25 American Cities With the Highest Homicide Rates
These 25 metropolitan cities have plenty to offer residents and visitors alike, from world-class cuisine to vibrant nightlife and rich American history. However, these areas also offer heavy doses of danger. Each of these municipalities earned their rankings from WalletHub based on the per-capita homicide rate in the city. With all due respect to the tourism bureaus in these cities, facts are facts.
1. Memphis, TN
The Bluff City has some of the country’s best barbecue joints, an iconic downtown headlined by Beale Street, and a rich musical history, including Stax Records, Sun Records, and ties to legends like B.B. King, Isaac Hayes, and Al Green.
However, ask your Uber driver about safety in Memphis. If they’re honest, they’ll warn you to avoid Beale Street’s chaos on Saturday night, not to venture into certain neighborhoods, and to keep your wits about you. With 13.72 homicides per 100,000 residents, Memphis is among the most dangerous American cities.
2. Washington, D.C.
As the hub of federal government operations, you would think Washington, D.C., would be fairly safe. With approximately 4,000 offices in the Metropolitan Police Department alone, few cities have a more conspicuous law enforcement presence than D.C.
Somehow, the District of Columbia has 12.3 homicides per 100,000 residents, making our nation’s capital dangerous with a capital “D.”
3. St. Louis, MO
Once-great American cities like St. Louis have endured long, slow deaths. As our nation has outsourced its manufacturing to foreign countries with lax worker safety and well-being standards, cities like St. Louis have lost their economic engines.
It shouldn’t be shocking that St. Louis’ 11.89 homicides per 100,000 residents ranked third among all American cities in Q3 2023. When legitimate jobs leave, and residents don’t move, a considerable criminal element will inevitably fill the void.
4. Detroit, MI
Some call Detroit the Motor City. However, the “D” has become notable for all the wrong reasons. In 2013, the city of Detroit formalized the largest municipal bankruptcy filing in American history. The city’s post-apocalyptic appearance has been fodder for horror films, but you don’t need to embellish Detroit’s horrifying crime stats for shock value.
For every 100,000 residents in Motown, 11.77 people pass away via homicide.
5. Baltimore, MD
Thank goodness for crab cakes because it’s increasingly difficult for residents to justify raising their children in Baltimore. While there are still plenty of ritzy neighborhoods like Fells Point, crime in Baltimore has been a persistent issue with few signs of improvement.
Homicides in Baltimore occur at a rate of 11.31 per every 100,000 residents, so you should probably order your Phillips crab cakes to go.
6. Milwaukee, WI
Despite the clichés about Midwestern hospitality, Milwaukee suffers from the same poverty, lack of blue-collar jobs, and social tensions that plague most large American cities. Jeffrey Dahmer made his mark in Milwaukee, after all.
Today, just above ten out of every 100,000 Milwaukee residents will pass away of homicide. That’s tragic.
7. Atlanta, GA
Despite being one of the South’s crown jewels, Atlanta proves that Southern hospitality only goes so far. Rage-inducing traffic, large pockets of severe poverty, and a bustling nightlife scene are a recipe for homicide. Sure enough, Atlanta had the 7th most homicides per capita in Q3 2023.
8. New Orleans, LA
For a city whose image is one big party, New Orleans has more than its fair share of crime. You can have the time of your life catching beads at Mardi Gras, but don’t be shocked if you hear bursts of gunfire at some point between Endymion and Bacchus.
With 7.55 homicides per 100,000 residents, perhaps you should do Bourbon Street during the daylight hours.
9. Richmond, VA
Many cities in Northern Virginia serve as home to employees who regularly commute to the nation’s capital. It’s unclear whether these commuters are bringing D.C.’s crime epidemic home from the office. However, it would be one explanation for Richmond’s 7.09 homicides per 100,000 residents.
10. Norfolk, VA
Norfolk, Newport News, and Virginia Beach are water-adjacent cities that should—in theory—be idyllic beach towns defined by rest and relaxation. Instead, homicide statistics in Norfolk make you wonder whether the U.S.S. Wisconsin battleship (parked in Norfolk’s harbor) is still active.
6.29 homicides per 100,000 residents is far too high for any waterfront city.
11. Kansas City, MO
Bleeding Kansas was a pivotal turning point in American history. Apparently, those contributing to Kansas City’s (Missouri, but still) well-above-average homicide rate take their history lessons far too literally.
12. Philadelphia, PA
With one Instagram Reel or YouTube Short documenting Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood, it becomes clear that human life (to some) does not carry the value it once did in the City of Brotherly Love. In addition to 5.89 homicides per 100,000 residents, Philadelphia also saw 1,413 accidental overdose deaths in 2022—an 11% increase from the previous year.
13. Chicago, IL
Because of its large population, Chicago does not stand out in terms of per-capita homicide rates. When you consider the total number of people who lose their lives to senseless violence each year, though, Chicago is usually at or near the top.
Chi-Town saw the largest increase in homicides of all American cities between 2021 and 2022, an alarming trend for an American city headed in the wrong direction.
14. Las Vegas, NV
Many advertisements for Las Vegas include a not-so-subtle undertone: “You can break the law here.” It’s not stated, but it’s implied.
And yet, there is no question that homicide is always beyond the pale, whether in Vegas or elsewhere. With 5.2 homicides per every 100,000 residents, too many Las Vegans are taking the “anything goes” mentality far too far.
15. Dallas, TX
Any perception of Dallas as a “safe” city shattered the moment a beloved American president expired on Dealey Plaza. Unlike the J.F.K. assassination, there is no debate about whether a lone menace or multiple culprits besiege current-day Dallas. With more than five homicides per 100,000 residents, many people are to blame for the danger in Dallas.
16. Albuquerque, NM
Breaking Bad introduced most viewers to a criminal underbelly in Albuquerque that they did not know existed. Between New Mexico’s position on the Southern border (a superhighway for contraband), generational poverty, and widespread addiction problems, Albuquerque’s 4.98 homicides per 100,000 residents makes plenty of sense.
17. Jacksonville, FL
If you are watching a Florida-centric episode of Cops or reading the latest viral “Florida Man” story, there is a strong chance you’re watching or reading about Jacksonville. 4.69 homicides per 100,000 residents is certainly not the Margaritaville-type vibes Florida is known for.
18. Minneapolis, MN
Did you know that Minneapolis, MN, once earned the nickname “Murderapolis?” Neither did I.
In the wake of George Floyd’s passing in 2o20, a prolonged period of chaos included a substantial rise in the homicide rate. As of Q3 2023, Minneapolis remains one of America’s most deadly major cities.
19. Indianapolis, IN
Those unfamiliar with the Midwestern United States might assume that residents are unfailingly kind and cheerful, as popular culture tends to portray them. While there are plenty of hospitable residents in Indianapolis (and throughout the Midwest), there are also people who don’t think twice about snatching a life.
With 4.43 homicides per 100,000 people, Indiana is one of America’s Top 20 Most Deadly Cities, believe it or not.
20. Denver, CO
Based on census data and anecdotal evidence, the mass migration to Denver is over. The high cost of living (fueled in part by the massive influx of residents from other states) and the proliferation of homelessness are among the reasons for flight.
The crime has gotten out of hand, too. While 3.82 homicides per 100,000 people is not outrageous for a city of Denver’s size, this data is just one of several metrics that indicate Denver is less safe than it was two decades ago.
21. Nashville, TN
The unofficial Bachelorette Party capital of the United States, Nashville, proves that rising crime is an unavoidable feature of urban sprawl. The homicide rate in Nashville has risen in unison with the high-rises under perpetual construction in Music City.
The rate hit 3.81 deaths per 100,000 people in Q3 2023.
22. Seattle, WA
Critics who have lamented Seattle’s apparent descent into lawlessness need look no further than the ongoing rise in homicide rates. There is no way to fudge the numbers when it comes to someone losing their life, and Seattle set a record pace for this dubious statistic as of September 2023.
23. Raleigh, NC
With just over three homicides per 100,000 residents, Raleigh is a somewhat unexpected entrant on this list. With a population steadily encroaching on 500,000 people, Raleigh is a substantial city with big-city problems, including the indiscriminate loss of life.
24. Anchorage, AK
Alaska becomes a dark, lonely place in the winter. The state attracts misfits, criminals, and other questionable characters. This is a volatile recipe that helps explain why Anchorage has 2.39 homicides per 100,000 residents.
25. Los Angeles, CA
Year-round temperate weather can cure many ills, but it is apparently not enough to quell some Angelinos’ homicidal impulses. With 2.23 homicides per 100,000 residents, you might love L.A., but you also have to lock your doors at night.
Source: WalletHub.
