Johnson City, TN vs Murfreesboro, TN: Crime Rate Comparison (2025)
A side-by-side look at reported crime in Johnson City and Murfreesboro, on the FBI-based Crime Index (0–100, higher = safer) for 2025.
Murfreesboro is the safer city
Murfreesboro scores 69/100 (grade C) versus 63/100 (grade C) for Johnson City — a 6-point gap. Johnson City's violent-crime rate is in line with Murfreesboro. Across the 8 offense categories, Murfreesboro has the lower rate in 6.
Johnson City, TN
Crime Index
- Population
- 74,280
- Violent / 100k
- 416
- Property / 100k
- 2,138
- In Tennessee
- #9 of 14
Murfreesboro, TN
SaferCrime Index
- Population
- 172,248
- Violent / 100k
- 401
- Property / 100k
- 1,554
- In Tennessee
- #7 of 14
Crime rates head-to-head
| Metric | Johnson City | Murfreesboro | US average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Index (higher = safer) | 63C | 69C | 73C |
| Violent crime /100k | 416 | 401 | 315 |
| Property crime /100k | 2,138 | 1,554 | 1,487 |
| Homicide /100k | 2.7 | 1.7 | 4.1 |
| Total reported /100k | 2,554 | 1,954 | 1,802 |
Grade shown per index band (88–100 = A … 0–29 = F). Rates are reported offenses per 100,000 residents.
By offense
Rate per 100,000 residents — the lower (safer) city is highlighted.
| Offense | Johnson City | Murfreesboro |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 2.7 | 1.7 |
| Rape | 74 | 53.4 |
| Robbery | 35 | 23.2 |
| Aggravated assault | 304 | 322 |
| Burglary | 190 | 131 |
| Larceny-theft | 1,811 | 1,291 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 124 | 126 |
| Arson | 13.5 | 5.2 |
Crime trends
Johnson City
Murfreesboro
Frequently asked questions
Is Johnson City or Murfreesboro safer?
Which has more violent crime, Johnson City or Murfreesboro?
What are the odds of violent crime in Johnson City vs Murfreesboro?
No area has zero risk
A high Crime Index score means lower reported crime relative to other US cities — it is not a guarantee of safety. Reported crime is not the same as actual crime. Research on the gap between crime that occurs and crime that gets reported to police — often called the "dark figure" of crime — estimates that roughly 40% of violent crime and about a third of property crime go unreported each year. Every index built on official statistics, including this one, necessarily undercounts real crime. That gap is exactly why homicide — the offense with the smallest dark figure — anchors the calculation instead of a more commonly reported but less reliable category like theft.
Scores on this page reflect FBI-reported data for 2025. See the full methodology →
Protecting yourself in Johnson City & Murfreesboro
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