By the numbers: Here are the 'most dangerous' cities in America
Credit: FindTheBest/FindTheHome
The good news? Overall, America is getting safer. The bad news? In many corners of the country, crime is still a big problem--and it’s hard to quantify.
At its peak in 1991, the number of murders was 24,703, according to the FBI. In 2013, the country had 14,196 murders, a 4.4% decrease from the year before.
The FBI’s Uniform Crime Report has arguably been the most comprehensive and organized collection of crime data to date, which is why many have turned to it as a source. Using the numbers from the most recent report (2013), FindTheHome was able to visualize the report and find where the most violent crime per 100,000 people occurs in America.
A few things to note:
- A violent crime includes murder, rape (legacy or revised definition, depending on the state), robbery, and aggravated assault.
- A crime is classified under either city or county jurisdiction (never both), so FindTheHome added city and county crimes together to come up with a number for the county as a whole.
- The report doesn’t have full coverage (regions in gray), as some places aren’t as thorough in their reporting.
Read more about the methodology behind the report. First, here’s a look at overall crime in the country:
Here are the 20 cities highest rate of crime per 100,000 people:
20 | Miami, FL
Violent crime rate: 1,213.4 crimes per 100K people
Population: 407,526
In 2013, 71 murders, 96 rapes, 2,216 robberies, and 2,562 assaults were reported in Miami—a total of 4,945 violent crimes.
19 | Stockton, CA
Violent crime rate: 1,230.3 crimes per 100K people
Population: 294,406
In 2013, 32 murders, 91 rapes, 1,088 robberies, and 2,411 assaults were reported in Stockton—a total of 3,622 violent crimes.
18 | Buffalo, NY
Violent crime rate: 1,246.9 crimes per 100K people
Population: 260,568
In 2013, 47 murders, 145 rapes, 1,322 robberies, and 1,735 assaults were reported in Buffalo—a total of 3,249 violent crimes.
17 | New Haven, CT
Violent crime rate: 1,260.6 crimes per 100K people
Population: 130,338
In 2013, 19 murders, 76 rapes, 770 robberies, and 778 assaults were reported in New Haven—a total of 1,643 violent crimes.
16 | Indianapolis, IN
Violent crime rate: 1264.3 crimes per 100K people
Population: 828841
In 2013, 129 murders, 656 rapes, 3800 robberies, and 5894 assaults were reported in Indianapolis—a total of 10479 violent crimes.
15 | Newark, NJ
Violent crime rate: 1267.7 crimes per 100K people
Population: 277357
In 2013, 112 murders, 45 rapes, 2433 robberies, and 926 assaults were reported in Newark—a total of 3516 violent crimes.
14 |Kansas City, MO
Violent crime rate: 1268.2 crimes per 100K people
Population: 462378
In 2013, 99 murders, 377 rapes, 1662 robberies, and 3726 assaults were reported in Kansas City—a total of 5864 violent crimes.
13 |Washington D.C.
Violent crime rate: 1,273.5 crimes per 100K people
Population: 618,777
In 2013, 103 murders, 393 rapes, 3,660 robberies, and 3,724 assaults were reported in Washington D.C.—a total of 7,880 violent crimes.
12 | Atlanta, GA
Violent crime rate: 1,275.3 crimes per 100K people
Population: 432,589
In 2013, 84 murders, 105 rapes, 2,363 robberies, and 2,965 assaults were reported in Atlanta—a total of 5,517 violent crimes.
11 | Birmingham, AL
Violent crime rate: 1,343.4 crimes per 100K people
Population: 212,295
In 2013, 63 murders, 178 rapes, 969 robberies, and 1642 assaults were reported in Birmingham—a total of 2,852 violent crimes.
10 | Rockford, IL
Violent crime rate: 1,357.3 crimes per 100K people
Population: 152,138
In 2013, 19 murders, 145 rapes, 394 robberies, and 1,507 assaults were reported in Rockford—a total of 2,065 violent crimes.
9 | Milwaukee, WI
Violent crime rate: 1,373.8 crimes per 100K people
Population: 596,459
In 2013, 104 murders, 401 rapes, 3,284 robberies, and 4,405 assaults were reported in Milwaukee—a total of 8,194 violent crimes.
8 | Baltimore, MD
Violent crime rate: 1,404 crimes per 100K people
Population: 621,445
In 2013, 233 murders, 298 rapes, 3,734 robberies, and 4,460 assaults were reported in Baltimore—a total of 8,725 violent crimes.
7 | Little Rock, AR
Violent crime rate: 1,423.4 crimes per 100K people
Population: 195,092
In 2013, 35 murders, 119 rapes, 944 robberies, and 1,679 assaults were reported in Little Rock—a total of 2,777 violent crimes.
6 | Cleveland, OH
Violent crime rate: 1,458.4 crimes per 100K people
Population: 394,335
In 2013, 55 murders, 417 rapes, 3,490 robberies, and 1,789 assaults were reported in Cleveland—a total of 5,751 violent crimes.
5 | St. Louis, MO
Violent crime rate: 1,591.8 crimes per 100K people
Population: 318,955
In 2013, 120 murders, 333 rapes, 1,457 robberies, and 3,167 assaults were reported in St. Louis—a total of 5,077 violent crimes.
4 | Memphis, TN
Violent crime rate: 1,673.6 crimes per 100K people
Population: 650,932
In 2013, 124 murders, 437 rapes, 3,133 robberies, and 7,200 assaults were reported in Memphis—a total of 10,894 violent crimes.
3 | Flint, MI
Violent crime rate: 1,876.1 crimes per 100K people
Population: 101,649
In 2013, 48 murders, 145 rapes, 447 robberies, and 1,267 assaults were reported in Flint—a total of 1,907 violent crimes.
2 | Oakland, CA
Violent crime rate: 2,011 crimes per 100K people
Population: 397,011
In 2013, 90 murders, 180 rapes, 4,922 robberies, and 2,792 assaults were reported in Oakland—a total of 7,984 violent crimes.
1 | Detroit, MI
Violent crime rate: 2,052.5 crimes per 100K people
Population: 706,663
In 2013, 316 murders, 618 rapes, 4,774 robberies, and 8,796 assaults were reported in Detroit—a total of 14,504 violent crimes.