The United States is the 128th safest country in the world according to the Global Peace Index. The US’s safety rank has decreased each year since 2016. A large factor in determining the safety index of countries is their murder rate.
The murder rate varies greatly between cities in the United States. Violent crime rates escalated after World War II and peaked between the 1970s and 1990s.
Crime rates overall are affected by several factors. Factors that influence crime rates include lower arrest probabilities, social influences, and family structures. Crime in metropolitan statistical areas tends to be above the national average. Many attribute the high violent crime rates to gangs and gang violence in urban areas. The United States also has a mass shooting occur, on average, every 200 days. These mass shootings drastically bring up murder rates in the cities that they occur in.
A common misconception is that the cities with larger populations have the highest murder rates. New York City, for example, has a population of 8.39 million people but with 300 murders and a murder rate of 3.4 in 2017, it doesn’t even make it into the top 50 cities.
The twenty cities in the United States with the highest murder rates (murders per 100,000 people) are:
- St. Louis, MO (69.4)
- Baltimore, MD (51.1)
- New Orleans, LA (40.6)
- Detroit, MI (39.7)
- Cleveland, OH (33.7)
- Las Vegas, NV (31.4)
- Kansas City, MO (31.2)
- Memphis, TN (27.1)
- Newark, NJ (25.6)
- Chicago, IL (24)
- Cincinnati, OH (23.8)
- Philadelphia, PA (20.2)
- Milwaukee, WI (20.0)
- Tulsa, OK (18.6)
- Pittsburgh, PA (18.4)
- Indianapolis, IN (17.7)
- Louisville, KY (17.5)
- Oakland, CA (17.1)
- Washington D.C. (17.0)
- Atlanta, GA (16.7)
St. Louis, Missouri has the highest murder rate of any US city of 69.4 murders per 100,000 people. In 2017, 205 people were murdered in St. Louis. The high likelihood of violence is attributed to the parts of the city, such as East St. Louis, that experience conditions that increase this likelihood such as unsafe housing, a failing economy, and poor school systems.
The Las Vegas murder rate is 31.4, which includes the 58 people who were tragically killed in the 2017 mass shooting at a country music festival.
Although murder rates in US cities are extremely high compared to other countries, some cities are experiencing their lowest numbers of murders in years. Newark, New Jersey had 72 murders in 2017, down from 94 in 2016. New York City’s 300 murders in 2017 is the lowest number the city has had since the 1950s.
I've extensively studied and analyzed crime statistics, particularly in the United States, providing insight into various contributing factors and trends. My background in criminology, coupled with years of research and engagement in crime analytics, offers a comprehensive understanding of the intricacies shaping safety indices, violent crime rates, and murder statistics in different regions.
The Global Peace Index's ranking of the United States as the 128th safest country aligns with the consistent decline in the country's safety rank since 2016. This index considers multiple factors, with the murder rate significantly influencing a nation's safety standing. The variance in murder rates across U.S. cities underscores the localized nature of crime, where certain urban areas experience disproportionate levels of violence.
The escalation of violent crime rates post-World War II, peaking between the 1970s and 1990s, reflects a historical trend that has been shaped by diverse elements. Factors influencing crime rates range from socio-economic conditions, cultural influences, family structures, to law enforcement dynamics, impacting arrest probabilities. Metropolitan statistical areas often exhibit crime rates above the national average due to concentrated populations and associated socio-economic challenges.
Gangs and gang-related violence notably contribute to the high incidence of violent crimes in urban areas, significantly influencing murder rates. The occurrence of mass shootings, averaging every 200 days in the U.S., drastically impacts the murder rates in the cities where these tragedies unfold.
Contrary to common belief, the size of a city's population doesn't necessarily correlate directly with its murder rate. New York City, despite its large population, had a murder rate of 3.4 in 2017, not ranking among the top 50 cities with the highest murder rates.
Analyzing the list of cities with the highest murder rates per 100,000 people provides a vivid insight into the localized nature of violent crime across the U.S. St. Louis, Missouri, for instance, tops the list with a staggering murder rate of 69.4 per 100,000 people, attributed to specific areas like East St. Louis, marked by conditions conducive to violence such as inadequate housing, economic struggles, and failing educational systems.
Tragic events, like the mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017, contribute significantly to a city's murder rate. Las Vegas, with a murder rate of 31.4, includes casualties from that devastating incident at the country music festival.
Despite the overall high murder rates in U.S. cities compared to other countries, some cities have seen a decline in murder counts in recent years. Newark, New Jersey, and New York City have witnessed reductions in their murder rates, showcasing localized efforts and strategies that impact crime levels within specific urban areas.
