Murder Rate By State

Last updated May 23, 2025

Homicide Rate
Number of Homicides
Top
Last
Homicide Rate 2021Question Mark
1MississippiMississippi23.7
2LouisianaLouisiana21.3
3AlabamaAlabama15.9
4New MexicoNew Mexico15.3
5South CarolinaSouth Carolina13.4
6MissouriMissouri12.4
7IllinoisIllinois12.3
8MarylandMaryland12.2
8TennesseeTennessee12.2
10ArkansasArkansas11.7
11GeorgiaGeorgia11.4
12DelawareDelaware11.3
13North CarolinaNorth Carolina9.7
14IndianaIndiana9.6
14KentuckyKentucky9.6
16OhioOhio9.3
17PennsylvaniaPennsylvania9.2
18OklahomaOklahoma8.9
19MichiganMichigan8.7
20NevadaNevada8.5
21TexasTexas8.2
22ArizonaArizona8.1
23FloridaFlorida7.4
24VirginiaVirginia7.2
25West VirginiaWest Virginia6.9
26KansasKansas6.4
26AlaskaAlaska6.4
26WisconsinWisconsin6.4
26CaliforniaCalifornia6.4
30ColoradoColorado6.3
31South DakotaSouth Dakota5.3
32OregonOregon4.9
33New YorkNew York4.8
33New JerseyNew Jersey4.8
33ConnecticutConnecticut4.8
36WashingtonWashington4.5
37MontanaMontana4.4
38MinnesotaMinnesota4.3
39NebraskaNebraska3.6
39Rhode IslandRhode Island3.6
41North DakotaNorth Dakota3.4
42IowaIowa3.2
43HawaiiHawaii2.7
43WyomingWyoming2.7
43UtahUtah2.7
46MassachusettsMassachusetts2.3
47IdahoIdaho2.2
48MaineMaine1.7
49VermontVermont1.5
50New HampshireNew Hampshire1.1

Murder in America

Across the United States, the incidence of homicide notably varies from state to state, painting a complex picture of safety and criminal activity. With populations veering from dense metropolises to sparse rural landscapes, economic infrastructures that range from burgeoning to struggling, and myriad other nuances in social, political, and judicial contexts, each state bears its own unique contributing factors to its murder rate. To break down the issue, our dataset showcases the homicide rates per 100,000 inhabitants in every state.

  • The Southern states demonstrate significantly higher murder rates than the rest of the country, with Mississippi leading at a rate of 23.7 homicides per 100,000 people, followed by Louisiana at 21.3, and Alabama at 15.9.
  • In stark contrast, the Northeast carries the lowest homicide rates. New Hampshire, the state with the lowest rate, has a murder rate of 1.1 per 100,000 inhabitants, with states like Vermont (1.5) and Maine (1.7) tailing closely.
  • There's a clear discrepancy in murder rates among states with large metropolis areas when compared to less densely populated regions. For instance, Illinois and Maryland, both of which include high-density urban areas like Chicago and Baltimore, have higher murder rates at 12.3 and 12.2 respectively, while more rural states like Wyoming have a considerably lower rate at 2.7 homicides per 100,000.
  • Interestingly, the data paints an inconsistent picture when comparing states with similar population sizes. For instance, despite having similar populations, New Mexico records a homicide rate of 15.3, while West Virginia stands at a relatively low rate of 6.9.

Region ↕Homicide Rate 2021↕# of Homicides 2021↕
Mississippi23.7656
Louisiana21.3943
Alabama15.9748
New Mexico15.3306
South Carolina13.4656
Missouri12.4716
Illinois12.31,487
Maryland12.2709
Tennessee12.2810
Arkansas11.7335
Georgia11.41,206
Delaware11.3103
North Carolina9.7991
Indiana9.6624
Kentucky9.6408
Ohio9.31,020
Pennsylvania9.21,101
Oklahoma8.9342
Michigan8.7822
Nevada8.5264
Texas8.22,391
Arizona8.1562
Florida7.41,468
Virginia7.2606
West Virginia6.9114
Kansas6.4180
Alaska6.449
Wisconsin6.4348
California6.42,495
Colorado6.3368
South Dakota5.345
Oregon4.9204
New York4.8918
New Jersey4.8409
Connecticut4.8160
Washington4.5346
Montana4.446
Minnesota4.3232
Nebraska3.670
Rhode Island3.640
North Dakota3.424
Iowa3.294
Hawaii2.739
Wyoming2.716
Utah2.791
Massachusetts2.3160
Idaho2.241
Maine1.720
Vermont1.510
New Hampshire1.115

States with the Highest Murder Rate

The highest rates are predominantly located in Southern states, with Mississippi leading the pack at 23.7 homicides per 100,000 people. It is followed closely by Louisiana, which has a rate of 21.3.

Alabama ranks third with 15.9 homicides per 100k people, whereas New Mexico isn't far behind, with a slightly lower rate of 15.3. In South Carolina, the murder rate stands at 13.4, tailing not too closely behind. Missouri earns a spot with a rate of 12.4 homicides per 100k people.

Illinois, with cities like Chicago, posts a murder rate of 12.3 per 100k people. Just below Illinois, we see Maryland, with an equal rate of 12.2 despite its smaller population size. Tennessee also posts a murder rate of 12.2 homicides per 100,000 people. The tenth state on this list is Arkansas, where the murder rate stands at 11.7.

States with the Highest Murder Rate:

  1. Mississippi - 23.7
  2. Louisiana - 21.3
  3. Alabama - 15.9
  4. New Mexico - 15.3
  5. South Carolina - 13.4
  6. Missouri - 12.4
  7. Illinois - 12.3
  8. Maryland - 12.2
  9. Tennessee - 12.2
  10. Arkansas - 11.7

States with the Lowest Murder Rate

Leading this list is New Hampshire, with only 1.1 homicides per 100,000 people, which is strikingly lower than the rates observed in states with the highest murder rates. Following closely, we have Vermont and Maine, with murder rates of 1.5 and 1.7, respectively.

Idaho and Massachusetts also demonstrate relatively low homicide rates, with a mere 2.2 and 2.3 homicides per 100,000 citizens, respectively.

States like Wyoming, Utah, and Hawaii, despite their different geographical locations and varying demography, share the same homicide rate of 2.7 per 100,000 people. Meanwhile, more centrally located states like Iowa and North Dakota report slightly higher but still considerably low rates of 3.2 and 3.4, respectively.

States with the Lowest Murder Rate:

  1. New Hampshire - 1.1
  2. Vermont - 1.5
  3. Maine - 1.7
  4. Idaho - 2.2
  5. Massachusetts - 2.3
  6. Wyoming - 2.7
  7. Utah - 2.7
  8. Hawaii - 2.7
  9. Iowa - 3.2
  10. North Dakota - 3.4
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