Special Report

America's Most Dangerous States

Samuel Stebbins, Michael B. Sauter, Evan Comen, Thomas C. Frohlich

Published: May 5, 2016 5:38 pm

Last Updated: January 13, 2020 9:48 am

Violent crime has become less common in the United States in recent years. Since 1995, the incidence of violent crime has decreased by nearly half, from 685 incidents per 100,000 Americans, to 366 incidents per 100,000 Americans today. While the nation is becoming safer as a whole, in many states, violent crime is far more common than it is across the country.

Based on violent crime data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Report, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 10 states with the highest violent crime rates, and the 10 states with the lowest rates. Violent crimes include murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Of all 50 states, Alaska is the most dangerous, with 636 reported violent crimes for every 100,000 residents while Vermont is the safest, with just 99.3 incidents per 100,000 residents.

The FBI lists a range of factors that can influence criminal activity, including population density, youth concentration, poverty rates, and how states manage their justice systems, among others. While it is difficult to identify the root causes of violent behavior, violence is often conducted in similar contexts. As a result, areas with especially high violent crime rates frequently share certain social and economic characteristics. On the other side, areas with relatively low violent crime rates also tend to share some common defining characteristics.

Click here to see America’s most (and least) dangerous states.

In an interview with 24/7 Wall St., John Roman, senior fellow at the Urban Institute, explained that “places with high educational attainment and relatively higher incomes have more opportunities for citizens, so the choice to commit crime becomes less appealing.” Indeed, data show that a well-educated population tends to be more prosperous and less violent. In the majority of the 10 most dangerous states, educational attainment rates are below the national average while the majority of the 10 least dangerous states have below average educational attainment rates.

Not surprisingly, higher poverty rates tend to accompany lower educational attainment. In the majority of America’s most violent states, the poverty rate exceeds the corresponding 15.5% national rate. Meanwhile, only one of the 10 safest states is home to a larger share of people living below the poverty line than the nation as a whole.

Dense, urban areas can be a principal driver of violent crime in a state. A majority of the most dangerous states in the country have large cities with high crime rates that inflate statewide crime rates overall. Not only are the safest states home to fewer and relatively less-populated cities, but the cities in these states also tend to be safer. Conversely, all of the 10 most dangerous states have major cities where the violent crime rate is more than double the national average rate. Some cities in the most dangerous states, including Little Rock and Baltimore, have violent crime rates well over 1,000 incidents per 100,000 people.

To identify the safest and most dangerous states in America, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed violent crime rates from the FBI’s 2014 Uniform Crime Report. Property crime rates also came from the FBI’s report. The data are broken into eight types of crime. Violent crime includes murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Property crime includes burglary, arson, larceny, and motor vehicle theft. In addition to crime data, we also reviewed median household income, poverty rates, and educational attainment rates from the 2014 Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. Crime and socioeconomic data for cities with populations of at least 50,000 people also came from the FBI and ACS.

The are the most dangerous (and safest) states in America.

50. Vermont
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 99.3
> Population: 626,562
> Total 2014 murders: 10 (the lowest)
> Poverty rate: 12.2% (15th lowest)

Vermont is the safest state in the nation. Fewer than 100 violent crimes for every 100,000 people are reported each year, the lowest rate in the nation and a fraction of the national violent crime rate of 366 per 100,000. As in a number of other safe areas, relatively strong socioeconomic measures in the state likely help drive down the frequency of crime. Jobless and poor men with time on their hands, for example, are among the most likely perpetrators of crimes in the United States, and Vermont has had nearly the lowest unemployment rate over the last several years. Also, just 12.2% of individuals in the state live in poverty, one of the lower rates. But to the extent that financial instability and desperate situations can drive people to crime, Vermont’s relatively generous social services system may also help prevent some types of crime among low-income Vermonters.

49. Maine
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 127.8
> Population: 1,330,089
> Total 2014 murders: 21 (5th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 14.1% (22nd lowest)

As is the case in other safe, relatively rural New England states, the absence of any major urban centers in Maine may help keep the crime rate as low as it is. Moreover, dense, crowded areas are far more vulnerable to violent incidences, and Maine is one of the nation’s most sparsely populated states. However, several of the state’s socioeconomic measures are not nearly as strong as in other safe states. The percentage of households receiving food stamps, for example, at 16.9%, is the sixth highest in the nation.

48. Wyoming
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 195.5
> Population: 584,153
> Total 2014 murders: 16 (3rd lowest)
> Poverty rate: 11.2% (6th lowest)

States with below average poverty levels tend to have lower violent crime rates, and Wyoming is no exception. Roughly 11% of state residents live below the poverty line, one of the lowest poverty rates of any state in the country — and with less than 200 reported violent crimes for every 100,000 people, Wyoming is also one of the safest states in the country. Robberies occur very infrequently in the Equality State, where the rate is roughly one-tenth the corresponding national rate of 102 incidents for every 100,000 people.

Violent crime rates tend to be higher in major cities, where violence often drives up the overall state rate. Just like the two safest states in the country, Vermont and Maine, no cities in Wyoming have populations that exceed 100,000.

47. New Hampshire
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 196.1
> Population: 1,326,813
> Total 2014 murders: 12 (2nd lowest)
> Poverty rate: 9.2% (the lowest)

Strong economic conditions and low population density largely explain the low violent crime rate in New Hampshire. At 9.2%, the state’s poverty rate is the lowest in the nation. New Hampshire residents are also well educated — an education, as well as the opportunities for higher incomes a degree usually offers, help drive down violence in an area. Of adults in the state, 92.2% have at least a high school diploma, and 35% have at least a bachelor’s degree, each among the highest such rates nationwide. Also, like a number of other states on this list, New Hampshire is relatively rural and is home to relatively few people — although the population is well more than double that of neighboring Vermont, the nation’s safest state.

46. Virginia
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 196.2
> Population: 8,326,289
> Total 2014 murders: 338 (16th highest)
> Poverty rate: 11.8% (12th lowest)

Virginia is one of just five states where fewer than 200 violent crimes are reported per 100,000 residents each year. Unlike other safe states, however, Virginia has a relatively large population, which explains why the number of murders reported each year, at 338, is actually greater than in most states. Virginia stands out among the nation’s safest states in another factor contributing to higher crime rates — large cities — as seven of the country’s largest cities are located in the state. And while the violent crime rate in Richmond, Norfolk, Newport News, and Chesapeake far exceeded the U.S. rate, Alexandria and Virginia Beach are two of the safest metro areas in the country and help lower the state’s overall crime rate. Financial stability also helps to lower the incidence of crime as Virginians are relatively wealthy. The typical household earns $64,902 annually, the eighth highest in the nation.

45. Kentucky
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 211.6
> Population: 4,413,457
> Total 2014 murders: 160 (24th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 19.1% (5th highest)

Kentucky is one of only three states where the aggravated assault rate is below 100 incidences per 100,000 people. Relatively uncommon assaults contribute to a total violent crime rate of only 212 reported incidents per 100,000 people, one of the lowest in the country. While violent crimes tend be more common in areas with high poverty rates, Kentucky is an exception. Nearly one in five state residents live below the poverty line, one of the highest poverty rates of any state in the country. Additionally, while violent crime rates tend to decline as educational attainment goes up, Kentucky is an exception to this pattern as well. Only 22.2% of Bluegrass State adults have a bachelor’s degree, the fourth lowest college attainment rate of any state.

One factor that may partially account for the low violent crime rate in Kentucky is the state’s relatively safe cities. The violent crime rates in three of Kentucky’s large cities — Lexington, Bowling Green, and Owensboro — are well below the national violent crime rate.

44. Idaho
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 212.2
> Population: 1,634,464
> Total 2014 murders: 32 (9th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 14.8% (25th highest)

Idaho’s annual violent crime rate of just 212 violent crimes per 100,000 people is the seventh least of any state. Since violent criminals tend to be young, unemployed men, areas with high concentrations of such men often have higher crimes rates. In Idaho, however, just 37.3% of the population consists of males aged 25 to 54, the second lowest share of any state. Similarly, the 4.8% unemployment rate is among the lowest in the country. Urban areas in a state can highly influence the overall crime rate. In Idaho, cities are fairly safe. Boise, the state’s largest city, reports a crime rate of 296 violent incidents per 100,000 people, lower than the national rate of 366 violent crimes per 100,000 Americans and exceptionally low compared with other large U.S. cities.

43. Utah
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 215.6
> Population: 2,942,902
> Total 2014 murders: 67 (15th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 11.7% (11th lowest)

There are 216 violent crimes reported per 100,000 Utah residents in a single year, the eighth lowest of any state in the nation and well below the U.S. rate of 366 incidents per 100,000 Americans. Jobless and destitute men are among the most likely individuals to commit crimes, and crime rates tend to be lower in areas where job markets are healthy — as is the case in Utah. Like in most of the nation’s safest states, Utah’s unemployment rate of 3.8% is one of the lowest in the country. Similarly, just as a high poverty rate can contribute to a higher crime rate, financial stability in an area tends to lower the incidence of violent behavior. In Utah, less than 12% of people live in poverty, one of the lower poverty rates nationwide.

42. Rhode Island
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 219.2
> Population: 1,055,173
> Total 2014 murders: 25 (7th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 14.3% (24th lowest)

It is generally accepted that unemployed individuals are more likely to turn to crime. However, while the state’s unemployment rate of 7.7% is the third-highest rate in the nation, Rhode Island remains one of the safer states. Both violent and property crimes are much more common in large urban areas. This may partially explain why Rhode Island — which has only one city with at least 100,000 residents, Providence — has one of the lowest crime rates in the country.

41. Minnesota
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 229.1
> Population: 5,457,173
> Total 2014 murders: 88 (19th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 11.5% (9th lowest)

Minnesota’s violent crime rate of 229 incidents per 100,000 people is considerably lower than the national crime rate of 366 incidents per 100,000 people and among the lowest of any state. As is often the case, prosperity among Minnesota residents may help make the state a safer place. With just 11.5% of residents living in poverty, the state has one of the lower poverty rates nationwide. While Minnesota is one of the safest states overall, its larger cities are relatively dangerous. Minneapolis, for one, reports a violent crime rate of 1,012 incidents per 100,000 people, one of the highest of any city. And St. Paul’s violent crime rate of 662 incidents per 100,000 people is about 300 crimes more per 100,000 than the national rate.

40. Oregon
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 232.3
> Population: 3,970,239
> Total 2014 murders: 81 (17th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 16.6% (14th highest)

39. Connecticut
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 236.9
> Population: 3,596,677
> Total 2014 murders: 86 (18th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 10.8% (3rd lowest)

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38. Hawaii
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 259.2
> Population: 1,419,561
> Total 2014 murders: 26 (8th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 11.4% (7th lowest)

37. New Jersey
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 261.2
> Population: 8,938,175
> Total 2014 murders: 349 (15th highest)
> Poverty rate: 11.1% (4th lowest)

36. North Dakota
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 265.1
> Population: 739,482
> Total 2014 murders: 22 (6th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 11.5% (9th lowest)

35. Iowa
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 273.5
> Population: 3,107,126
> Total 2014 murders: 60 (14th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 12.2% (15th lowest)

34. Mississippi
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 278.5
> Population: 2,994,079
> Total 2014 murders: 258 (21st highest)
> Poverty rate: 21.5% (the highest)

33. Nebraska
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 280.4
> Population: 1,881,503
> Total 2014 murders: 54 (13th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 12.4% (16th lowest)

32. Ohio
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 284.9
> Population: 11,594,163
> Total 2014 murders: 464 (11th highest)
> Poverty rate: 15.8% (20th highest)

31. Washington
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 285.2
> Population: 7,061,530
> Total 2014 murders: 174 (23rd highest)
> Poverty rate: 13.2% (19th lowest)

30. Wisconsin
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 290.3
> Population: 5,757,564
> Total 2014 murders: 165 (25th highest)
> Poverty rate: 13.2% (19th lowest)

29. West Virginia
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 302.0
> Population: 1,850,326
> Total 2014 murders: 74 (16th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 18.3% (7th highest)

28. Colorado
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 309.1
> Population: 5,355,866
> Total 2014 murders: 151 (23rd lowest)
> Poverty rate: 12% (13th lowest)

27. Pennsylvania
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 314.1
> Population: 12,787,209
> Total 2014 murders: 614 (6th highest)
> Poverty rate: 13.6% (21st lowest)

26. Montana
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 323.7
> Population: 1,023,579
> Total 2014 murders: 37 (10th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 15.4% (22nd highest)

25. South Dakota
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 326.5
> Population: 853,175
> Total 2014 murders: 20 (4th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 14.2% (23rd lowest)

24. North Carolina
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 329.5
> Population: 9,943,964
> Total 2014 murders: 510 (9th highest)
> Poverty rate: 17.2% (12th highest)

23. Kansas
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 348.6
> Population: 2,904,021
> Total 2014 murders: 91 (20th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 13.6% (21st lowest)

22. Indiana
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 365.3
> Population: 6,596,855
> Total 2014 murders: 330 (17th highest)
> Poverty rate: 15.2% (23rd highest)

21. Illinois
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 370.0
> Population: 12,880,580
> Total 2014 murders: 685 (4th highest)
> Poverty rate: 14.4% (25th lowest)

20. Georgia
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 377.3
> Population: 10,097,343
> Total 2014 murders: 580 (7th highest)
> Poverty rate: 18.3% (7th highest)

19. New York
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 381.8
> Population: 19,746,227
> Total 2014 murders: 617 (5th highest)
> Poverty rate: 15.9% (19th highest)

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18. Massachusetts
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 391.4
> Population: 6,745,408
> Total 2014 murders: 132 (22nd lowest)
> Poverty rate: 11.6% (10th lowest)

17. California
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 396.1
> Population: 38,802,500
> Total 2014 murders: 1699 (the highest)
> Poverty rate: 16.4% (17th highest)

16. Arizona
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 399.9
> Population: 6,731,484
> Total 2014 murders: 319 (18th highest)
> Poverty rate: 18.2% (10th highest)

15. Texas
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 405.9
> Population: 26,956,958
> Total 2014 murders: 1184 (2nd highest)
> Poverty rate: 17.2% (12th highest)

14. Oklahoma
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 406.0
> Population: 3,878,051
> Total 2014 murders: 175 (22nd highest)
> Poverty rate: 16.6% (14th highest)

13. Michigan
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 427.3
> Population: 9,909,877
> Total 2014 murders: 535 (8th highest)
> Poverty rate: 16.2% (18th highest)

12. Alabama
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 427.4
> Population: 4,849,377
> Total 2014 murders: 276 (20th highest)
> Poverty rate: 19.3% (4th highest)

11. Missouri
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 442.9
> Population: 6,063,589
> Total 2014 murders: 403 (12th highest)
> Poverty rate: 15.5% (21st highest)

10. Maryland
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 446.1
> Population: 5,976,407
> Total 2014 murders: 365 (14th highest)
> Poverty rate: 10.1% (2nd lowest)

Based on the number of violent incidents documented by the FBI, Maryland is the 10th most violent state in the nation. Each year, approximately 446 violent crimes are reported per 100,000 state residents versus the national violent crime rate of 366 incidents per 100,000 Americans. As in most states, violence varies considerably across Maryland. In the Baltimore area, for example, the violent crime rate of 1,339 incidents per 100,000 metro area residents is one of the highest of any U.S. region and much higher than the statewide rate. Low incomes are closely tied to the prevalence of violent crime, and in Baltimore, incomes are much lower than incomes across the state. Nearly 24% of individuals in Baltimore live in poverty compared to Maryland’s 10.1% poverty rate, which is lower than in every state except for New Hampshire.

9. Arkansas
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 480.1
> Population: 2,966,369
> Total 2014 murders: 165 (25th highest)
> Poverty rate: 18.9% (6th highest)

Little Rock is the largest city in Arkansas and also a significant source of the state’s crime woes. Also the state capital, Little Rock reports the 12th highest murder rate of any large city in the country at roughly 22 murders for every 100,000 residents. Additionally, the rate of aggravated assault reported in the city, at 933 per 100,000 people, is the fifth highest of any large U.S. city. Including all violent crimes, there are approximately 1,392 violent incidents per 100,000 Little Rock residents each year.

Violent crime is more common among less affluent populations, and incomes in Arkansas are among the lowest in the nation. The typical household in Arkansas earns $41,262 annually, considerably less than the national median household income of $53,657.

8. Delaware
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 489.1
> Population: 935,614
> Total 2014 murders: 54 (13th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 12.5% (17th lowest)

Delaware has one of the highest violent crime rates in the country, with 489 reported incidents per 100,000 residents. In particular, robberies are extremely common in the state, with 136 incidents reported each year per 100,000 people, the third highest rate in the country. The high violent crime rates in most of the states on this list are driven largely by the presence of large, densely-populated cities. In Wilmington, the largest city in the state, the violent crime rate of 1,637 incidents per 100,000 residents is more than three times the corresponding statewide rate, and one of the highest of any large city in the country.

7. South Carolina
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 497.7
> Population: 4,832,482
> Total 2014 murders: 311 (19th highest)
> Poverty rate: 18% (11th highest)

Each year, approximately 498 violent crimes per 100,000 residents are reported in South Carolina. Low incomes are closely associated with high violent crime rates, and South Carolina is one of the poorer states in the nation. As many as 18% of state residents live below the poverty line, one of the higher poverty rates in the country. Crime is also more common in dense urban areas, and violence in South Carolina’s cities drives up the state’s overall violent crime rate. In Columbia and North Charleston, the respective violent crime rates of 749 and 731 incidents per 100,000 people are both more than twice the national rate of 366 incidents per 100,000 Americans.

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6. Louisiana
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 514.7
> Population: 4,649,676
> Total 2014 murders: 477 (10th highest)
> Poverty rate: 19.8% (3rd highest)

Murder in Louisiana is common even compared to the most dangerous in the country. With 10.3 murders for every 100,000 residents, the murder rate in the Gulf state is the highest in the country and more than double the national rate of 4.5 murders per 100,000 people. Louisiana’s two largest cities, New Orleans and Baton Rouge, each rank among the 10 large U.S. cities with the highest murder rates. As is the case in many of the most dangerous states, poverty is relatively common in Louisiana, which has the third highest poverty rate of any state in the country at 19.8%. Also, slightly more than one in every 10 households in the state earns less than $10,000 annually, the third largest share of low income households in the country.

5. Florida
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 540.5
> Population: 19,893,297
> Total 2014 murders: 1149 (3rd highest)
> Poverty rate: 16.5% (16th highest)

Florida’s violent crime rate overall is fifth highest in the country, with 541 reported incidents per 100,000 people in a single year. As is the case in most states with crime issues, violence is particularly concentrated in the state’s urban areas. Of the state’s 21 cities with populations of at least 100,000, seven have violent crime rates that are at least double the U.S. rate. Homestead, Daytona Beach, and Fort Myers are the most dangerous cities in Florida. Each has a violent crime rate in excess of 1,100 incidents per 100,000 people.

4. New Mexico
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 597.4
> Population: 2,085,572
> Total 2014 murders: 101 (21st lowest)
> Poverty rate: 21.3% (2nd highest)

Compared to other border states such as Arizona, immigrants in New Mexico face less obstacles. Still, American immigration policy has contributed to the creation of a younger, less educated, and poorer immigrant population. Many of the immigrants live in poverty — itself closely associated with crime. It is likely immigrants comprise a disproportionately high share of the state’s high poverty rate of 21.3% — the second highest rate in the nation. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, Hispanic state residents are also disproportionately represented in New Mexico’s prisons. Most of the violent crimes in New Mexico are aggravated assaults — the rate of 422 incidents per 100,000 people is third highest nationwide. Non-violent crimes too are common in New Mexico. Approximately 3,542 property crimes are reported per 100,000 people annually in the state, second highest after only Washington.

3. Tennessee
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 608.4
> Population: 6,549,352
> Total 2014 murders: 371 (13th highest)
> Poverty rate: 18.3% (7th highest)

Tennessee is one of only three states where the violent crime rate exceeds 600 reported incidents for every 100,000 residents. Aggravated assaults are more common in Tennessee than in any other state. The rate of 453 aggravated assaults for every 100,000 Tennesseans is nearly double the corresponding national rate of 233 incidents per 100,000 people. As in many of the most dangerous states, violence in cities drive up the overall crime rate. Memphis, the state’s largest city, reports a violent crime rate of 1,741 incidents for every 100,000 residents, the second highest of any large U.S. city.

2. Nevada
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 635.6
> Population: 2,839,099
> Total 2014 murders: 170 (24th highest)
> Poverty rate: 15.2% (23rd highest)

Nevada’s violent crime rate of 636 incidents per 100,000 residents is the second highest of any state. A disproportionately large share of violent criminals in the United States tend to be young, unemployed men, which may be especially noteworthy in Nevada. The state has the fourth highest share of men aged 25-54 of any state, and it is tied with Mississippi for the highest unemployment rate in the country. Robberies make up a relatively large proportion of violent crimes committed in Nevada. About 210 robberies are reported for every 100,000 Nevada residents annually, by far the highest robbery rate in the country.

1. Alaska
> Violent crimes per 100,000: 635.8
> Population: 736,732
> Total 2014 murders: 41 (11th lowest)
> Poverty rate: 11.2% (6th lowest)

Alaska’s violent crime rate is the highest of any state in the country. While murders and robberies are not as common in Alaska as they are in many of the other most dangerous states, rape and aggravated assault are highly prevalent. With roughly 105 reported rapes for every 100,000 state residents, the incidence of rape in Alaska is the highest of any state in the country and nearly triple the corresponding national rate. The rate of aggravated assault in Alaska is also disproportionately high. About 440 assaults are reported for every 100,000 people, the second highest rate in the country and nearly double the corresponding national rate.

Unlike most states with a high violent crime rate, people in Alaska are much less likely to be impoverished than most other Americans as the state has the sixth lowest poverty rate in the country. Also, only 3.9% of Alaskan households earn less than $10,000 annually, the second smallest share of any state in the country after only New Hampshire.