Bay St. Louis, MS Crime Rates: Stats & Map

C+

54%

Total crime NAT. AVG.

54%

Violent crime NAT. AVG.

74%

Property crime NAT. AVG.

Date & Last Updated: This data reflects the 2022 calendar year and was released from the FBI in September, 2023; this is the most current data available.

Statistic	Reported_incidents	_{/100k people}	Bay St. Louis_{/100k people}	Mississippi_{/100k people}	National_{/100k people}
Total crime	378	n/a (estimate)	3,569	1,992	2,324
Murder	2	n/a	18.9	7.8	6.3
Rape	2	n/a	18.9	33.7	40.0
Robbery	6	n/a	56.7	25.6	66.1
Assault	8	n/a	75.5	178.0	268.2
Violent crime	18	n/a (estimate)	170	245	370
Burglary	82	n/a	774.2	350.2	269.8
Theft	252	n/a	2,379.4	1,222.6	1,401.9
Vehicle theft	26	n/a	245.5	173.9	282.7
Property crime	360	n/a (estimate)	3,399	1,747	1,954

An Overview of Crime Rates in Bay St. Louis, MS

Crime can be categorized into two primary types: violent and property crimes. Violent crimes encompass offenses such as murder, rape, robbery, and assault, whereas property crimes involve acts like burglary, theft, and vehicle theft. The overall crime rate in Bay St. Louis is 53.6% higher than the national average. Specifically, there were 18 violent crimes reported in Bay St. Louis, equivalent to 170 per 100,000 residents, which is lower than the national average by 54%. Additionally, Bay St. Louis recorded 360 property crimes, amounting to 3399 per 100,000 people, higher than the national average by 73.9%.

Although the murder rates in America have decreased steadily since 1990, over the last few years there has been an uptick. Bay St. Louis has one of the highest murder rates in the country when compared to all other cities that reported crime in the U.S. There were a total of 2 murders in Bay St. Louis, which is 19 murders per 100,000 people.

What Do the Locals Say About Crime in Bay St. Louis?

What is the prevailing sentiment among Bay St. Louis residents regarding the state of crime? A comprehensive survey conducted by AreaVibes, involving 11 respondents, sheds light on this matter. The results were as follows: 64% of Bay St. Louis residents expressed a notable sense of security, asserting that crime was virtually non-existent in their community, and they felt at ease strolling the streets after dark. While, 36% of those surveyed held a contrasting viewpoint, perceiving a higher incidence of crime, leading them to feel apprehensive about walking alone at night.

Is Bay St. Louis a Safe Place to Live?

To get a feel for the safety of living in Bay St. Louis, it's essential to analyze both the overall crime rate and the daily incident count. Bay St. Louis presents a total crime rate that is 54% higher than the national average per 100,000 residents. Consequently, Bay St. Louis experiences an average of 1.04 daily crimes, comprising 0.05 violent incidents and 0.99 property-related offenses. This evaluation offers a comprehensive understanding of the safety landscape, aiding individuals in making informed decisions when considering relocation.

Has Crime in Bay St. Louis Increased Since Last Year?

Year-over-year crime data allows us to analyze short-term trends in crime activity. By comparing crime rates from one year to the next, we can identify patterns and shifts in Bay St. Louis crime rates. This information can be invaluable for residents looking to make informed decisions on where to live. When comparing the most recent year to the previous year, total crime in Bay St. Louis has increased by 14.6% year over year. Violent crime has decreased by 21.7% and property crime has increased by 17.3%.

Potential Causes for Crime in Bay St. Louis

In areas where employment options are limited or where a significant proportion of jobs offer meager wages, the likelihood of heightened unemployment and homelessness increases. Regions facing challenges related to unemployment or inadequate income may become more vulnerable to a surge in crime stemming from economic instability. While low unemployment rates tend to lead to reduced crime in most areas. Bay St. Louis currently has an unemployment rate of 3.6%, contrasting with the national average of 4.7%. This could be one of many factors that could contribute to a higher or lower crime rate.

Bay St. Louis has a population density of 921.5 people per square mile, while with the national average is 90.6 people per square mile. Cities characterized by high population density are frequently larger urban centers offering diverse economic prospects. Within these areas, income inequality may be accentuated, resulting in the coexistence of poverty and affluence. Such economic disparities can contribute to elevated property crimes and on occasion, violent crimes. Conversely, areas with low population density generally record lower Bay St. Louis crime rates.

In Bay St. Louis, the average rental rates are $867 per month, compared to the national average of $949. Rapid increases in rental costs can lead to neighborhood instability as residents are forced to move frequently in search of more affordable housing. This transience can weaken community bonds and hinder the establishment of social support networks, which can indirectly contribute to crime. While affordable rent and areas with higher income per capita, allow for long term renters and community bonds to the formed, therefore reducing crime rates on the long term.

Bay St. Louis crime map

The Bay St. Louis crime map provides a detailed overview of all crimes in Bay St. Louis as reported by the local law enforcement agencies. Based on the color coded legend above, the crime map outlines the areas with lower crime compared to the areas with higher crime. The Bay St. Louis crime heat map offers insight into the total crimes on a block group level. Please note that the red areas on the Bay St. Louis crime map does not always indicate that it is a dangerous area for its residents. Areas on the heat map could be inflated if they are located in high traffic areas like airports, sports centers or large parks. Other areas on the heat map could see increased crime rates if they are located in major tourist areas like the downtown core.

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Crime Quick Facts

Bay St. Louis crime rates are 54% higher than the national average
Violent crimes in Bay St. Louis are 54% lower than the national average
In Bay St. Louis you have a 1 in 29 chance of becoming a victim of crime
Bay St. Louis is safer than 36% of the cities in the United States
Year over year crime in Bay St. Louis has increased by 64%

Bay St. Louis, MS Crime Quiz

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Daily Crime In Bay St. Louis (per 100,000 people)

The number of daily crimes per 100,000 residents in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi is displayed in the graph above. As you can see, the daily crimes for Bay St. Louis are 1.79 times more than the Mississippi average and 1.54 times more than the national level. Daily violent crimes in Bay St. Louis are 1.44 times less than than Mississippi and 2.18 times less than the national mean. While daily property crimes in Bay St. Louis are 1.95 times more than than Mississippi and 1.74 times more than the national average.

How Safe is Bay St. Louis (higher is better)

Compared to the other cities in Mississippi and all other cities across the US, is Bay St. Louis safe? From the gauges displayed above, you will notice that Bay St. Louis is safer than 44% of other cities in the state of Mississippi. In addition, Bay St. Louis is safer than 36% of cities in the entire United States. To achieve these results, all Mississippi and United States cities were analyzed to determine how many locations had a lower crime rate than Bay St. Louis. By studying this data, it was possible to determine that Bay St. Louis is below average in safety when compared with other United States cities.

Chance of Being A Victim of Crime in Bay St. Louis

The chance of being a victim of violent crime in Bay St. Louis is 1 in 589

The chance of being a victim of property crime in Bay St. Louis is 1 in 30

The chance of being a victim of crime in Bay St. Louis is 1 in 29

Interested in knowing the odds that you will be a crime victim in Bay St. Louis? In Bay St. Louis, you have a 1 in 589 chance of falling victim to a violent crime, such as rape, robbery, assault, or even murder. In terms of property crime, your chances of being a victim are 1 in 30. These crimes include theft, vehicle theft, and burglary. Your overall chance of being a victim of crime in Bay St. Louis, MS is 1 in 29.

Year Over Year Crime In Bay St. Louis (per 100,000 people)

The year over year crime rate per 100,000 people for Bay St. Louis is an accurate tool for tracking the rise and fall of crime, and in determining if living in Bay St. Louis has become safer or more dangerous. The year over year data displayed in the graph shows that violent crimes have increased by 13% in Bay St. Louis, while property crimes in Bay St. Louis have increased by 68%. Total crime has increased by 64% year over year.

Bay St. Louis police department

Item	Bay St. Louis	Mississippi	National
Law enforcement employees (officers & civilians)	29	4,806	558,732
Police officers & civilians /1000 residents	3.1	3.8	3.3

There are a total of 29 Bay St. Louis police officers. This results in 3.1 police officers per 1,000 residents which is 19.2% less than the Mississippi average and 5.4% less than the National average.

Sex offenders in Mississippi

State	Total offenders	Mississippi_/100K	National_/100K
Mississippi	11,060	380	266

There are a total of 11,060 sex offenders in Mississippi. This yields a total of 380 sex offenders in Mississippi per 100,000 residents which is 43% greater than the national average.

Nearby Cities With Low Crime Rates

City	Population	Violent crime_{/100k people}	Property crime_{/100k people}	Total crime_{/100k people}
DeLisle, MS	1,601	34	245	280
Lyman, MS	2,303	57	403	460
Kiln, MS	2,462	58	413	471
Pearlington, MS	803	97	692	789
Henderson Point, MS	276	99	706	805
Diamondhead, MS	8,076	105	750	856
Waveland, MS	6,352	72	1,460	1,532
Bay St. Louis, MS	13,539	170	3,399	3,569

Cities with similar population

City	Population	Violent crime_{/100k people}	Property crime_{/100k people}	Total crime_{/100k people}
Federal Heights, CO	13,537	844	3,546	4,390
Ridge, NY	13,537	409	1,640	2,048
St. James, NY	13,533	259	1,040	1,300
Pottsville, PA	13,549	379	2,004	2,383
Snoqualmie, WA	13,550	7	2,411	2,418
Bay St. Louis, MS	13,539	170	3,399	3,569

Source: The Bay St. Louis, MS crime data displayed above is derived from the FBI's uniform crime reports for the year of 2022. The crime report encompasses more than 18,000 city and state law enforcement agencies reporting data on property and violent crimes. The uniform crime reports program represents approximately 309 million American residents, which results in 98% coverage of metropolitan statistical areas.