Home > Blog

NeighborhoodScout’s Murder Capitals of America – 2018

Jan 3, 2018 | by: Dr. Andrew Schiller | Crime
NeighborhoodScout’s Murder Capitals of America – 2018

Countdown of the top 30 cities in the U.S. with the highest murder rates – 2018

Our crime research reveals the 30 cities in America with the highest number of murders per 1,000 residents. Murder is the willful (non-negligent) killing of one human being by another. We limited our research to cities with 25,000 or more people. Data used for this research are 1) the number of murders reported to the FBI to have occurred in each city, and 2) the population of each city.

Crime data we use are the most recent data the FBI classifies as ‘Final, non-preliminary.’  It is the most up-to-date and fully vetted data with complete national coverage that is available.  We insist on using Final, Non-Preliminary data for our analyses and analytics, rather than basing our research on preliminary data that may need to be updated or have errors in it.

The FBI releases these data approximately 10 months after the close of a calendar year. For example, our 2018 list is based on the 2016 year total data which was released in Final, Non-Preliminary form in September, 2017. The 2017 year total crime data is not complete.  The FBI is still working through data issues and reporting issues before that data can be considered Final, and Non-Preliminary, which will likely be late Fall 2018. Until then the data we are using is the most up-to-date and complete available.

Orlando, FL made the list this year due to the high number of homicides in Orlando in 2016. These include forty-nine homicides in a terrorist attack/hate crime on June 12 of that year at the Pulse night club in Orlando.

For more information, see our FAQ on how we rank the cities with the highest murder rates in America.

 

The countdown for the Top 30 Murder Capitals of America:

30. Lakeworth, FL

  • Population: 37,812
  • Murder Rate: .26
  • No. of Murders: 10

29. Charleston, WV

  • Population: 49,138
  • Murder Rate: .26
  • No. of Murders: 13

28. Harrisburg, PA

  • Population: 48,904
  • Murder Rate: .27
  • No. of Murders: 13

27. Kansas City, MO

  • Population: 481,420
  • Murder Rate: .27
  • No. of Murders: 129

26. East Point, GA

  • Population: 35,471
  • Murder Rate: .28
  • No. of Murders: 10

25. Chicago, IL

  • Population: 2,704,958
  • Murder Rate: .28
  • No. of Murders: 765

24. San Bernardino, CA

  • Population: 216,239
  • Murder Rate: .29
  • No. of Murders: 62

23. Elkhart, IN

  • Population: 52,221
  • Murder Rate: .29
  • No. of Murders: 15

22. North Charleston, SC

  • Population: 109,298
  • Murder Rate: .29
  • No. of Murders: 32

21. Memphis, TN

  • Population: 652,717
  • Murder Rate: .30
  • No. of Murders: 196

20. Orlando, FL

  • Population: 277,173
  • Murder Rate: .30
  • No. of Murders: 84

19. Goldsboro, NC

  • Population: 35,792
  • Murder Rate: .31
  • No. of Murders: 11

18. Jackson, MS

  • Population: 169,148
  • Murder Rate: .34
  • No. of Murders: 58

17. Petersburg, VA

  • Population: 31,882
  • Murder Rate: .35
  • No. of Murders: 11

16. Cleveland, OH

  • Population: 385,809
  • Murder Rate: .35
  • No. of Murders: 135

15.  Newark, NJ

  • Population: 281,764
  • Murder Rate: .35
  • No. of Murders: 100

14. Compton, CA

  • Population: 97,550
  • Murder Rate: .36
  • No. of Murders: 35

13. Wilmington, DE

  • Population: 71,442
  • Murder Rate: .38
  • No. of Murders: 27

12. Danville, VA

  • Population: 41,898
  • Murder Rate: .38
  • No. of Murders: 16

11. Salisbury, NC

  • Population: 34,001
  • Murder Rate: .41
  • No. of Murders: 14

10. New Orleans, LA

  • Population: 391,495
  • Murder Rate: .44
  • No. of Murders: 174

9. Detroit, MI

  • Population: 672,795
  • Murder Rate: .45
  • No. of Murders: 304

8. Flint, MI

  • Population: 97,386
  • Murder Rate: .46
  • No. of Murders: 45

7. Baltimore, MD

  • Population: 614,664
  • Murder Rate: .52
  • No. of Murders: 318

6. West Memphis, AR

  • Population: 25,284
  • Murder Rate: .55
  • No. of Murders: 14

5. Gary, IN

  • Population: 76,424
  • Murder Rate: .60
  • No. of Murders: 46

4. St. Louis, MO

  • Population: 311,404
  • Murder Rate: .60
  • No. of Murders: 188

3. Camden, NJ

  • Population: 74,426
  • Murder Rate: .63
  • No. of Murders: 47

2. Chester, PA

  • Population: 33,988
  • Murder Rate: .68
  • No. of Murders: 23

1.  East St. Louis, IL

  • Population: 26,922
  • Murder Rate: 1.00
  • No. of Murders: 27