The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Madison County, MS

Madison County is home to 111,600 residents and includes Madison and Ridgeland · Updated November 2026

Is Madison County, MS safe?

Yes. Most US neighborhoods have little crime, and Madison County has less than most of them: its overall CrimeGrade™ is A+, safer than the neighborhoods where 76% of Americans live. Property crime grades better than violent crime here, A+ against A. What matters most is the neighborhood: grades within Madison County run from A+ to F, so check the map or the safest and least safe places below.

A+
Overall CrimeGrade™Safety score 926 of 1,000
Safer than most US neighborhoods What this means

76% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime than Madison County as a whole, and 24% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a safety score of 838, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. Madison County scores 926.

Crime is concentrated in a small share of places, so most neighborhoods score high on the 0 to 1,000 scale. That is why a score in the 800s can still mean more crime than most US neighborhoods.

A
Violent crimeSafety score 910 of 1,000Less violent crime than most US neighborhoods
A+
Property crimeSafety score 954 of 1,000Less property crime than most US neighborhoods

How it works


Crime map of Madison County

Map of Madison County shaded by overall CrimeGrade™, from green for the least crime to red for the most
Click the map to explore
F D C B A+
Highest crime Safest
Colorblind friendly off

How to read the map: each area's color compares its crime with the people, homes and cars there, on one national scale, from green for the least crime to red for the most. Each area gets its own color, so a busy shopping center can show red while the homes beside it stay green. The interactive maps load faster on a strong connection. Compare high speed internet in Madison County, MS at ISP Reports.

Who this page is for: homeowners and renters in Madison County, and anyone thinking about buying or renting a home there.

Business and enterprise customers: this free map shows neighborhood areas. CrimeGrade™ business reports map crime at about 66-meter detail and estimate it for one address and type of business. See business reports


What stands out in Madison County

Car thefts and burglaries both run low. In Madison County, each runs at a small fraction of the US rate: 0.60 car thefts and 0.61 burglaries a year per 1,000 residents, against 2.7 and 2.4 nationally.

Thefts from cars happen in the morning far more often than nationally. In Madison County, 42% of reported thefts from cars happen in the morning (6 am to noon), against 23% nationally.


The safest and most dangerous places in Madison County

Most of Madison County grades well: 94% of residents live in areas graded A or B, and 2% in areas graded D or F. Grades across Madison County run from A+ to F; 75% of residents live in areas with less crime than the typical US neighborhood.

A or B 94%C 4%D or F 2%

Share of residents, by the overall CrimeGrade™ of the area they live in.

Least crime

  1. 1Farmhaven1,240A+983
  2. 2Stokes1,520A+981
  3. 3Madisonville1,340A+979
  4. 4Meltonville1,710A+978

Most crime

  1. 1Canton19,700A-822
  2. 2Ridgeland27,000A-840
  3. 3Madison50,500A+968
  4. 4Flora5,690A+970

Cities and towns in Madison County with at least 1,000 residents. Ranked by overall CrimeGrade™; beside each grade is its safety score, from 0 to 1,000 (higher is safer), and the other numbers are residents.

Across the county, the east side has the least crime and the Madison and Ridgeland areas the most.


Crime rates and types in Madison County

CrimeGrade™ estimates Madison County has about 15 reported crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, 58% less than the US as a whole and 51% less than Mississippi.

Overall crime

Violent crime

Property crime

Reported crimes a year, per 1,000 residents. These figures include simple assaults and vandalism, which the FBI's violent and property crime rates leave out.

Assault is the most common crime in Madison County, about 43% of everything reported.

CrimeCrimeGrade™Reported a yearPer 1,000 residentsUS per 1,000
Violent crime
MurderA60.050.05
RapeA+160.150.38
RobberyA+120.110.62
AssaultA7426.612.3
Property crime
BurglaryA+680.612.4
TheftA+5965.313.1
Vehicle theftA+670.602.7
ArsonA+100.090.12
VandalismA+2071.95.5

Each CrimeGrade™ compares a crime with what it affects: people for assaults and robbery, homes for burglary, parked cars for vehicle theft. Rates count crimes per 1,000 residents.

Select a crime's name to see its map above. CrimeGrade™ business reports map each crime at about 66-meter detail.


Where and when crime happens in Madison County

These figures come from the reports of the police departments across Madison County, 2022 to 2024.

In Madison County, 59% of burglaries hit homes, against 57% nationally.

CrimeMost often atBusiest time
BurglaryHomes (59%)Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
Car theftHomes (37%)Morning (6 am to noon)
Theft from carsHomes (37%)Morning (6 am to noon)
VandalismHomes (49%)Morning (6 am to noon)
Aggravated assaultHomes (67%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)

Shares of the crimes reported to police, 2022 to 2024. Reports with no time recorded are left out of the times.


How Madison County compares with nearby counties

Madison County has less crime than 5 of its 10 nearest counties.

Nearby counties

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Madison CountyA+926AA+111,600
Rankin County 16 milesA+952A+A+158,900
Hinds County 17 milesB658B-A-218,500
Yazoo County 27 milesA+926AA+24,800
Scott County 34 milesA+934AA+27,700
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Leake County 38 milesA+947A+A+21,300
Holmes County 40 milesA865A-A+16,200
Simpson County 44 milesA+954A+A+25,700
Warren County 45 milesA850AA43,000
Copiah County 46 milesA890AA+27,900
Attala County 49 milesA+981A+A+17,500

Nearest first, with each place's distance from Madison County. Beside each overall CrimeGrade™ is its safety score, from 0 to 1,000 (higher is safer).

Compared with counties of similar size and density, Madison County is safer than 69% of them.

Counties of similar size and density

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Madison CountyA+926AA+111,600
Flathead County, MTA+951A+A+110,700
Ontario County, NYA+947A+A+112,600
Douglas County, ORA+936A+A112,100
Hanover County, VAA+928AA+112,900
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Hardin County, KYA+927AA+111,900
Cass County, MOA904AA110,800
Limestone County, ALA896AA111,200
LaPorte County, INA890AA111,900
Platte County, MOA866AA-110,400
Bradley County, TNA854AA111,100

Shops, walkability and jobs in Madison County

Two things set Madison County apart: it has 15.2 stores and restaurants for every 1,000 residents, against 10.5 nationally, and a Walk Grade of D- (8 of 100) on BestNeighborhood, against 21 for the US as a whole. Places with many stores and restaurants tend to report more theft, yet theft runs lower here than that would suggest.

Stores and restaurantsShops and restaurants draw crowds and parked cars. Places with many stores tend to report more theft.15.2 per 1,000 residentsUS: 10.5Higher than for 97% of Americans
Walk GradeBestNeighborhood's grade for getting through daily life on foot, traced along real walking routes to shops, schools and parks. Walkable places tend to report more theft. 91% of residents here live in car-dependent areas.D- (8 of 100)US: 21Lower than for 86% of Americans
JobsJobs draw daytime crowds. Places with many jobs tend to report more theft and robbery.57 for every 100 residentsUS: 45Higher than for 84% of Americans
Show all 6
Residents in dense blocksBlocks of 10,000 or more people per square mile. Dense neighborhoods tend to report more robbery.4% of residentsUS: 24%Lower than for 83% of Americans
Lit at nightSatellite images show which neighborhoods are lit at night, a sign of busy streets and businesses. Brightly lit places tend to report more theft and vandalism.71% where people liveUS: 78%Lower than for 70% of Americans
Transit serviceBuses and trains an hour at the evening rush. Places with busy transit tend to report more theft and robbery. BestNeighborhood's Transit Grade for Madison County: F (0 of 100).under 1 trip an hourUS: noneLower than for 68% of Americans

BestNeighborhood, a sister site of CrimeGrade™, ranks the neighborhoods of Madison County on shops, parks, home prices, getting around and more.

These traits tend to go with more or less crime; none of them causes it on its own. Sources: Census job counts and housing figures, OpenStreetMap and Overture business listings, CrimeGrade™ parking estimates, NASA night-light imagery, US Forest Service tree cover, EPA transit data and BestNeighborhood's Walk Grade.


What crime costs Madison County

Counting police, courts and prisons as well as victims' losses, crime costs Madison County about $654 a year per household, 46% less than the US figure of $1,205. The total is about $27 million a year.

Cost of crime per resident, per year

Counting the pain and suffering of victims, which comes almost entirely from violent crime, the full cost rises to about $119 million a year, or $1,066 per resident.

How the cost breaks down
CrimeCost a yearPer resident
Murder$11 million$101
Rape$990,000$9
Robbery$370,000$3
Assault$8.4 million$75
Burglary$610,000$5
Theft$3.1 million$27
Vehicle theft$1.0 million$9
Arson$250,000$2
Vandalism$1.5 million$13
Total$27 million$246

How CrimeGrade™ works

A CrimeGrade™ shows how much crime an area has compared with the rest of the country, from A+ for the least crime to F for the most. Every neighborhood in the US is graded on the same scale, so a B in Madison County means the same as a B anywhere else.

CrimeGrade™ starts from the crimes people report to police and measures each kind of crime against what it affects: people for assaults, homes for burglaries, parked cars for car thefts.

The rates on this page count crimes for every 1,000 people who live here, the way police departments report them.

Comparisons with US neighborhoods use the Census Bureau's block groups, small areas of about 1,400 residents, and count the people who live in each. The figures count crimes reported to police; many crimes, shoplifting above all, never are. Behind the grades, CrimeGrade™ tested 21,607 factors from 125 data families. For business owners, paid CrimeGrade™ location reports estimate crime at a single address for each type of business.

Where the numbers come from

  • Crime reports that police departments file with the FBI
  • State crime records and city crime data, where they are published
  • Population and housing figures from the US Census Bureau
  • Published research on what crime costs victims and communities

These are estimates of reported crime for whole areas, not a record of what happened on any one street. CrimeGrade™ updates them once a year and provides them free and without guarantee. Check local sources before you rely on them for a decision.

More about CrimeGrade™ data


Schools in Madison County

Schools in Madison County, MS average a SchoolGrade of A-: 61% of students test proficient, against 42% projected for schools like them. Overall, they greatly exceed expectations. See schools in Madison County on SchoolGrade