Two Tennessee cities ranked among the 10 least safe large cities in the United States in a new study released Monday by financial technology company SmartAsset, with Memphis finishing last overall and Nashville also appearing near the bottom of the rankings.
The study analyzed 83 U.S. cities with populations exceeding 250,000, evaluating safety using a composite score based on violent crime, property crime, traffic fatality rates, and natural disaster risk.
Memphis ranked as the nation’s least safe big city, recording the highest overall risk score among the cities analyzed.
According to SmartAsset, the city reported 25 violent crimes and 69 property crimes per 1,000 residents, along with 21.5 motor vehicle fatalities per 100,000 residents. Memphis also received a “relatively high” disaster risk rating from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), contributing to its last-place finish.
Nashville ranked eighth among the nation’s 10 least safe big cities. The report cited 11.2 violent crimes and 45.1 property crimes per 1,000 residents, as well as 13.6 traffic fatalities per 100,000 residents. Like Memphis, Nashville received a “relatively high” FEMA disaster risk designation.
Beyond Tennessee, Texas was the only state to place cities on both ends of the rankings. Plano ranked as the nation’s second safest big city, while Laredo placed sixth. At the same time, Houston ranked as the second least safe city overall.
Virginia led the safest rankings, with Virginia Beach claiming the top spot and Chesapeake ranking fifth.
Wisconsin’s capital of Madison placed third, followed by Honolulu, Hawaii, in fourth. Kentucky rounded out the top five safest states represented in the rankings with Lexington, which finished seventh nationally.
Among the least safe states represented, Missouri had two cities in the bottom five, with St. Louis ranking third least safe and Kansas City fifth. California also placed two cities in the bottom 10, with San Francisco ranking fourth and Oakland seventh. Pennsylvania’s Philadelphia ranked ninth, while Michigan’s Detroit rounded out the list in 10th.
SmartAsset based its analysis on FBI crime statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention traffic fatality data, and FEMA’s National Risk Index. Crime data primarily reflects 2024 statistics, the most recent year available, while disaster risk data was drawn from FEMA’s April 2026 National Risk Index.
Tennessee’s rankings in the large-city study contrasted with another recent SmartAsset analysis focused on midsize cities.
In the company’s 2026 Safest Midsize Cities report, Franklin ranked 12th safest in the nation among cities with populations between 65,000 and 250,000. SmartAsset reported Franklin recorded 1.32 violent crimes and 9.43 property crimes per 1,000 residents, along with 7.51 traffic fatalities per 100,000 residents, while receiving a “relatively moderate” natural disaster risk rating.
Franklin was the only Tennessee city to appear among the nation’s 75 safest midsize cities.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
