Update: Three Most Dangerous Cities in Massachusetts for 2023

We can't brag enough about Massachusetts' positive attributes. The Bay State has topped the list of being the best state to raise a family a couple of times from a few different sources and of course, you don't need to be reminded about the state's top-quality education programs. For example, Boston is a hub of higher education and home to the 14th-most educated workforce on the planet according to Resonance.

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There are Still Some Rough Areas in Massachusetts to Know About

As with any state, there are some cities that don't receive the type of accolades from some studies that we wish they could. You may remember a few months back we published an article covering the top three most dangerous cities in Massachusetts for 2023. In that article, the study was conducted by Population U.com and the cities that made the top three included the following:

• #3 New Bedford
• #2 North Adams
• #1 Springfield

Now, there is another article published by Wags & Woofs and the top three dangerous cities in Massachusetts differ slightly. Let's take a look.

# 3 North Adams 

In this article, North Adams falls back one slot. Wags & Woof wrote with a population of 12,961, the total crime rate in North Adams stands at 3,114 per 100,000. This statistic means that the residents of North Adams have a 1 in 33 chance of becoming a victim of a crime. As I mentioned in the previous article, this one breaks my heart as I'm a North Adams native (I lived there from 1985 to 2001) and never had a negative or threatening experience growing up in my favorite Berkshire County city.

#2 Springfield

In the Wags & Woof article, Springfield falls to #2 which means there will be a new city to be deemed as most dangerous in Massachusetts. Wags & Woof stated that the city's crime rate is 150% higher than the national average and that residents have a 1 in 30 chance of becoming victims of any type of crime, with a total crime rate of 3,403 per 100,000.

Which City Tops The List as Most Dangerous in Massachusetts for 2023?

#1 Holyoke

Whereas Springfield was the most dangerous city in Massachusetts in the Population U.com study, Holyoke gets the top spot in the Wags & Woof article. The site states that the city has a crime rate that is 195% higher than the national average along with the fact that residents face a 1 in 25 chance of becoming victims of any type of crime, and the city’s total crime rate is 4,020 per 100,000.

Some More Differences Between The Two Studies Regarding Massachusetts' Most Dangerous Cities

In the Wags & Woof article, New Bedford slid out of the top three landing in the #4 position and Chicopee rounded out the top five. In the Population U.com study, Chciopee was #10. You can compare the two studies to see how they differ from one another at the following links: Wags & Woof and Population U.com