Despite Atlanta's reputation, the city is not as dangerous as many perceive it to be. The crime rate has dropped during the late 1990s and 2000s and reached a near forty-year low in 2005. In the past, Atlanta was ranked in the top three for U.S. cities with the highest crime rates repeatedly for many consecutive years but, since 2005, the city's ranking has been off the top ten.
Still, precautions should still be taken as in any other major city, such as not traveling alone at night, and being aware of which neighborhoods and areas are more prone to crime. In Atlanta, the Southwest and Southeast area have reported the most incidents of crime. Also, statistics indicate that 2006 and 2007 were two consecutive years of an increase in overall number of crimes citywide, although there was a decrease in per capita crimes both years.
It should be noted that much of the crime is drug-related and out of sight so long as you are not in low-income areas. Outside of the perimeter, the crime rates are significantly lower (except perhaps in Dekalb County). Muggings are rare, even at night, and as a tourist/visitor to the city, you should be safe.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Atlanta
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Atlanta - updated May 2024
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Atlanta Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
