List of U.S. states and territories by intentional homicide rate
This is a list of U.S. states and territories by intentional homicide rate as of 2020. It is typically expressed in units of deaths per 100,000 individuals per year; a homicide rate of 4 in a population of 100,000 would mean 4 murders a year, or 0.004% out of the total. The data has been taken from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports.[1][2]

Definition
In the United States, the law for murder varies by jurisdiction. In most US jurisdictions there is a hierarchy of acts, known collectively as homicide, of which first-degree murder and felony murder are the most serious, followed by second-degree murder and, in a few states, third-degree murder, followed by voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter which are not as serious, followed by reckless homicide and negligent homicide which are the least serious, and ending finally in justifiable homicide, which is not a crime. However, because there are at least 52 relevant jurisdictions, each with its own criminal code, this is a considerable simplification.[3]
Sentencing also varies widely depending upon the specific murder charge. "Life imprisonment" is a common penalty for first-degree murder, but its meaning varies widely.[4]
Capital punishment is a legal sentence in 27 states,[5][6] and in the federal civilian and military legal systems, though 7 of these states and the federal government have indefinitely suspended the practice. The United States is unusual in actually performing executions,[7] with 34 states having performed executions since capital punishment was reinstated in 1976. The methods of execution have varied, but the most common method since 1976 has been lethal injection.[8] In 2019 a total of 22 people were executed,[9] and 2,652 people were on death row.[10]
The federal Unborn Victims of Violence Act, enacted in 2004 and codified at 18 U.S. Code § 1841,[11] allows for a fetus to be treated as a victim in crimes. Subsection (c) of that statute specifically prohibits prosecutions related to consented abortions and medical treatments.[11]List
State or Territory | Murder Victims |
Murder Rates (per 100,000 people) | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | |
![]() | 201 | 28.2 | 23.4 | 22.8 | 16.7 | 19.9 | 24.1 | 15.9 | 15.9 | 13.9 | 17.5 |
![]() | 529 | 16.7 | 19.0 | 20.0 | 20.3 | 19.9 | 16.8 | 19.3 | 24.4 | 26.8 | 30.6 |
![]() | 734 | 15.8 | 11.7 | 11.4 | 12.3 | 11.8 | 10.3 | 10.2 | 10.8 | 10.6 | 11.2 |
![]() | 723 | 11.8 | 9.4 | 9.8 | 9.8 | 8.8 | 8.3 | 6.7 | 6.1 | 6.5 | 6.1 |
![]() | 315 | 10.6 | 10.0 | 7.2 | 6.4 | 7.9 | 8.7 | 8.7 | 6.5 | 7.1 | 8.0 |
![]() | 321 | 10.6 | 7.8 | 7.4 | 8.3 | 7.3 | 6.1 | 5.9 | 5.4 | 5.9 | 5.5 |
![]() | 549 | 10.5 | 8.8 | 8.1 | 7.6 | 7.2 | 8.1 | 6.7 | 6.2 | 7.0 | 6.8 |
![]() | 471 | 9.6 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 8.6 | 8.4 | 7.2 | 5.7 | 7.2 | 7.1 | 6.3 |
![]() | 663 | 9.6 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 8.0 | 7.4 | 6.2 | 5.6 | 5.0 | 6.2 | 5.8 |
![]() | 1,151 | 9.1 | 6.7 | 7.1 | 7.7 | 8.3 | 5.8 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 5.6 |
![]() | 553 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 8.1 | 9.3 | 8.9 | 8.6 | 6.1 | 6.4 | 6.3 | 6.8 |
![]() | 943 | 8.8 | 5.7 | 6.2 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 5.6 | 5.9 | 5.6 |
![]() | 852 | 8.0 | 6.2 | 5.5 | 6.1 | 6.7 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 5.3 |
![]() | 1,009 | 7.9 | 5.3 | 6.1 | 5.8 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 5.0 |
![]() | 164 | 7.8 | 8.8 | 7.3 | 6.9 | 6.7 | 5.6 | 4.8 | 6.0 | 5.6 | 7.5 |
![]() | 754 | 7.6 | 5.8 | 5.6 | 5.7 | 6.2 | 5.8 | 5.5 | 6.4 | 7.1 | 6.2 |
![]() | 505 | 7.5 | 5.5 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.5 | 5.6 | 5.0 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 4.8 |
![]() | 73 | 7.4 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 5.3 | 6.1 | 6.7 | 5.3 | 4.2 | 6.1 | 4.7 |
![]() | 296 | 7.4 | 6.9 | 5.5 | 6.2 | 6.3 | 6.0 | 4.6 | 5.1 | 5.8 | 5.5 |
![]() | 323 | 7.2 | 5.1 | 5.6 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 3.5 |
![]() | 820 | 7.0 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 6.4 | 5.9 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.4 |
![]() | 513 | 6.9 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 6.0 | 5.6 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 6.2 |
![]() | 49 | 6.7 | 9.4 | 6.4 | 8.4 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 5.6 | 4.6 | 4.1 | 4.0 |
![]() | 117 | 6.6 | 5.6 | 4.2 | 5.4 | 4.6 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 4.3 |
![]() | 1,931 | 6.6 | 4.9 | 4.6 | 5.0 | 5.3 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.4 |
![]() | 524 | 6.1 | 5.2 | 4.9 | 5.6 | 5.7 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.7 |
![]() | 1,290 | 5.9 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.0 | 5.4 | 5.1 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.2 | 5.2 |
![]() | 180 | 5.7 | 4.7 | 6.7 | 8.9 | 7.8 | 6.2 | 6.0 | 5.8 | 4.5 | 5.2 |
![]() | 2,203 | 5.6 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 5.0 | 4.8 |
![]() | 308 | 5.3 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 2.4 |
![]() | 294 | 5.1 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 2.8 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
![]() | 54 | 5.0 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 2.8 |
![]() | 40 | 4.5 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 2.5 |
![]() | 808 | 4.2 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
![]() | 32 | 4.2 | 3.3 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 3.6 | 3.5 |
![]() | 140 | 3.9 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 3.6 |
![]() | 301 | 3.9 | 2.7 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 2.4 | 2.3 |
![]() | 329 | 3.7 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.3 |
![]() | 69 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 3.6 |
![]() | 111 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.5 |
![]() | 100 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 2.9 | 3.8 |
![]() | 190 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 1.4 |
![]() | 102 | 3.1 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.9 |
![]() | 18 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 3.2 |
![]() | 32 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 1.3 |
![]() | 41 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.2 |
![]() | 125 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 2.1 |
![]() | 160 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 2.8 |
![]() | 14 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.3 |
![]() | 41 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.3 |
![]() | 22 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
![]() | 12 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 1.3 |
![]() | 22,099 | 6.6 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.7 |
See also
References
- FBI — Crime in the U.S.
- FBI — Crime Data Explorer
- "Statistical Abstract of the United States". U.S. Census Bureau. Government Printing Office. p. 187. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
- Cohen, Thomas H.; Reaves, Bryan A. (1 February 2006). "Felony Defendants in Large Urban Counties, 2002". Bureau of Justice Statistics. U.S. Department of Justice. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
- Bosman, Julie (27 May 2015). "Nebraska Bans Death Penalty, Defying a Veto". The New York Times.
- "State by State".
- "Death Sentences and Executions 2013" (PDF). Amnesty International. 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
- "Executions by year since 1976". Death Penalty Information Center. June 4, 2015. Retrieved July 3, 2015.
- "2019".
- https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/facts-and-research/dpic-reports/dpic-year-end-reports/the-death-penalty-in-2019-year-end-report
- "18 U.S. Code § 1841 – Protection of unborn children". Legal Information Institute. Cornell Law School. Retrieved 10 September 2017.