Five years of FBI data were analyzed to determine which states have the highest murder rates and which ones have the lowest murder rates.
SafeWise compared data from the State of Safety report to uncover the divide between perception and reality when it comes to murder.
The good news is that the US reports lower murder rates than most countries. The bad news is that murder is nearly twice as common as the national average in these five states:
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Maryland
- Alabama
Each of these states reported a murder rate nearly double that of the national average of 4.9 homicides per 100,000 people.
But, perceptions do not match these rates with nearly 50% of individuals worrying about murder in their everyday lives. Perhaps our nation’s obsession with true crime has led us towards excessive paranoia.
Perhaps we need to shift our focus from paranoia to prevention in order to lower our murder rates even further.
Louisiana Specific Findings:
Louisiana ranked 1st for its murder rate compared to other states. This was 6.2 points above the national average of 4.9 homicides per 100,000 individuals.
Four of the metro areas with the highest murder rates were in Louisiana: New Orleans-Metairie (17.6), Baton Rouge (11.6), Lafayette (7.7), and Shreveport-Bossier City (9.6). Each of these cities has a murder rate twice the national average (4.9).
Here is a link to the full report: https://www.safewise.com/blog/murder-rates-by-state/
