Two Illinois towns rank third and tenth on a new list released this week by Forbes.
But don't celebrate yet.
The list covers the Top 10 most dangerous cities in America. Released Wednesday, it cites Springfield and Rockford as two of the most violent cities in the country.
Ranking was done based on the number of crimes per 100,000 residents in the area in 2010 via stats gathered by the FBI's uniform crime report. Violent crimes are described as murder, non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Forbes only looked at cities with a population of 200,000.
Springfield ranks third on the list for 855 violent crimes last year. The state capital isn't your typical crime town, though.
The report says unemployment rates are lower than national averages, and issues such as drug use actually decreased in the city. Forbes attributes the spike in crime with the city's young population: 66 percent of citizens are under the age of 44.
Springfield isn't alone.
Rockford was tenth on the list with 760 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. Forbes reports Rockford's crime might be a product of police policy.
Last year the Rockford police switched to the National Incident-Based Reporting System. The system allows for more accurate records but also more reports than other systems. Rockford neighbor Chicago may also contribute to crime rates because of possible drug trafficking issues.
Violent crimes for the nation have fallen for the past four years.
