The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Central City, IA: Crime Maps and Statistics

A-

Overall Crime Grade™

Violent Crime Grade	A
Property Crime Grade	A
Other Crime Grade	C+

Which crimes are included?

$465,249

Cost of Crime™ for Central City, IA

In 2025, crime will cost $518 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of Central City with the least crime overall and red marks the most. Each area is weighted by the type and severity of every offense, so a place with rare but serious violent crime can grade differently from one with frequent petty theft. The Interpreting the Crime Maps section below explains how to read the colors.

Is Central City, IA Safe?

The A- overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US city, where Central City's combined rate is lower than the norm. Central City sits in the 79th percentile, ahead of 79% of cities and behind 21%. The grade covers only Central City's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby cities.

The overall crime rate in Central City is 15.64 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the north part of the city the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 54 in the central neighborhoods to 1 in 84 in the north.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the central parts of Central City, IA report the most crime, about 11 cases per year. The west part reports the fewest, around 1 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in Central City, IA

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in Central City for 2025 is $465,249, about $218 per resident and $518 per household. That equals 0.5% of the median household income. These figures cover tangible costs, which include:

Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 62.8%
Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 23.2%
Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 13.9%

How Much Does Crime Cost in Central City Compared to Other Cities?

Central City, IA:	$218
Shenandoah, IA:	$542
Norwalk, IA:	$145
Iowa:	$326
USA:	$464

The overall cost of crime per resident in Central City is $218 per year, which is $247 less than the national average and $108 less than Iowa's state average. The comparison below uses cities similar to Central City:

In Shenandoah, IA, crime costs $542 per person, which is $324 more than in Central City.
In Norwalk, IA, crime costs $145 per person, which is $72 less than in Central City

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

The table below shows the total cost of crime to the residents of Central City for the year 2025 along with the projected cost per resident.

Crime	Cost to Central City	Cost per Central City Resident
Murder	$95,566	$45
Rape/Sexual Assault	$99,855	$47
Robbery	$14,834	$7
Assault	$29,558	$14
Kidnapping	$9,494	$4
Vehicle Theft	$13,022	$6
Burglary	$22,064	$10
Theft	$47,512	$22
Arson	$5,653	$3
Vandalism	$54,425	$25
Animal Cruelty	$1,755	$1
Drug Crimes	$53,187	$25
Identity Theft	$18,324	$9
Total Cost of Crime	$465,249	$218

The Intangible Cost of Crime in Central City, IA

The totals above count tangible costs only. Violent crime also carries a human cost, the pain and trauma borne by victims and their families, which research-based methods estimate so it can be compared across places. That intangible cost in Central City totals $1,127,760 ($527 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $1,593,009 ($745 per resident). All Cost of Crime figures come from scholarly research on the cost of crime. Read more about our methodology here.

Interpreting the Crime Maps

Crime rates on the map are measured per resident, so areas with heavy visitor traffic can read high because crime follows crowds, even where few people live. The central part of the city holds more retail establishments, which lifts recorded crime around those blocks. A red area does not always mean the neighborhood is unsafe for residents.

Airports, parks, and transit hubs create the same effect. Major airports draw large crowds with few residents nearby, so they read as high-crime spots. Parks and recreational areas do the same, and of Central City's 2,139 residents few live beside them. Before assuming an area is unsafe, weigh both the per-capita rate and the total number of incidents, and note what sits nearby.

The interactive maps load faster on a strong connection. Compare high speed internet in Central City, IA at ISP Reports.

Central City Crime Breakdown

The tables below show which crimes are used to calculate the Crime Grades above. All crime rates are shown as the number of crimes per 1,000 Central City residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Assault	0.4812
Robbery	0.2205
Rape	0.7699
Murder	0.0238
Total Violent Crime	1.495 (A)

Property Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Theft	4.289
Vehicle Theft	0.3932
Burglary	1.137
Arson	0.1094
Total Property Crime	5.929 (A)

Other Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Kidnapping	0.0732
Drug Crimes	3.362
Vandalism	3.562
Identity Theft	1.107
Animal Cruelty	0.1109
Total "Other" Rate	8.214 (C+)

Individual Central City Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Cities

Compared to surrounding cities, the rate of crime in Central City is similar. The table below shows Crime Grades for cities close to Central City.

Nearby City	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Waubeek, IA	A	A	A+
Coggon, IA	A-	A	A
Alburnett, IA	A	A+	A+
Monti, IA	A-	A	B+
Prairieburg, IA	A+	A+	A+
Whittier, IA	B+	D	A+
Troy Mills, IA	A	A+	A
Lafayette, IA	A	A+	A
Viola, IA	B	D-	A+
Ryan, IA	B+	A-	B

Crime Maps and Rates for City with Similar Populations

Central City is lower versus other cities of the same size for crime. The table below compares crime in cities with comparable overall population in the city‘s boundaries.

Similar City	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Pelham, NC	C+	B-	B-
Edgard, LA	F	D-	D-
Eros, LA	C+	C	C
Graford, TX	D+	C-	C-
Middletown, CA	D	D-	D-
Mountain Lake Park, MD	D	D	D
Muir, CA	D+	D	D
Outlook, WA	D	B	B
Owensville, OH	C+	C-	C-
Argyle, NY	B+	B	B

Considering only the crime rate, Central City is safer than the Iowa state average and safer than the national average.

Safety and school performance are separate topics, but both shape moving decisions. Using SchoolGrade data, schools in Central City, IA average SchoolGrade of A, with 63% actual proficiency versus 61% projected; overall, schools exceed expectations. See Central City schools on SchoolGrade

About the Data

CrimeGrade.org provides highly detailed and accurate crime data, used by insurance companies, home security firms, and other industries. Our data is available for licensing—learn more about our USA crime data and licensing.

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All maps and statistics above are projections, not certainties, and provided without guarantee free of charge. Verify all info before making any decisions based on the data.