Illinois Town Ranks 2nd for U.S. Burglary Rate

An Illinois city that is barely considered a "city" made national headlines after being named one of the most burglarized places in the country, according to a new study.

SafeWise Report Ranks Sauget, Illinois Among America's Riskiest

SafeWise, a website that says its mission is to empower people everywhere to build safe communities, ranked Sauget, Illinois, along with 48 other cities across the U.S. for burglary rates per capita.

The Top 5 Most Burglarized Cities in the U.S.

Here are the top five cities with the most burglaries per capita:

Vernon, California
Sauget, Illinois
McIntosh, Alabama
Lumberton, North Carolina
Sabula, Iowa

Why Tiny Sauget, Illinois Stands Out

With 110 burglaries reported among a population of just 208 people, Vernon is the most significant outlier of the bunch, with roughly 53 burglaries per 100 people. Next is Sauget, Illinois, with eight burglaries per 100, making it the second-worst rate in America.

A Small Town With Big Crime Stats

If you've never heard of Sauget, that's OK. The town's population is only 132. Ten burglaries in a place that small means either a spree by one very busy thief or a lot of bad luck for just a handful of residents.

Where Is Sauget, Illinois?

Located in Saint Clair County near St. Louis, Niche gave Sauget an overall score of C-, but somehow scored a B in Crime and Safety. Go figure.

How Sauget Compares to Bigger Cities Like Chicago and Milwaukee

Were you expecting Chicago to make the list? Milwaukee had nearly 2300 burglaries, but the city has over half a million people. Statistically speaking, that looks better than Sauget's tiny but crazy unlucky crime count.

Sauget’s Surprising Claim to Fame

For now, though, Sauget's claim to fame isn't its population, restaurants, or attractions. It's that it somehow managed to become America's second most burglarized town.