The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Morgan County, TN

Morgan County is home to 21,400 residents and includes Wartburg and Sunbright · Updated November 2026

Is Morgan County, TN safe?

Yes. Crime is low across most of the US, and lower still in Morgan County: an overall CrimeGrade™ of A+, safer than the neighborhoods where 87% of Americans live. Violent and property crime both grade A+ here. Its neighborhoods are much alike, from A+ to A; see the map and the safest and least safe places below.

A+
Overall CrimeGrade™Safety score 953 of 1,000
Safer than most US neighborhoods What this means

87% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime than Morgan County as a whole, and 13% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a safety score of 838, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. Morgan County scores 953.

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 951 of 1,000Less violent crime than most US neighborhoods
A+
Property crimeSafety score 957 of 1,000Less property crime than most US neighborhoods

How it works


Crime map of Morgan County

Map of Morgan 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 Morgan County, TN at ISP Reports.

Who this page is for: homeowners and renters in Morgan 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 Morgan County

Theft runs low. Morgan County has 3.0 thefts a year per 1,000 residents, a small fraction of the US rate of 13.1.


How places in Morgan County compare

Every part of Morgan County where people live grades A or B on the national scale. Grades across Morgan County run from A+ to A; every part of Morgan County has less crime than the typical US neighborhood.

A or B 100%

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

Least crime

  1. 1Lancing2,240A+965
  2. 2Deer Lodge1,260A+962
  3. 3Sunbright1,500A+957

Most crime

  1. 1Wartburg6,900A+930
  2. 2Coalfield1,510A+939
  3. 3Oakdale1,640A+943

Cities and towns in Morgan 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 west side has the least crime and the center the most.


Is crime going up in Morgan County?

Reported property crime in Morgan County has fallen 66% since 2019. Too few violent crimes are reported here each year for a reliable violent crime trend. Burglaries, thefts and vehicle thefts went from about 16 to 5.3 a year per 1,000 residents (US: 18). In 2024 alone, property crime fell 17%.

Property crime, change since 2019

Morgan CountyUnited States

Source: crime reports to the FBI from the police departments across Morgan County. The charts follow crimes per resident.

Data table
YearProperty, Morgan CountyProperty, US
2016+3%+15%
2017-0%+12%
2018-3%+4%
2019+0%+0%
2020-30%-8%
2021-34%-10%
2022-51%-6%
2023-60%-7%
2024-66%-15%

Crime rates and types in Morgan County

CrimeGrade™ estimates Morgan County has about 17 reported crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, 53% less than the US as a whole and 63% less than Tennessee.

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.

The largest share of crime reported in Morgan County is assault, about 40% of the total. It also makes up the largest share of what crime costs here.

CrimeCrimeGrade™Reported a yearPer 1,000 residentsUS per 1,000
Violent crime
MurderA+under 10.030.05
RapeA+40.170.38
RobberyA+under 10.020.62
AssaultA+1507.012.3
Property crime
BurglaryA+281.32.4
TheftA+653.013.1
Vehicle theftA+271.32.7
ArsonA+40.170.12
VandalismA+944.45.5

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 Morgan County

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

In Morgan County, 74% of burglaries hit homes, against 57% nationally. Car thefts happen most often at homes: 60% of them, against 33% nationally.

CrimeMost often atBusiest time
BurglaryHomes (74%)Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
Car theftHomes (60%)Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
VandalismHomes (61%)Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
Aggravated assaultHomes (61%)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 Morgan County compares with nearby counties

Morgan County has the least crime of its 10 nearest counties.

Nearby counties

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Morgan CountyA+953A+A+21,400
Roane County 16 milesA915AA55,200
Anderson County 23 milesA885AA79,200
Scott County 25 milesA+950A+A+22,100
Cumberland County 26 milesA+934A+A+63,600
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Fentress County 26 milesA+929AA+19,300
Loudon County 29 milesA915AA+58,600
Campbell County 33 milesA+939A+A+39,800
Knox County 35 milesA-786B+A-494,100
Blount County 42 milesA890AA+139,300
Monroe County 42 milesA902AA47,700

Nearest first, with each place's distance from Morgan 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, Morgan County has more crime than 53% of them.

Counties of similar size and density

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Morgan CountyA+953A+A+21,400
Fillmore County, MNA+984A+A+21,400
Fayette County, ILA+978A+A+21,300
Allen County, KYA+971A+A+21,300
Clinton County, MOA+959A+A+21,400
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Hockley County, TXA+957A+A+21,400
Jersey County, ILA+951A+A+21,300
Leake County, MSA+947A+A+21,300
Scott County, VAA+944A+A+21,500
Moore County, TXA+935A+A+21,400
Logan County, ARA+933A+A+21,300

Walkability, shops and jobs in Morgan County

Two things set Morgan County apart: it has a Walk Grade of F (2 of 100) on BestNeighborhood, against 21 for the US as a whole, and 5.6 stores and restaurants for every 1,000 residents, against 10.5 nationally. Places like that tend to report less theft, and it runs low here.

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. 97% of residents here live in car-dependent areas.F (2 of 100)US: 21Lower than for 99% of Americans
Stores and restaurantsShops and restaurants draw crowds and parked cars. Places with many stores tend to report more theft.5.6 per 1,000 residentsUS: 10.5Lower than for 99% of Americans
JobsJobs draw daytime crowds. Places with many jobs tend to report more theft and robbery.18 for every 100 residentsUS: 45Lower than for 99% of Americans
Show all 6
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.14% where people liveUS: 78%Lower than for 99% of Americans
Empty homesSeasonal and vacation homes are left out. Places with many empty homes tend to report more burglary and arson.13.8% of homesUS: 7.1%Higher than for 95% 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 Morgan County: F (0 of 100).NoneUS: noneLower than for 86% of Americans

BestNeighborhood, a sister site of CrimeGrade™, ranks the neighborhoods of Morgan 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 Morgan County

Counting police, courts and prisons as well as victims' losses, crime costs Morgan County about $745 a year per household, 38% less than the US figure of $1,205.

Cost of crime per resident, per year

Counting the pain and suffering of victims, which comes almost entirely from violent crime, the full cost comes to about $22 million a year, or $1,011 per resident.

How the cost breaks down
CrimeCost a yearPer resident
Murder$1.3 million$59
Rape$220,000$10
Robbery$16,000$1
Assault$2.3 million$108
Burglary$250,000$12
Theft$330,000$16
Vehicle theft$410,000$19
Arson$88,000$4
Vandalism$670,000$31
Total$5.6 million$260

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 Morgan 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 Morgan County

Schools in Morgan County, TN average a SchoolGrade of D-: 26% of students test proficient, against 39% projected for schools like them. Overall, they underperform expectations. See schools in Morgan County on SchoolGrade