The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Smith County, MS

Smith County is home to 14,100 residents and includes Taylorsville and Raleigh · Updated November 2026

Is Smith County, MS safe?

Yes. Crime is low across most of the US, and lower still in Smith County: an overall CrimeGrade™ of A+, safer than the neighborhoods where 99% of Americans live. Violent and property crime both grade A+ here. Every neighborhood in Smith County grades A+.

A+
Overall CrimeGrade™Safety score 996 of 1,000
Safer than nearly all US neighborhoods What this means

99% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime than Smith County as a whole, and 1% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a safety score of 838, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. Smith County scores 996.

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 998 of 1,000Less violent crime than nearly all US neighborhoods
A+
Property crimeSafety score 991 of 1,000Less property crime than nearly all US neighborhoods

How it works


Crime map of Smith County

Map of Smith 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 Smith County, MS at ISP Reports.

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

Thefts are uncommon. Smith County has thefts at a small fraction of the US rate: 1.9 a year per 1,000 residents, against 13.1 nationally.


How places in Smith County compare

Every part of Smith 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. 1Cohay1,460A+998
  2. 2Mize2,800A+996

Most crime

  1. 1Taylorsville4,090A+979
  2. 2Montrose1,060A+994

Cities and towns in Smith 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 north side has the least crime and the southeast side the most.


Crime rates and types in Smith County

CrimeGrade™ estimates Smith County has about 5.1 reported crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, 86% less than the US as a whole and 84% 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.

Theft is the most common crime in Smith County, about 38% of everything reported.

CrimeCrimeGrade™Reported a yearPer 1,000 residentsUS per 1,000
Violent crime
MurderA+under 1under 0.010.05
RapeA+20.120.38
RobberyA+under 1under 0.010.62
AssaultA+141.012.3
Property crime
BurglaryA+80.582.4
TheftA+271.913.1
Vehicle theftA+110.792.7
ArsonA+30.190.12
VandalismA+70.485.5

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 Smith County compares with nearby counties

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

Nearby counties

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Smith CountyA+996A+A+14,100
Simpson County 21 milesA+954A+A+25,700
Jasper County 21 milesA+982A+A+16,100
Covington County 23 milesA+955A+A+18,100
Jones County 29 milesA881AA66,500
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Scott County 30 milesA+934AA+27,700
Jefferson Davis County 33 milesA+981A+A+11,100
Rankin County 38 milesA+952A+A+158,900
Newton County 38 milesA+953A+A+21,100
Lawrence County 46 milesA+953A+A+11,800
Clarke County 46 milesA+964A+A+15,300

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

Counties of similar size and density

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Smith CountyA+996A+A+14,100
Allamakee County, IAA+985A+A+14,100
O'Brien County, IAA+983A+A+14,100
Price County, WIA+979A+A+14,100
Rusk County, WIA+975A+A+14,200
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Pend Oreille County, WAA+967A+A+14,000
Trinity County, TXA+962A+A+14,000
Clay County, ALA+960A+A+14,200
Screven County, GAA+946A+A+14,100
Wetzel County, WVA+939A+A+14,100
Calhoun County, SCA+934A+A+14,200

Jobs, walkability and night lighting in Smith County

Two things set Smith County apart: it has 15 jobs for every 100 residents, against 45 for the US as a whole, and a Walk Grade of F (2 of 100) on BestNeighborhood, against 21 for the US as a whole. Places like that tend to report less theft and robbery, and theft runs low here.

JobsJobs draw daytime crowds. Places with many jobs tend to report more theft and robbery.15 for every 100 residentsUS: 45Lower than for 99% 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. 98% of residents here live in car-dependent areas.F (2 of 100)US: 21Lower than for 99% 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.8% where people liveUS: 78%Lower than for 99% 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.under 1% of residentsUS: 24%Lower than for 98% of Americans
Stores and restaurantsShops and restaurants draw crowds and parked cars. Places with many stores tend to report more theft.6.7 per 1,000 residentsUS: 10.5Lower than for 98% of Americans
Empty homesSeasonal and vacation homes are left out. Places with many empty homes tend to report more burglary and arson.16.0% of homesUS: 7.1%Higher than for 98% of Americans

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

Counting police, courts and prisons as well as victims' losses, crime costs Smith County about $171 a year per household, 86% 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 $3.1 million a year, or $223 per resident.

How the cost breaks down
CrimeCost a yearPer resident
Murder$200,000$14
Rape$98,000$7
Robbery$1,100under $1
Assault$190,000$13
Burglary$74,000$5
Theft$140,000$10
Vehicle theft$170,000$12
Arson$66,000$5
Vandalism$48,000$3
Total$980,000$69

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 Smith 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 Smith County

Schools in Smith County, MS average a SchoolGrade of C: 52% of students test proficient, against 41% projected for schools like them. Overall, they don't meet expectations. See schools in Smith County on SchoolGrade