By Lisa Cannon Green
Being Bible-minded apparently doesn’t stop a city from being dangerous.
Little Rock, Arkansas, is the seventh most Bible-minded city in America, the American Bible Society says. A full 45 percent of its residents say they’ve read the Bible within the past week and agree strongly in its accuracy.
But Little Rock is also the nation’s ninth most dangerous city, according to a CBS News analysis of FBI crime statistics. In 2016, the city experienced more than 3,000 violent crimes—a category that includes homicides, rapes, robberies, and aggravated assaults.
Three other cities in the South and Midwest also rank in the top 25 for both Bible-mindedness and violent crime.
Springfield, Missouri, is close on the heels of Little Rock, ranking 13th in the nation for violent crime and 11th for its focus on the Bible.
And in Tennessee, both Memphis and Nashville make both lists. Memphis ranks third for violent crime and 25th for Bible-mindedness, while Nashville is 25th on the crime list and 16th in the American Bible Society ranking.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, two high-crime cities rank near the bottom of the American Bible Society’s list of the 100 most Bible-minded cities.
Buffalo, New York, ranks 22nd for violent crime and 96th for Bible-mindedness.
And Oakland, California, is tied for the 10th most dangerous city, while its larger metropolitan area, which includes San Francisco and San Jose, is 94th on the Bible list.
The most dangerous city in America—Detroit, Michigan—didn’t make the American Bible Society’s list at all. Neither did a handful of other cities ranked among the top 25 for violent crime—Rockford, Illinois; San Bernardino, California; Lansing, Michigan; Anchorage, Alaska; and Beaumont, Texas.
The 25 most dangerous cities:
1. Detroit, Michigan
2. St. Louis, Missouri
3. Memphis, Tennessee
4. Baltimore, Maryland
5. Rockford, Illinois
6. Kansas City, Missouri
7. Cleveland, Ohio
8. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
9. Little Rock, Arkansas
10. (tie) Oakland, California
10. (tie) Stockton, California
12. Indianapolis, Indiana
13. Springfield, Missouri
14. San Bernardino, California
15. Toledo, Ohio
16. Lansing, Michigan
17. Anchorage, Alaska
18. Washington, D.C.
19. Springfield, Illinois
20. (tie) Beaumont, Texas
20. (tie) Albuquerque, New Mexico
22. Buffalo, New York
23. Minneapolis, Minnesota
24. Chicago, Illinois
25. Nashville, Tennessee
Related:
- One State Dominates the Most Bible-Minded Cities List
- America’s Most Stressed States in 2018
- Which States are Most Sinful?
LISA CANNON GREEN (@lisacgreen) is senior editor of Facts & Trends.
