Introduction
When you think of crime in Sangamon County, Illinois, you might picture Springfield making headlines—but is it really the most dangerous city in the county? We dug deep into the numbers from multiple trusted sources to rank each city by total reported crimes. The results might shock you—and could make you rethink which areas are safest to live, work, or visit.
County-Wide Crime Overview
According to CrimeGrade.org, Sangamon County has an overall crime rate of 23.91 per 1,000 residents, ranking it safer than about 70% of U.S. counties. Here’s how that breaks down:
Violent crime rate: 2.76 per 1,000 residents (B+ grade, 72nd percentile for safety)
Property crime rate: 21.15 per 1,000 residents
Estimated cost of crime (2025): $391 per resident / $914 per household
Even though the county as a whole appears moderately safe, crime is not evenly distributed—some cities are far riskier than others.
Crime Rankings: Cities in Sangamon County
1. Springfield — The Crime Capital of the County
Total crimes: ~5,990 (2019 data, DataCommons)
Violent crime rate: ~360 per 100,000 people (239% above national average)
Property crime rate: ~448 per 100,000 people (174% above national average)
Crime grade: F in most categories (CrimeExplorer)
Springfield isn’t just the largest city in Sangamon County—it also tops the charts for both violent and property crime.
2. Riverton
Total crimes: ~110
With far fewer incidents than Springfield, Riverton still makes it to second place simply due to its size and crime volume.
3. Virden
Total crimes: ~104
Virden’s crime numbers are close to Riverton’s, keeping it in the top three but still miles behind Springfield’s staggering totals.
4. Chatham
Total crimes: ~96
Chatham boasts lower crime rates, making it one of the safer larger communities in the county.
5. Sherman — The Safest in This List
Total crimes: ~31
Sherman stands out for its notably low crime numbers, offering residents and visitors a relatively peaceful environment.
What the Rankings Tell Us
The gap between Springfield and the rest of the cities is massive—Springfield’s total crimes are more than 50 times higher than Sherman’s. This is partly due to Springfield’s population size and urban density, but socioeconomic conditions, policing resources, and community programs also play a major role.
