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Kennesaw, Georgia: Violent Crime Surge Outpaces Population Growth
CATEGORY
Crime
DATA
Violent Crime
Median Rent
Racial Distributions
Population
Loading Content...
Crime
Violent Crime
Median Rent
Racial Distributions
Population
Kennesaw, located in Georgia, has experienced notable changes in its violent crime landscape over the past decade. From 2010 to 2022, the total number of violent crimes increased from 20 to 64, representing a 220% increase. During this same period, the population grew from 45,331 to 51,742, a 14.1% increase. This disparity between crime and population growth rates suggests a disproportionate rise in violent crime relative to the city's expansion.
Murder rates in the city have remained remarkably low, with only one reported case in 2014 and another in 2019. This translates to a murder rate of 0.02 per 1,000 people in those years, with zero murders in all other years. The percentage of state murders attributable to the city fluctuated from 0% in most years to 0.4% in 2014 and 1.79% in 2019. These figures indicate that murder is an extremely rare occurrence in the city, even as the population has grown.
Rape incidents have shown significant fluctuation over the years. Reported cases increased from 2 in 2010 to 12 in 2022. The rape rate per 1,000 people rose from 0.04 in 2010 to 0.23 in 2022. The city's percentage of state rape cases also increased dramatically, from 0.28% in 2010 to 0.91% in 2022. This trend suggests a growing concern for sexual violence in the community.
Robbery trends show an overall increase from 5 cases in 2010 to 4 cases in 2022, peaking at 20 cases in 2015. The robbery rate per 1,000 people fluctuated, reaching a high of 0.40 in 2015 before declining to 0.08 in 2022. The city's share of state robberies increased from 0.09% in 2010 to 0.18% in 2022, indicating a growing contribution to the state's robbery statistics, albeit still a small proportion.
Aggravated assault has seen the most significant increase among violent crimes. Cases rose from 13 in 2010 to 48 in 2022, a 269% increase. The rate per 1,000 people increased from 0.29 in 2010 to 0.93 in 2022. The city's percentage of state aggravated assaults grew from 0.12% to 0.36% during this period, suggesting that aggravated assault has become a more prominent issue relative to state trends.
A strong correlation exists between the increase in violent crimes and population density. As the population density rose from 4,641 per square mile in 2010 to 5,297 in 2022, violent crimes increased at a faster rate. This suggests that the growing concentration of people may be contributing to higher crime rates.
Applying predictive models based on these trends, it's projected that by 2029, Kennesaw could see approximately 90 violent crimes annually if current trends continue. This would represent a further 40.6% increase from 2022 levels.
In summary, Kennesaw has experienced a significant increase in violent crimes, particularly aggravated assaults, outpacing its population growth. While murder rates remain low, the rise in other violent crimes, especially in relation to state percentages, indicates a changing safety landscape. The correlation with increasing population density suggests that managing urban growth and implementing targeted crime prevention strategies will be crucial for maintaining community safety in the coming years.
