Data / Rankings / Murder rate / US states

US states by murder rate

District of Columbia had the highest murder rate of 51 states in 2014, at 15.9 per 100,000 people. New Hampshire had the lowest, at 1.2 per 100,000 people. The median was 4.2 per 100,000 people and the figure for the United States was 4.4 per 100,000 people. Source: FBI.

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Highest15.9District of Columbia
Lowest1.2New Hampshire
Median4.251 states
United States4.4History

Map of states, 2014

Alabama: 5.7 per 100,000 peopleAlaska: 5.6 per 100,000 peopleArizona: 4.6 per 100,000 peopleArkansas: 5.9 per 100,000 peopleCalifornia: 4.4 per 100,000 peopleColorado: 2.8 per 100,000 peopleConnecticut: 2.5 per 100,000 peopleDelaware: 5.3 per 100,000 peopleDistrict of Columbia: 15.9 per 100,000 peopleFlorida: 4.9 per 100,000 peopleGeorgia: 6 per 100,000 peopleHawaii: 1.4 per 100,000 peopleIdaho: 2 per 100,000 peopleIllinois: 5.4 per 100,000 peopleIndiana: 5 per 100,000 peopleIowa: 1.9 per 100,000 peopleKansas: 3.2 per 100,000 peopleKentucky: 3.7 per 100,000 peopleLouisiana: 10.2 per 100,000 peopleMaine: 1.6 per 100,000 peopleMaryland: 6.1 per 100,000 peopleMassachusetts: 2 per 100,000 peopleMichigan: 5.5 per 100,000 peopleMinnesota: 1.6 per 100,000 peopleMississippi: 8.7 per 100,000 peopleMissouri: 6.7 per 100,000 peopleMontana: 3.7 per 100,000 peopleNebraska: 2.8 per 100,000 peopleNevada: 6 per 100,000 peopleNew Hampshire: 1.2 per 100,000 peopleNew Jersey: 3.9 per 100,000 peopleNew Mexico: 4.8 per 100,000 peopleNew York: 3.1 per 100,000 peopleNorth Carolina: 5 per 100,000 peopleNorth Dakota: 3.1 per 100,000 peopleOhio: 4 per 100,000 peopleOklahoma: 4.6 per 100,000 peopleOregon: 2.1 per 100,000 peoplePennsylvania: 4.8 per 100,000 peopleRhode Island: 2.5 per 100,000 peopleSouth Carolina: 6.7 per 100,000 peopleSouth Dakota: 2.7 per 100,000 peopleTennessee: 5.6 per 100,000 peopleTexas: 4.4 per 100,000 peopleUtah: 2.2 per 100,000 peopleVermont: 1.6 per 100,000 peopleVirginia: 4.2 per 100,000 peopleWashington: 2.5 per 100,000 peopleWest Virginia: 4.5 per 100,000 peopleWisconsin: 2.8 per 100,000 peopleWyoming: 2.7 per 100,000 people
  • Under 2.1
  • 2.1 to 2.8
  • 2.8 to 4.2
  • 4.2 to 4.9
  • 4.9 to 5.8
  • 5.8 and over
per 100,000 people, 2014. Source: Invokely calculation with data from FBI. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2014

District of Columbia: 15.9 per 100,000 peopleDistrict of Columbia15.9Louisiana: 10.2 per 100,000 peopleLouisiana10.2Mississippi: 8.7 per 100,000 peopleMississippi8.7Missouri: 6.7 per 100,000 peopleMissouri6.7South Carolina: 6.7 per 100,000 peopleSouth Carolina6.7Maryland: 6.1 per 100,000 peopleMaryland6.1Georgia: 6 per 100,000 peopleGeorgia6Nevada: 6 per 100,000 peopleNevada6Arkansas: 5.9 per 100,000 peopleArkansas5.9Alabama: 5.7 per 100,000 peopleAlabama5.7Alaska: 5.6 per 100,000 peopleAlaska5.6Tennessee: 5.6 per 100,000 peopleTennessee5.6Michigan: 5.5 per 100,000 peopleMichigan5.5Illinois: 5.4 per 100,000 peopleIllinois5.4Delaware: 5.3 per 100,000 peopleDelaware5.3Indiana: 5 per 100,000 peopleIndiana5North Carolina: 5 per 100,000 peopleNorth Carolina5Florida: 4.9 per 100,000 peopleFlorida4.9New Mexico: 4.8 per 100,000 peopleNew Mexico4.8Pennsylvania: 4.8 per 100,000 peoplePennsylvania4.8Arizona: 4.6 per 100,000 peopleArizona4.6Oklahoma: 4.6 per 100,000 peopleOklahoma4.6West Virginia: 4.5 per 100,000 peopleWest Virginia4.5California: 4.4 per 100,000 peopleCalifornia4.4Texas: 4.4 per 100,000 peopleTexas4.4Virginia: 4.2 per 100,000 peopleVirginia4.2Ohio: 4 per 100,000 peopleOhio4New Jersey: 3.9 per 100,000 peopleNew Jersey3.9Kentucky: 3.7 per 100,000 peopleKentucky3.7Montana: 3.7 per 100,000 peopleMontana3.7Kansas: 3.2 per 100,000 peopleKansas3.2New York: 3.1 per 100,000 peopleNew York3.1North Dakota: 3.1 per 100,000 peopleNorth Dakota3.1Colorado: 2.8 per 100,000 peopleColorado2.8Nebraska: 2.8 per 100,000 peopleNebraska2.8Wisconsin: 2.8 per 100,000 peopleWisconsin2.8South Dakota: 2.7 per 100,000 peopleSouth Dakota2.7Wyoming: 2.7 per 100,000 peopleWyoming2.7Connecticut: 2.5 per 100,000 peopleConnecticut2.5Rhode Island: 2.5 per 100,000 peopleRhode Island2.5Washington: 2.5 per 100,000 peopleWashington2.5Utah: 2.2 per 100,000 peopleUtah2.2Oregon: 2.1 per 100,000 peopleOregon2.1Idaho: 2 per 100,000 peopleIdaho2Massachusetts: 2 per 100,000 peopleMassachusetts2Iowa: 1.9 per 100,000 peopleIowa1.9Maine: 1.6 per 100,000 peopleMaine1.6Minnesota: 1.6 per 100,000 peopleMinnesota1.6Vermont: 1.6 per 100,000 peopleVermont1.6Hawaii: 1.4 per 100,000 peopleHawaii1.4New Hampshire: 1.2 per 100,000 peopleNew Hampshire1.2District of Columbia: 15.9 per 100,000 peopleDistrict of Columbia15.9Louisiana: 10.2 per 100,000 peopleLouisiana10.2Mississippi: 8.7 per 100,000 peopleMississippi8.7Missouri: 6.7 per 100,000 peopleMissouri6.7South Carolina: 6.7 per 100,000 peopleSouth Carolina6.7Maryland: 6.1 per 100,000 peopleMaryland6.1Georgia: 6 per 100,000 peopleGeorgia6Nevada: 6 per 100,000 peopleNevada6Arkansas: 5.9 per 100,000 peopleArkansas5.9Alabama: 5.7 per 100,000 peopleAlabama5.7Alaska: 5.6 per 100,000 peopleAlaska5.6Tennessee: 5.6 per 100,000 peopleTennessee5.6Michigan: 5.5 per 100,000 peopleMichigan5.5Illinois: 5.4 per 100,000 peopleIllinois5.4Delaware: 5.3 per 100,000 peopleDelaware5.3Indiana: 5 per 100,000 peopleIndiana5North Carolina: 5 per 100,000 peopleNorth Carolina5Florida: 4.9 per 100,000 peopleFlorida4.9New Mexico: 4.8 per 100,000 peopleNew Mexico4.8Pennsylvania: 4.8 per 100,000 peoplePennsylvania4.8Arizona: 4.6 per 100,000 peopleArizona4.6Oklahoma: 4.6 per 100,000 peopleOklahoma4.6West Virginia: 4.5 per 100,000 peopleWest Virginia4.5California: 4.4 per 100,000 peopleCalifornia4.4Texas: 4.4 per 100,000 peopleTexas4.4Virginia: 4.2 per 100,000 peopleVirginia4.2Ohio: 4 per 100,000 peopleOhio4New Jersey: 3.9 per 100,000 peopleNew Jersey3.9Kentucky: 3.7 per 100,000 peopleKentucky3.7Montana: 3.7 per 100,000 peopleMontana3.7Kansas: 3.2 per 100,000 peopleKansas3.2New York: 3.1 per 100,000 peopleNew York3.1North Dakota: 3.1 per 100,000 peopleNorth Dakota3.1Colorado: 2.8 per 100,000 peopleColorado2.8Nebraska: 2.8 per 100,000 peopleNebraska2.8Wisconsin: 2.8 per 100,000 peopleWisconsin2.8South Dakota: 2.7 per 100,000 peopleSouth Dakota2.7Wyoming: 2.7 per 100,000 peopleWyoming2.7Connecticut: 2.5 per 100,000 peopleConnecticut2.5Rhode Island: 2.5 per 100,000 peopleRhode Island2.5Washington: 2.5 per 100,000 peopleWashington2.5Utah: 2.2 per 100,000 peopleUtah2.2Oregon: 2.1 per 100,000 peopleOregon2.1Idaho: 2 per 100,000 peopleIdaho2Massachusetts: 2 per 100,000 peopleMassachusetts2Iowa: 1.9 per 100,000 peopleIowa1.9Maine: 1.6 per 100,000 peopleMaine1.6Minnesota: 1.6 per 100,000 peopleMinnesota1.6Vermont: 1.6 per 100,000 peopleVermont1.6Hawaii: 1.4 per 100,000 peopleHawaii1.4New Hampshire: 1.2 per 100,000 peopleNew Hampshire1.2
per 100,000 people. Source: Invokely calculation with data from FBI. Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Full ranking

RankStates2014
per 100,000 people		Change on 2013
1District of Columbia15.90 pts
2Louisiana10.2-0.5 pts
3Mississippi8.7+1.4 pts
4Missouri6.7+0.6 pts
4South Carolina6.7+0.3 pts
6Maryland6.1-0.4 pts
7Georgia6+0.4 pts
7Nevada6+0.2 pts
9Arkansas5.9+0.6 pts
10Alabama5.7-1.5 pts
11Alaska5.6+1 pts
11Tennessee5.6+0.4 pts
13Michigan5.5-0.8 pts
14Illinois5.4-0.2 pts
15Delaware5.3+0.9 pts
16Indiana5-0.4 pts
16North Carolina5+0.3 pts
18Florida4.9-0.1 pts
19New Mexico4.8-1.1 pts
19Pennsylvania4.80 pts
21Arizona4.6-0.8 pts
21Oklahoma4.6-0.5 pts
23West Virginia4.5+1.2 pts
24California4.4-0.1 pts
24Texas4.4+0.1 pts
26Virginia4.2+0.3 pts
27Ohio4-0.1 pts
28New Jersey3.9-0.6 pts
29Kentucky3.7-0.2 pts
29Montana3.7+1.4 pts
31Kansas3.2-0.8 pts
32New York3.1-0.2 pts
32North Dakota3.1+0.9 pts
34Colorado2.8-0.5 pts
34Nebraska2.8-0.2 pts
34Wisconsin2.80 pts
37South Dakota2.7+0.6 pts
37Wyoming2.7-0.2 pts
39Connecticut2.50 pts
39Rhode Island2.5-0.4 pts
39Washington2.5+0.1 pts
42Utah2.2+0.4 pts
43Oregon2.10 pts
44Idaho2+0.2 pts
44Massachusetts2-0.1 pts
46Iowa1.9+0.6 pts
47Maine1.6-0.2 pts
47Minnesota1.6-0.5 pts
47Vermont1.60 pts
50Hawaii1.4-0.9 pts
51New Hampshire1.2-0.4 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Estimated murders and nonnegligent manslaughters known to law enforcement per 100,000 inhabitants. FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.

UCR definition: the willful killing of one human being by another, excluding deaths caused by negligence, suicides, accidents and justifiable homicides. For other countries use homicide_rate (UNODC). Per 100,000 inhabitants of the population the FBI uses, as published by the FBI, not Invokely population figures. FBI estimates for the whole population: agencies that did not report, or reported part of the year, are filled in by the FBI. The FBI revises earlier years in each annual release, and from 2021 the estimates are built from incident-based (NIBRS) reports. The national series has no values for 2017 to 2020 in the FBI estimates file.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the states are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer. FBI UCR Summary Reporting System estimated crimes, 1979 on: murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rate per 100,000 inhabitants. https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/downloads. Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program. (2026). FBI UCR Summary Reporting System estimated crimes, 1979 on: murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rate per 100,000 inhabitants (US states by murder rate, 2014) [Data set]. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/downloads

MLA 9

FBI UCR Summary Reporting System estimated crimes, 1979 on: murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rate per 100,000 inhabitants, US states by murder rate, 2014. Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program, 14 Aug. 2026, https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/downloads. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/murder-rate/us-states?period=2014. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program. 2026. FBI UCR Summary Reporting System estimated crimes, 1979 on: murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rate per 100,000 inhabitants. US states by murder rate, 2014. Dataset. Accessed October 18, 2026. https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/downloads. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/murder-rate/us-states?period=2014.

Harvard

Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program (2026) FBI UCR Summary Reporting System estimated crimes, 1979 on: murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rate per 100,000 inhabitants, US states by murder rate, 2014 [Dataset]. Available at: https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/downloads, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/murder-rate/us-states?period=2014 (Accessed: 18 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{federal_us_states_by_murder_2014,
  author = {{Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program}},
  title = {{FBI UCR Summary Reporting System estimated crimes, 1979 on: murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rate per 100,000 inhabitants: US states by murder rate, 2014}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/downloads},
  urldate = {2026-10-18},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/murder-rate/us-states?period=2014. Publisher attribution: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer. FBI UCR Summary Reporting System estimated crimes, 1979 on: murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rate per 100,000 inhabitants. https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/\#/pages/downloads. Retrieved 2026-10-18.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program
TI  - FBI UCR Summary Reporting System estimated crimes, 1979 on: murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rate per 100,000 inhabitants: US states by murder rate, 2014
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/14
PB  - Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/downloads
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/murder-rate/us-states?period=2014
Y2  - 2026/10/18
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/murder-rate/us-states?period=2014.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer. FBI UCR Summary Reporting System estimated crimes, 1979 on: murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rate per 100,000 inhabitants. https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/downloads. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest murder rate?

District of Columbia, with 15.9 per 100,000 people in 2014, according to FBI.

Which state has the lowest murder rate?

New Hampshire, with 1.2 per 100,000 people in 2014.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program, FBI UCR Summary Reporting System estimated crimes, 1979 on: murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rate per 100,000 inhabitants. Retrieved 2026-10-18.

US states: more rankings