The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Sioux County, IA

Sioux County is home to 36,200 residents and includes Sioux Center and Orange City · Updated November 2026

Is Sioux County, IA safe?

Yes. Crime is low across most of the US, and lower still in Sioux County: an overall CrimeGrade™ of A+, safer than the neighborhoods where 98% of Americans live. Violent and property crime both grade A+ here. Every neighborhood in Sioux County grades A+.

A+
Overall CrimeGrade™Safety score 986 of 1,000
Safer than nearly all US neighborhoods What this means

98% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime than Sioux County as a whole, and 2% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a safety score of 838, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. Sioux County scores 986.

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 984 of 1,000Less violent crime than nearly all US neighborhoods
A+
Property crimeSafety score 988 of 1,000Less property crime than nearly all US neighborhoods

How it works


Crime map of Sioux County

Map of Sioux 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 Sioux County, IA at ISP Reports.

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

Thefts and acts of vandalism both run low. In Sioux County, each runs at a small fraction of the US rate: 1.8 thefts and 1.3 acts of vandalism a year per 1,000 residents, against 13.1 and 5.5 nationally.


How places in Sioux County compare

Every part of Sioux County where people live grades A or B on the national scale.

A or B 100%

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

Least crime

  1. 1Boyden1,270A+991
  2. 2Hospers1,290A+990
  3. 3Rock Valley5,370A+985
  4. 4Hull2,840A+985

Most crime

  1. 1Sioux Center9,220A+977
  2. 2Hawarden2,840A+981
  3. 3Alton1,500A+983
  4. 4Orange City7,530A+984

Cities and towns in Sioux 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 northeast side has the least crime and the Sioux Center area the most.


Crime rates and types in Sioux County

CrimeGrade™ estimates Sioux County has about 8.3 reported crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, 78% less than the US as a whole and 71% less than Iowa.

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 Sioux County is assault, about 45% 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 10.010.05
RapeA+90.240.38
RobberyA+under 10.020.62
AssaultA+1343.712.3
Property crime
BurglaryA+270.742.4
TheftA+661.813.1
Vehicle theftA+160.452.7
ArsonA+20.040.12
VandalismA+471.35.5

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.


How Sioux County compares with nearby counties

Sioux County has less crime than 6 of its 10 nearest counties.

Nearby counties

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Sioux CountyA+986A+A+36,200
Lyon County 21 milesA+993A+A+12,200
Plymouth County 23 milesA+984A+A+25,700
O'Brien County 24 milesA+983A+A+14,100
Osceola County 32 milesA+988A+A+6,100
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Union County, SD 35 milesA+976A+A+17,100
Cherokee County 37 milesA+989A+A+11,600
Lincoln County, SD 38 milesA+928A+A70,600
Rock County, MN 39 milesA+987A+A+9,620
Woodbury County 42 milesA-824A-A-106,200
Clay County, SD 43 milesA+961A+A+15,200

Nearest first, with each place's distance from Sioux 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, Sioux County is safer than 99% of them.

Counties of similar size and density

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Sioux CountyA+986A+A+36,200
Harris County, GAA+978A+A+36,100
Adams County, INA+967A+A+36,200
Lincoln County, MEA+964A+A+36,100
Chippewa County, MIA+946A+A+36,300
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Laclede County, MOA+940A+A+36,400
Knox County, INA+938A+A+36,000
Marshall County, TNA916AA+36,000
Alexander County, NCA914AA+36,400
Ware County, GAA904AA36,000
Matagorda County, TXA897AA36,300

Jobs, empty homes and walkability in Sioux County

Two things set Sioux County apart: it has 3.8% of its homes standing empty, against 7.1% nationally, and 3% of its residents in dense blocks, against 24% nationally. Places like that tend to report less burglary and arson, and burglary runs low here.

JobsJobs draw daytime crowds. Places with many jobs tend to report more theft and robbery.61 for every 100 residentsUS: 45Higher than for 90% of Americans
Empty homesSeasonal and vacation homes are left out. Places with many empty homes tend to report more burglary and arson.3.8% of homesUS: 7.1%Lower than for 88% 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. 79% of residents here live in car-dependent areas.D (18 of 100)US: 21Higher than for 53% 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.3% of residentsUS: 24%Lower than for 87% 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 Sioux County: F (0 of 100).NoneUS: noneLower than for 86% of Americans
Stores and restaurantsShops and restaurants draw crowds and parked cars. Places with many stores tend to report more theft.11.8 per 1,000 residentsUS: 10.5Higher than for 83% of Americans

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

Crime costs Sioux County about $324 a year per household, counting police, courts and prisons as well as victims' losses, 73% 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 $14 million a year, or $385 per resident.

How the cost breaks down
CrimeCost a yearPer resident
Murder$820,000$23
Rape$520,000$14
Robbery$28,000$1
Assault$1.4 million$38
Burglary$240,000$7
Theft$340,000$9
Vehicle theft$250,000$7
Arson$39,000$1
Vandalism$330,000$9
Total$4.0 million$109

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 Sioux 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 Sioux County

Schools in Sioux County, IA average a SchoolGrade of A-: 80% of students test proficient, against 55% projected for schools like them. Overall, they greatly exceed expectations. See schools in Sioux County on SchoolGrade