What cities have the highest murder rates?
Using data compiled by the nonprofit organization Murder Accountability Project 24/7 Wall St. identified the American cities with the highest murder rates. Murder rates were calculated by aggregating the number of reported murders at the county level to the metro area level and adjusting for population with data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. All data is for 2022.
Why This Matters
Still, in many cities on this list, high homicide rates correlate with other key socio-economic measures. Multiple studies have shown that lower-income, less-privileged communities typically experience higher levels of violent crime, including homicide. In 35 of the 50 U.S. metro areas with the highest rates of deadly violence, the share of residents living below the poverty line exceeds the 12.6% national poverty rate.
These are the U.S. cities with the highest murder rates.
50. Goldsboro, NC
- The murder rate in 2022: 10.2 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 12
- Poverty rate, 2022: 18.9%
- Metro area population: 117,286
49. Corpus Christi, TX
- The murder rate in 2022: 10.4 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 44
- Poverty rate, 2022: 17.2%
- Metro area population: 421,628
48. Hanford-Corcoran, CA
- The murder rate in 2022: 10.5 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 16
- Poverty rate, 2022: 18.8%
- Metro area population: 152,981
47. Fairbanks, AK
- The murder rate in 2022: 10.5 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 10
- Poverty rate, 2022: 7.1%
- Metro area population: 95,356
46. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
- The murder rate in 2022: 10.5 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 655
- Poverty rate, 2022: 11.4%
- Metro area population: 6,241,164
45. Kansas City, MO-KS
- The murder rate in 2022: 10.5 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 232
- Poverty rate, 2022: 10.7%
- Metro area population: 2,209,152
44. Decatur, AL
- The murder rate in 2022: 10.8 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 17
- Poverty rate, 2022: 13.3%
- Metro area population: 157,425
43. Evansville, IN-KY
- The murder rate in 2022: 10.8 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 34
- Poverty rate, 2022: 14.3%
- Metro area population: 314,038
42. Monroe, LA
- The murder rate in 2022: 10.8 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 22
- Poverty rate, 2022: 24.9%
- Metro area population: 202,869
41. Albany, GA
- The murder rate in 2022: 10.9 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 16
- Poverty rate, 2022: 26.2%
- Metro area population: 146,387
40. Bakersfield, CA
- The murder rate in 2022: 11.0 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 101
- Poverty rate, 2022: 17.9%
- Metro area population: 916,108
39. Sumter, SC
- The murder rate in 2022: 11.1 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 15
- Poverty rate, 2022: 12.4%
- Metro area population: 134,925
38. Greenville, NC
- The murder rate in 2022: 11.5 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 20
- Poverty rate, 2022: 20.1%
- Metro area population: 173,542
37. St. Louis, MO-IL
- The murder rate in 2022: 11.5 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 323
- Poverty rate, 2022: 11.0%
- Metro area population: 2,799,828
36. Richmond, VA
- The murder rate in 2022: 11.6 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 155
- Poverty rate, 2022: 10.7%
- Metro area population: 1,341,227
35. Baton Rouge, LA
- The murder rate in 2022: 11.6 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 101
- Poverty rate, 2022: 15.7%
- Metro area population: 873,060
34. Merced, CA
- The murder rate in 2022: 12.1 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 35
- Poverty rate, 2022: 19.3%
- Metro area population: 290,014
33. Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, IN
- The murder rate in 2022: 12.2 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 261
- Poverty rate, 2022: 10.8%
- Metro area population: 2,142,193
32. Valdosta, GA
- The murder rate in 2022: 12.5 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 19
- Poverty rate, 2022: 17.0%
- Metro area population: 151,408
31. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
- The murder rate in 2022: 12.6 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 357
- Poverty rate, 2022: 10.1%
- Metro area population: 2,835,672
30. Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN
- The murder rate in 2022: 12.6 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 162
- Poverty rate, 2022: 12.1%
- Metro area population: 1,285,426
29. Flint, MI
- The murder rate in 2022: 12.7 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 51
- Poverty rate, 2022: 16.4%
- Metro area population: 401,983
28. Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC
- The murder rate in 2022: 12.7 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 230
- Poverty rate, 2022: 11.8%
- Metro area population: 1,808,102
27. Anchorage, AK
- The murder rate in 2022: 13.2 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 53
- Poverty rate, 2022: 10.9%
- Metro area population: 400,470
26. Houma-Thibodaux, LA
- The murder rate in 2022: 13.5 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 27
- Poverty rate, 2022: 16.0%
- Metro area population: 200,656
25. Mobile, AL
- The murder rate in 2022: 13.5 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 58
- Poverty rate, 2022: 18.7%
- Metro area population: 428,780
24. Dothan, AL
- The murder rate in 2022: 13.8 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 21
- Poverty rate, 2022: 16.8%
- Metro area population: 152,517
23. Yuma, AZ
- The murder rate in 2022: 14.0 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 29
- Poverty rate, 2022: 13.2%
- Metro area population: 207,842
22. Shreveport-Bossier City, LA
- The murder rate in 2022: 14.5 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 56
- Poverty rate, 2022: 19.1%
- Metro area population: 385,154
21. Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI
- The murder rate in 2022: 14.6 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 227
- Poverty rate, 2022: 12.4%
- Metro area population: 1,559,792
20. Springfield, IL
- The murder rate in 2022: 14.6 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 30
- Poverty rate, 2022: 11.0%
- Metro area population: 205,513
19. Jacksonville, FL
- The murder rate in 2022: 15.6 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 262
- Poverty rate, 2022: 11.0%
- Metro area population: 1,675,668
18. Lawrence, KS
- The murder rate in 2022: 15.8 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 19
- Poverty rate, 2022: 16.4%
- Metro area population: 119,964
17. Saginaw, MI
- The murder rate in 2022: 15.9 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 30
- Poverty rate, 2022: 18.4%
- Metro area population: 188,330
16. Albuquerque, NM
- The murder rate in 2022: 16.1 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 149
- Poverty rate, 2022: 14.1%
- Metro area population: 923,925
15. Muncie, IN
- The murder rate in 2022: 17.0 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 19
- Poverty rate, 2022: 18.8%
- Metro area population: 112,031
14. Lawton, OK
- The murder rate in 2022: 17.2 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 22
- Poverty rate, 2022: 15.5%
- Metro area population: 128,081
13. Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR
- The murder rate in 2022: 17.3 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 131
- Poverty rate, 2022: 15.8%
- Metro area population: 757,945
12. Birmingham-Hoover, AL
- The murder rate in 2022: 18.1 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 202
- Poverty rate, 2022: 13.9%
- Metro area population: 1,116,857
11. Rocky Mount, NC
- The murder rate in 2022: 18.7 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 27
- Poverty rate, 2022: 14.2%
- Metro area population: 144,090
10. Pueblo, CO
- The murder rate in 2022: 19.5 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 33
- Poverty rate, 2022: 14.8%
- Metro area population: 169,544
9. Alexandria, LA
- The murder rate in 2022: 20.1 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 30
- Poverty rate, 2022: 17.8%
- Metro area population: 149,189
8. Decatur, IL
- The murder rate in 2022: 20.7 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 21
- Poverty rate, 2022: 14.0%
- Metro area population: 101,483
7. Santa Fe, NM
- The murder rate in 2022: 21.2 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 33
- Poverty rate, 2022: 11.8%
- Metro area population: 155,664
6. Jackson, MS
- The murder rate in 2022: 23.8 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 138
- Poverty rate, 2022: 16.9%
- Metro area population: 580,661
5. Memphis, TN-MS-AR
- The murder rate in 2022: 24.0 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 319
- Poverty rate, 2022: 15.7%
- Metro area population: 1,330,954
4. New Orleans-Metairie, LA
- The murder rate in 2022: 27.2 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 339
- Poverty rate, 2022: 15.7%
- Metro area population: 1,246,176
3. Pine Bluff, AR
- The murder rate in 2022: 28.4 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 24
- Poverty rate, 2022: 19.5%
- Metro area population: 84,460
2. Florence, SC
- The murder rate in 2022: 28.6 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 57
- Poverty rate, 2022: 21.1%
- Metro area population: 199,119
1. Macon, GA
- The murder rate in 2022: 28.8 homicides per 100,000 people
- Total murders in 2022: 68
- Poverty rate, 2022: 20.1%
- Metro area population: 235,805
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