Murder Rate By State in 2023

Crime rates in the USA vary greatly according to countries, their density of population, and economic factors. Murder is a violent crime, so this list estimated the ranking by murder rate in the United States. The Federal Investigative Bureau has kept a record since 1930 of every year’s total number of murders. The murder report for 2020 was made available to the public in 2021 because the reports get published in the late fall of the following year.

Our table shows the numbers of murders by state per 100,000 people. And for finding the annual murder rate, you must take the states’ population, divide the value by 100,000 and multiply by the murder rate.

Here are the top 10 states with the highest murder rates in the USA in 2023!

• Mississippi
• Louisiana
• Alabama
• New Mexico
• South Carolina
• Missouri
• Illinois
• Tennessee
• Maryland
• Arkansas

So, let’s discuss the top 10 states which have the highest murder rates in the USA in 2023!

10. Arkansas

For the good people of Arkansas, the top ten dangerous places in Arkansas should come as no surprise. These cities helped merge the state as the country’s fourth most dangerous state and ranked number five for the highest murder rate in 2020. Unfortunately, Little Rock leads the charge, the most dangerous spot in Arkansas. Arkansas is one of the five most vulnerable states, despite an average reduction of violent crime in 2020 and 2021.

The violent crime rates in Arkansas are due to violence in a few cities. In 2020, 1.3 million violent crimes were reported in the United States, or 399 violent crimes for every 100,000 residents. The metro region, Pine Bluff’s violent crime rate, which has increased by 22.6% year over year to 1,098 incidents per 100,000 residents, is now over three times higher than the national violent crime rate. Helena is the most dangerous city in Arkansas, with the crime rate 118% higher than in every other city in Arkansas.

9. Maryland 

In 2020, Maryland reported a crime rate of 468.7 per 100,000 people. Violence mainly focuses on urban areas in Maryland. Baltimore is the dangerous city in the state with a violent crime rate of 1,8334 incidents per 100,000 people and ranked number nine on this list of the top ten states of America with the highest murder rate as 12.2 per 100,000 people.

8. Tennessee

Although the rate of violent crime in Tennessee decreased by 0.4% from the previous year, the overall rate remained at 6.7 incidents per 1,000 people. In contrast, the number of property crimes per 1,000 inhabitants decreased from 24.9 to 22.8. Tennessee ranks eight in the list of murder rate by state in 2023.

7. Illinois 

According to recent police department statistics, Chicago experienced fewer shootings in February 2023 than in any February since at least 2019, and the number of homicides in the first three months of 2023 was lower than in each of the previous two years.

Chicago has recorded 79 homicides this year through the end of February, according to figures from the Chicago Police Department published on Wednesday. This total is down 14% from the same point in 2021 but up 13% from this year.

Comparing the sum to the first two months of 2020, it has increased by 13%. The latest recent statistics show that there were 695 killings committed in the city throughout the entire year 2022.

6. Missouri

With 12.4 murders per 100,000 people, Missouri has the sixth-highest murder rate in the nation. Murders in Missouri are disproportionately concentrated in urban regions. The murder rate in Missouri increased from a rate of 10.8 in 2019.

5. South Carolina

Nationally, the 5th highest violent crime rate lies with Alabama in South Carolina. While South Carolina’s violent crime overall was on the decline, the murder rate did rise by 0.89% between 2020 and 2021, with 566 murders committed in 2021, the highest number since 1991. The murder rate in South Carolina is 13.4 per 100,000 people.

4. New Mexico

New Mexico continues to have higher-than average crime rate all over the state and still has the fourth-highest violent crime rate all over in the US, after Alaska (15.9 incidences per 100,000).

In 2022, 120 homicides, according to APD. That number surpasses the APD record of 110 homicides from 2021. Homicides will statistically increase 71% between 2017 and 2022, according to APD data. There were reported 70 killings in 2017.

3. Alabama

Both property and violent crime rates in Alabama are higher than the national average, and both have been rising over time. This year, the violent crime rate increased from 4.5 per 1,000 people to 6.0. Property crime in the state increased from 21.4 per 1,000 incidents to 25.9. More violent crimes occur in Alabama than in the rest of the nation.

2. Louisiana

In Louisiana, 21.3 murders per 100,000 residents occur, and that’s why the state has the 2nd highest murder rate in the U.S. In Louisiana, murder has been occurring more in the metropolitan area, especially in New Orleans. With about 41 homicides per 100,000 people, New Orleans has the highest homicide rate in Louisiana. In 2021, a total of 221 murders were reported, and by November 2022, there had already surpassed the tally from the previous year.

1. Mississippi

The highest murder rate in the United States is in Mississippi. A rate of 23.7 killings per 100,000 residents is Mississippi’s current murder rate.

Crime tends to happen in more difficult areas, but Mississippi is an exception. Although the poverty rate is 19.7 percent, Mississippi is more vulnerable to violent crime than the other states of the U.S. The number of crimes in Mississippi is 7,490 per 1000 people.

The table below shows The Ten States of the U.S. with the highest murder rate in 2023! Now, if you want to take a glimpse of all the state ranking along with their respective murder rate, then have a look.

Lowest Murder Rate By State:

If you are still curious to find the data of the least ten States having the lowest murder rate, then here you go!

Conclusion

In a decade back in 2010, the USA suffered one of the lowest killing rates per state. A variety of variables could cause the rise in murder rates. The pandemic’s economic instability and emotional trauma, which hit communities that were already struggling the hardest, as well as an increase in an open carry of firearms are just a few of the factors that violence experts who study violence suggest may have contributed to the murder rate increase. But the gun homicide rate by state stayed below the levels seen in past decades.

Thus, we are certain this article helps you know the most dangerous and safest place to live in the US and compare the states based on the murder rate.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q1. What State has the Highest Murder Rate?

Mississippi was the most deadly state, with 23.7 murders per 100,000 citizens, while New Hampshire, Vermont and Wyoming was the most reliable, with a murder rate of 0 per 100,000 population.

Q2. What City has the Highest Murder Rate?

In 2022, New Orleans had the highest homicide rate in the country (74.3 per 100,000 residents). According to Wirepoints, St. Louis (68.2), Baltimore (58.1) followed it, Detroit (48.9), and Memphis (45.9).

Q3. Which State in the US Has Highest Crime Rate?

Alaska has the highest rate of violent and property crime in any state, making it the most hazardous in the USA. With a population of 736,081, Alaska had the highest crime rate in the US in 2022, with a rate of 32.14 per 1,000 residents.

Q4. Which is the Deadliest State in America?

Mississippi is the deadliest state, with a murder rate of 23.7 per 100,000 people.

Q5. Which is the Deadliest City in America?

The most deadly city in America is St. Louis, Missouri.

Q6. Which is the Safest State to Live In?

According to the number of homicides, New Hampshire, Vermont, Wyoming, Maine, Rhode Island, North Dakota, South Dakota, Hawaii, Idaho, and Alaska are the 10 safest states in the US. Only 20 homicide incidents have been reported in New Hampshire, making it the safest state in the union.

Q7. Which City has the Most Murders in 2023?

St. Louis, Missouri, has the most murders in 2023.