The crime rate in Selmer is considerably higher than the national average across all communities in America from the largest to the smallest, although at 30 crimes per one thousand residents, it is not among the communities with the very highest crime rate. The chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in Selmer is 1 in 33. Based on FBI crime data, Selmer is not one of the safest communities in America. Relative to Tennessee, Selmer has a crime rate that is higher than 90% of the state's cities and towns of all sizes.

Separately, it is always interesting and important to compare a town's crime rate with those of similarly sized communities - a fair comparison as larger cities tend to have more crime. NeighborhoodScout has done just that. With a population of 4,453, Selmer has a combined rate of violent and property crime that is very high compared to other places of similar population size. Regardless of whether Selmer does well or poorly compared to all other cities and towns in the US of all sizes, compared to places with a similar population, it fares badly. Few other communities of this size have a crime rate as high as Selmer.

Now let us turn to take a look at how Selmer does for violent crimes specifically, and then how it does for property crimes. This is important because the overall crime rate can be further illuminated by understanding if violent crime or property crimes (or both) are the major contributors to the general rate of crime in Selmer.

For Selmer, we found that the violent crime rate is one of the highest in the nation, across communities of all sizes (both large and small). Violent offenses tracked included rape, murder and non-negligent manslaughter, armed robbery, and aggravated assault, including assault with a deadly weapon. According to NeighborhoodScout's analysis of FBI reported crime data, your chance of becoming a victim of one of these crimes in Selmer is one in 178.

NeighborhoodScout's analysis also reveals that Selmer's rate for property crime is 25 per one thousand population. This makes Selmer a place where there is an above average chance of becoming a victim of a property crime, when compared to all other communities in America of all population sizes. Property crimes are motor vehicle theft, arson, larceny, and burglary. Your chance of becoming a victim of any of these crimes in Selmer is one in 40.

Importantly, we found that Selmer has one of the highest rates of motor vehicle theft in the nation according to our analysis of FBI crime data. This is compared to communities of all sizes, from the smallest to the largest. In fact, your chance of getting your car stolen if you live in Selmer is one in 318.