This visualization, via Visual Capitalist’s Niccolo Conte, highlights the top 30 U.S. cities with the highest homicide rates per 100,000 residents, offering a population-adjusted view that goes beyond raw totals.
The data for this visualization comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via USAFacts.
New Orleans and Memphis Lead the Nation
New Orleans tops the list with 46 homicides per 100,000 people, followed closely by Memphis at 41. Both cities consistently rank near the top due to long-term structural challenges, including poverty, strained social services, and persistent violent crime.
RankMajor CityStateHomicides per 100KTotal Homicides1New OrleansLA461662MemphisTN413723St. LouisMO381064BaltimoreMD362055Washington, DC 362446BirminghamAL281877PhiladelphiaPA264028Kansas CityMO251829RichmondVA235310IndianapolisIN2221111MilwaukeeWI2119012LouisvilleKY1914613ClevelandOH1822014DetroitMI1730415NorfolkVA174016AtlantaGA1617517ChicagoIL1680518JacksonvilleFL1515319NashvilleTN1510320DallasTX1231921ColumbusOH1215922HoustonTX1154023DenverCO117724San AntonioTX1021825CincinnatiOH108326New York City (The Bronx)NY912827RochesterNY96928Las VegasNV920729PortlandOR97030OaklandCA813631Oklahoma CityOK86632PhoenixAZ733733PittsburghPA89834CharlotteNC89035OrlandoFL710436MinneapolisMN78837Los AngelesCA765938MiamiFL717639NewarkNJ75640Virginia BeachVA62941SeattleWA614142Saint PaulMN63343Fort WorthTX613444BuffaloNY65745TampaFL69046Grand RapidsMI63747SacramentoCA58648AustinTX57149New York City (Brooklyn)NY513050San FranciscoCA541
St. Louis and Baltimore also remain among the highest-rate cities. Together, these cities highlight the concentration of elevated homicide levels in portions of the South and Midwest.
Large Cities Show Lower Rates Despite High Total Homicides
Chicago, for example, recorded more than 800 homicides but ranks 16th with a rate of 16 per 100,000.
Houston, Los Angeles, and New York City boroughs show similar patterns. These cases demonstrate why total homicide numbers can be misleading when comparing risk across cities.
Mid-Sized Cities Also Experience Elevated Rates
Cities like Richmond, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee register rates between 20 and 23 per 100,000, placing them among the top 15 nationally. Although smaller in population, these mid-sized cities face similar drivers of violent crime found in larger metropolitan areas.
If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Mapped: U.S. Income Inequality by State on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.
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