Beware of The Most Dangerous Missouri Place No One Talks About

There is no lack of most dangerous lists in Missouri. However, there is one city that I almost never see mentioned or discussed that has a big fat F grade for the crime there and many of the numbers appear to be rising.

I did some digging into the most recent crime data I could find and not some FBI thing that is a decade old. The newest I could locate was Area Vibes which is a 2024 ranking of the most dangerous places in Missouri. If you look at the top 10, there is one city you will not see. But, if you do a little digging, you'll see it does appear just outside of the top 10.

Let's look at Cape Girardeau, Missouri. First, the good. Cape Girardeau can be a beautiful place especially in the early morning hours near the river.

But, if you look at the crime ratings for Cape Girardeau, you'll see this can also be a dangerous place. The assault, rape and murder rates are nearly double the national average.

Is Cape Girardeau, MO, Safe to Live or Visit in 2024?

That is the exact question asked by Ovogo just a few weeks ago. They list murder, rape and assault rates as "elevated" and of concern. They say "After dark, be extra cautious. Stick to busy, well-lit streets and stay alert." If that's the case, why do you never see Cape Girardeau mentioned when dangerous Missouri places become a topic?

I think the answer is its numbers lurk just outside of the top 10 and that's what the net focuses on too often. I actually considered Cape Girardeau as a home at one point, but ruled it out when I looked at what the real numbers say. That doesn't mean it can't be an awesome place for you, but please do look at the issues there. It never gets associated with most dangerous places, but the data shows that it should.