Cities Where the Most Murders Go Unsolved

In more ways than one, 2020 was an inflection point for violent crime in the United States. That year, the number of reported homicides surged by a record-breaking 30%, topping 20,000 for the first time in two and a half decades. Additionally, the murder clearance rate — or the number of murder cases solved as a share of all murders — fell below 55% for the first time since record keeping began in 1960. 

These trends have continued since 2020. In each of the last two years, the number of murders in the U.S. has not fallen below 20,000, and the murder clearance rate has remained under 55%. 

The FBI only considers a murder case cleared when a suspect has been arrested, charged, and turned over to the courts for prosecution, or when the suspect is dead or already incarcerated. The low homicide clearance rate nationwide is being driven, in part, by unsolved murders in several major U.S. cities. Across the country, there are dozens of major metropolitan areas where, year after year, fewer than half of all murder cases are cleared. (Here is a look at 22 famous unsolved crimes in America.)

Using data compiled by the nonprofit organization Murder Accountability Project 24/7 Wall St. identified the cities where the most murders go unsolved. Homicide clearance rates were calculated by aggregating the last 10 years of county-level homicide case data — 2013 through 2022 — to the metro area level. Metro area geographic boundaries are from the U.S. Census Bureau. Due to inconsistent reporting practices, cities in Illinois were excluded from analysis. 

From 2013 to 2022, the murder clearance rate ranges from about 49% to less than 20% among the metro areas on this list. For context, the national murder clearance over the same period was 57%. 

Recent statements made by Thomas Hargrove, a founder of the Murder Accountability Project and retired investigative journalist, suggest that homicide clearance rates have fallen, in part, because of  a lack of resources — especially as there are now thousands more homicides each year in the U.S. than there were before 2020. According to Hargrove, law enforcement agencies do not have enough trained detectives, forensic technicians, or laboratory capacity. 

Another likely factor is the erosion of trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. A recent Gallup poll found that only 43% of adults in the U.S. have a high degree of confidence in the police, down from 57% in 2013. 

This is likely attributable to highly publicized abuses of power in recent years, including the 2020 murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. According to Hargrove, individuals who distrust the police are less likely to cooperate with homicide investigations. (This is the city where police have killed the most people in the last decade.

Scroll below to see cities where the most murders go unsolved.

 

49. Providence-Warwick, RI-MA

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 48.5% (361 murders; 175 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 2.2 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2021 (49 murders; 20 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 1,673,802

48. Macon-Bibb County, GA

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 48.0% (333 murders; 160 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 14.1 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2022 (68 murders; 20 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 235,805

47. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 47.9% (951 murders; 456 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 1.9 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2017 (124 murders; 50 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 4,900,550

46. Salinas, CA

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 47.7% (354 murders; 169 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 8.2 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2015 (60 murders; 22 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 432,858

45. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 47.0% (3,928 murders; 1,848 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 9.0 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2020 (452 murders; 210 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 4,345,761

44. Lubbock, TX

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 47.0% (181 murders; 85 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 5.5 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2020 (33 murders; 9 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 328,173

43. Trenton-Princeton, NJ

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 46.8% (269 murders; 126 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 7.1 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2020 (41 murders; 15 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 380,688

42. Parkersburg-Vienna, WV

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 46.3% (41 murders; 19 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 4.6 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2017 (10 murders; 3 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 89,559

41. Midland, MI

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 46.2% (13 murders; 06 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 1.6 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2013 (3 murders; 1 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 83,674

40. Bakersfield-Delano, CA

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 46.1% (887 murders; 409 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 9.7 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2021 (124 murders; 54 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 916,108

39. Memphis, TN-MS-AR

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 46.1% (2,397 murders; 1,105 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 18.0 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2021 (364 murders; 156 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 1,330,954

38. Stockton-Lodi, CA

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 46.0% (617 murders; 284 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 7.8 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2020 (84 murders; 52 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 793,229

37. Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 45.6% (1,238 murders; 565 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 9.6 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2021 (217 murders; 73 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 1,285,426

36. Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 45.5% (499 murders; 227 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 6.1 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2016 (62 murders; 29 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 812,595

35. Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 45.2% (126 murders; 57 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 3.6 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2017 (26 murders; 5 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 354,304

34. St. Louis, MO-IL

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 45.2% (3,147 murders; 1,423 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 11.2 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2020 (401 murders; 150 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 2,799,828

33. Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 44.6% (157 murders; 70 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 5.7 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2017 (23 murders; 8 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 275,638

32. Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 44.5% (301 murders; 134 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 2.8 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2020 (50 murders; 21 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 1,094,198

31. Bay City, MI

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 44.4% (27 murders; 12 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 2.6 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2018 (7 murders; 3 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 102,821

30. Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 44.1% (1,901 murders; 838 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 8.9 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2021 (275 murders; 89 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 2,142,193

29. Brunswick-St. Simons, GA

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 44.1% (59 murders; 26 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 5.3 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2017 (13 murders; 2 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 111,077

28. Jackson, MI

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 43.9% (98 murders; 43 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 6.1 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2021 (18 murders; 10 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 160,066

27. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 43.7% (3,638 murders; 1,589 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 12.8 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2019 (434 murders; 164 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 2,835,672

26. Birmingham, AL

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 42.7% (1,039 murders; 444 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 9.3 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2022 (202 murders; 64 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 1,116,857

25. New Orleans-Metairie, LA

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 42.1% (2,349 murders; 988 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 18.9 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2022 (326 murders; 129 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 1,246,176

24. Yuma, AZ

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 40.4% (178 murders; 72 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 8.6 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2022 (29 murders; 9 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 207,842

23. Canton-Massillon, OH

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 40.1% (137 murders; 55 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 3.4 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2017 (23 murders; 5 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 399,316

22. Albuquerque, NM

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 39.9% (843 murders; 336 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 9.1 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2022 (149 murders; 22 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 923,925

21. Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 39.8% (656 murders; 261 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 5.7 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2022 (88 murders; 37 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 1,161,192

20. Sioux City, IA-NE-SD

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 39.4% (33 murders; 13 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 2.2 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2020 (9 murders; 0 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 151,207

19. Columbus, OH

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 39.1% (1,396 murders; 546 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 6.5 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2021 (229 murders; 68 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 2,161,511

18. Monroe, MI

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 37.5% (24 murders; 09 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 1.5 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2016 (6 murders; 3 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 155,609

17. El Centro, CA

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 37.1% (62 murders; 23 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 3.5 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2021 (14 murders; 5 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 178,713

16. Montgomery, AL

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 36.6% (314 murders; 115 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 8.1 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2017 (50 murders; 9 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 388,243

15. Gadsden, AL

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 36.0% (50 murders; 18 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 4.9 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2022 (9 murders; 5 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 103,088

14. Pueblo, CO

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 34.5% (145 murders; 50 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 8.6 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2022 (33 murders; 14 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 169,544

13. Springfield, OH

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 34.2% (76 murders; 26 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 5.6 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2018 (13 murders; 2 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 134,831

12. Saginaw, MI

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 32.6% (224 murders; 73 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 11.9 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2013 (36 murders; 10 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 188,330

11. Niles, MI

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 32.0% (75 murders; 24 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 4.9 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2022 (14 murders; 3 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 152,900

10. Muncie, IN

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 30.9% (55 murders; 17 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 4.9 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2022 (19 murders; 3 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 112,031

9. Columbus, IN

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 30.8% (13 murders; 04 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 1.6 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2013 (5 murders; 0 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 83,540

8. Springfield, MA

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 29.4% (235 murders; 69 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 3.4 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2019 (30 murders; 15 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 694,523

7. Joplin, MO-KS

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 29.3% (75 murders; 22 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 4.1 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2021 (13 murders; 5 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 184,086

6. Cleveland, OH

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 26.1% (1,439 murders; 375 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 7.0 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2021 (216 murders; 38 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 2,063,132

5. Santa Fe, NM

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 25.6% (117 murders; 30 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 7.5 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2022 (33 murders; 2 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 155,664

4. Youngstown-Warren, OH

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 23.5% (247 murders; 58 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 4.6 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2017 (36 murders; 7 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 535,499

3. Farmington, NM

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 22.0% (41 murders; 09 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 3.4 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2018 (9 murders; 0 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 120,418

2. Flint, MI

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 21.3% (502 murders; 107 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 12.5 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2020 (75 murders; 8 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 401,983

1. Lima, OH

• Murder clearance rate from 2013-2022: 19.2% (52 murders; 10 cases solved)
• Avg. annual murder rate, 2013-2022: 5.1 homicides per 100,000 people
• Deadliest year from 2013-2022: 2020 (12 murders; 0 cases solved)
• Metro area population: 101,115