The FBI recently released its annual Uniform Crime Report, and according to the latest data, there were 334 violent crimes reported for every 100,000 people nationwide in 2021. Violent crime is a broad category that consists of four types of the most serious offenses: robbery, rape, aggravated assault, and homicide.
Historically, the UCR has provided crime statistics at the national level, as well as a comprehensive snapshot of crime in each of the 50 states. But this year, the picture is incomplete.
To compile its annual reports, the FBI relies on state and local police departments to voluntarily submit crime data. While participation has never been 100%, this year it was especially low, largely thanks to a bureaucratic change. The FBI recently switched to a new crime-reporting system, known as National Incident-Based Reporting System, or NIBRS, completely phasing out its legacy Summary Reporting System.
Many police departments have been slow to adopt NIBRS, and this has resulted in substantial data gaps. The latest FBI report excludes nine states due insufficient reporting: California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Pennsylvania. Whether or not 2021 crime estimates for these states will eventually be released remains to be seen.
Still, the FBI’s latest report offers some useful insight into violent crime levels across the country in 2021 – and in some states, criminal violence is much more common than it is nationwide.
Using violent crime data from the FBI’s 2021 UCR, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 15 most dangerous states in America. In each of the states on this list, the violent crime rate exceeds the national rate. We also considered the homicide rate – a component of the overall violent crime rate – in each of these states. (Here is a look at the states where the most murders are committed with a gun.)
The largest share of states on this list are in the South, though there are also a handful of states in the West and Midwest.
Violent crime is often more common in economically disadvantaged areas with high poverty rates and lower levels of social integration. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey shows that in the majority of the states on this list, the poverty rate exceeds the national rate of 12.8%. (Here is a look at the poorest town in every state.)
Click here to see America’s most dangerous states.
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15. Kansas
> Violent crimes per 100,000 people, 2021: 345.8
> Total violent crimes, 2021: 10,147 (18th lowest of 41 states)
> Murders per 100,000 people, 2021: 4.8 (18th lowest of 41 states)
> Total murders, 2021: 141 (16th lowest of 41 states)
> Poverty rate: 11.7% (20th lowest of 41 states)
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14. South Dakota
> Violent crimes per 100,000 people, 2021: 356.6
> Total violent crimes, 2021: 3,192 (7th lowest of 41 states)
> Murders per 100,000 people, 2021: 3.0 (12th lowest of 41 states)
> Total murders, 2021: 27 (5th lowest of 41 states)
> Poverty rate: 12.3% (18th highest of 41 states)
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13. Nevada
> Violent crimes per 100,000 people, 2021: 377.0
> Total violent crimes, 2021: 11,853 (20th lowest of 41 states)
> Murders per 100,000 people, 2021: 7.3 (12th highest of 41 states)
> Total murders, 2021: 228 (20th highest of 41 states)
> Poverty rate: 14.1% (10th highest of 41 states)
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12. Montana
> Violent crimes per 100,000 people, 2021: 389.5
> Total violent crimes, 2021: 4,301 (12th lowest of 41 states)
> Murders per 100,000 people, 2021: 2.7 (10th lowest of 41 states)
> Total murders, 2021: 30 (6th lowest — tied)
> Poverty rate: 11.9% (21st highest of 41 states)
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11. Texas
> Violent crimes per 100,000 people, 2021: 391.1
> Total violent crimes, 2021: 115,474 (the highest of 41 states)
> Murders per 100,000 people, 2021: 6.6 (17th highest of 41 states)
> Total murders, 2021: 1,952 (the highest of 41 states)
> Poverty rate: 14.2% (9th highest of 41 states)
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10. Oklahoma
> Violent crimes per 100,000 people, 2021: 393.3
> Total violent crimes, 2021: 15,681 (20th highest of 41 states)
> Murders per 100,000 people, 2021: 6.8 (16th highest of 41 states)
> Total murders, 2021: 272 (18th highest of 41 states)
> Poverty rate: 15.6% (7th highest of 41 states)
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9. South Carolina
> Violent crimes per 100,000 people, 2021: 403.8
> Total violent crimes, 2021: 20,952 (12th highest of 41 states)
> Murders per 100,000 people, 2021: 9.9 (3rd highest of 41 states)
> Total murders, 2021: 516 (11th highest of 41 states)
> Poverty rate: 14.6% (8th highest of 41 states)
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8. Colorado
> Violent crimes per 100,000 people, 2021: 404.0
> Total violent crimes, 2021: 23,481 (10th highest of 41 states)
> Murders per 100,000 people, 2021: 5.6 (20th highest of 41 states)
> Total murders, 2021: 327 (14th highest of 41 states)
> Poverty rate: 9.7% (4th lowest of 41 states)
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7. Michigan
> Violent crimes per 100,000 people, 2021: 415.8
> Total violent crimes, 2021: 41,783 (2nd highest of 41 states)
> Murders per 100,000 people, 2021: 6.9 (15th highest of 41 states)
> Total murders, 2021: 695 (6th highest of 41 states)
> Poverty rate: 13.1% (15th highest of 41 states)
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6. Missouri
> Violent crimes per 100,000 people, 2021: 424.8
> Total violent crimes, 2021: 26,200 (7th highest of 41 states)
> Murders per 100,000 people, 2021: 9.3 (5th highest of 41 states)
> Total murders, 2021: 574 (9th highest of 41 states)
> Poverty rate: 12.7% (17th highest of 41 states)
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5. Alaska
> Violent crimes per 100,000 people, 2021: 451.0
> Total violent crimes, 2021: 3,304 (9th lowest of 41 states)
> Murders per 100,000 people, 2021: N/A
> Total murders, 2021: N/A
> Poverty rate: 10.5% (10th lowest of 41 states)
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4. Tennessee
> Violent crimes per 100,000 people, 2021: 498.2
> Total violent crimes, 2021: 34,753 (3rd highest of 41 states)
> Murders per 100,000 people, 2021: 9.0 (6th highest of 41 states)
> Total murders, 2021: 630 (7th highest of 41 states)
> Poverty rate: 13.6% (12th highest of 41 states)
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3. Alabama
> Violent crimes per 100,000 people, 2021: 518.5
> Total violent crimes, 2021: 26,129 (8th highest of 41 states)
> Murders per 100,000 people, 2021: 12.1 (2nd highest of 41 states)
> Total murders, 2021: 608 (8th highest of 41 states)
> Poverty rate: 16.1% (6th highest of 41 states)
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2. Arkansas
> Violent crimes per 100,000 people, 2021: 555.7
> Total violent crimes, 2021: 16,815 (15th highest of 41 states)
> Murders per 100,000 people, 2021: 9.7 (4th highest of 41 states)
> Total murders, 2021: 293 (17th highest of 41 states)
> Poverty rate: 16.3% (5th highest of 41 states)
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1. Louisiana
> Violent crimes per 100,000 people, 2021: 564.0
> Total violent crimes, 2021: 26,078 (9th highest of 41 states)
> Murders per 100,000 people, 2021: 16.0 (the highest of 41 states)
> Total murders, 2021: 738 (5th highest of 41 states)
> Poverty rate: 19.6% (the highest of 41 states)
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