	$167,600.00	$217,500.00
Median selected monthly owner costs -with a mortgage, 2015-2019	$1,325.00	$1,595.00
Median gross rent, 2015-2019	$872.00	$1,062.00
High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2015-2019	91.3%	88.0%
Bachelor’s degree or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2015-2019	41.8%	32.1%
In civilian labor force, total, percent of population age 16 years+, 2015-2019	65.7%	63.0%
In civilian labor force, female, percent of population age 16 years+, 2015-2019	62.2%	58.3%
Median household income (in 2019 dollars), 2015-2019	$51,485.00	$62,843.00
Per capita income in past 12 months (in 2019 dollars), 2015-2019	$35,966.00	$34,103.00
Persons in poverty, percent	16.6%	11.4%