Crime rates are decreasing across large cities in the United States, but murder rates are on the rise. Numerous sources, from city police departments to the Brennan Center for Justice, reported a drastic jump in murder rates in large cities across America from 2014 to 2015. Experts have not yet reached a consensus explanation for this increase, but many have ideas.
Some popular theories include the rise of income inequality, loose gun control and more cautious cops in the wake of events such as the Ferguson shooting.
The decrease in crime and increase in murders, though seemingly counterintuitive, is a trend that has been seen before. For example, in a 1999 paper, Stephen D. Levitt (author of Freakonomics) examined Chicago and its 77 neighborhoods between 1970-1990 as a case study.
In the 1970s, there was a negative correlation between neighborhood income and homicide rates — the higher the income, the lower the rate. The same pattern applied for property crime rates. However, for the next two decades, as income inequality between neighborhoods increased, this negative correlation dwindled. By 1990, the homicide rates in higher-income and lower-income neighborhoods were much more similar. At the same time, though, property crimes significantly decreased for the wealthy.
Regarding the increase in murders from 2014 to 2015 in major U.S. cities, most experts agree that it will be years before the reasons are clear — if reasons exist at all. The increase could end up being an anomalous year-to-year spike.
Whatever the cause, analysts at FindTheHome wanted to find places in America with the highest murder rates. Using the most recent 2014 estimates from the American Community Survey and murder incidence data from the Uniform Crime Report collected by the FBI, they determined the top 30 counties with the highest murder rate per 100,000 people in each state.
Note: We considered counties with populations of 50,000 people or more.
#30. Lake County, IN
Murders per 100K People: 12.37
Total Murders: 61
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 413.5
Total Violent Crimes: 2,039
Population: 493,140
#29. Hunt County, TX
Murders per 100K People: 12.61
Total Murders: 11
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 386.2
Total Violent Crimes: 337
Population: 87,256
#28. Norfolk City, VA
Murders per 100K People: 12.67
Total Murders: 31
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 523
Total Violent Crimes: 1,280
Population: 244,745
#27. Robeson County, NC
Murders per 100K People: 13.34
Total Murders: 18
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 435.8
Total Violent Crimes: 588
Population: 134,913
#26. Jackson County, MO
Murders per 100K People: 13.42
Total Murders: 91
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 1,004.8
Total Violent Crimes: 6,814
Population: 678,167
#25. Newport News City, VA
Murders per 100K People: 13.78
Total Murders: 25
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 431.7
Total Violent Crimes: 783
Population: 181,362
#24. Russell County, AL
Murders per 100K People: 14.04
Total Murders: 8
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 512.5
Total Violent Crimes: 292
Population: 56,980
#23. East Baton Rouge Parish, LA
Murders per 100K People: 14.2
Total Murders: 63
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 564.7
Total Violent Crimes: 2,505
Population: 443,598
#22. Forrest County, MS
Murders per 100K People: 14.44
Total Murders: 11
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 166.8
Total Violent Crimes: 127
Population: 76,159
#21. St. Clair County, IL
Murders per 100K People: 14.53
Total Murders: 39
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 519.3
Total Violent Crimes: 1,394
Population: 268,415
#20. Fulton County, GA
Murders per 100K People: 14.58
Total Murders: 141
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 832.9
Total Violent Crimes: 8,055
Population: 967,100
#19. Essex County, NJ
Murders per 100K People: 14.69
Total Murders: 116
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 642.1
Total Violent Crimes: 5,070
Population: 789,616
#18. Pulaski County, AR
Murders per 100K People: 14.92
Total Murders: 58
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 1,008.9
Total Violent Crimes: 3,922
Population: 388,752
#17. Lauderdale County, MS
Murders per 100K People: 14.95
Total Murders: 12
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 348.9
Total Violent Crimes: 280
Population: 80,261
#16. Marion County, IN
Murders per 100K People: 15.01
Total Murders: 138
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 1,178.2
Total Violent Crimes: 10,832
Population: 919,336
#15. Chaves County, NM
Murders per 100K People: 15.19
Total Murders: 10
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 639.3
Total Violent Crimes: 421
Population: 65,850
#14. Montgomery County, AL
Murders per 100K People: 15.29
Total Murders: 35
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 465.8
Total Violent Crimes: 1,066
Population: 228,850
#13. Shelby County, TN
Murders per 100K People: 15.6
Total Murders: 146
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 1,314.2
Total Violent Crimes: 12,303
Population: 936,130
#12. Wyandotte County, KS
Murders per 100K People: 15.68
Total Murders: 25
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 705.5
Total Violent Crimes: 1,125
Population: 159,466
#11. Philadelphia County, PA
Murders per 100K People: 16.03
Total Murders: 248
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 1,029.5
Total Violent Crimes: 15,925
Population: 1,546,920
#10. Washington County, D.C.
Murders per 100K People: 16.57
Total Murders: 105
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 1,232.4
Total Violent Crimes: 7,810
Population: 633,736
#9. Jefferson County, AR
Murders per 100K People: 17.41
Total Murders: 13
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 780.9
Total Violent Crimes: 583
Population: 74,655
#8. Wayne County, MI
Murders per 100K People: 17.76
Total Murders: 318
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 945.4
Total Violent Crimes: 16,924
Population: 1,790,078
#7. Nash County, NC
Murders per 100K People: 18.91
Total Murders: 18
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 614.7
Total Violent Crimes: 585
Population: 95,174
#6. Richmond City, VA
Murders per 100K People: 19.43
Total Murders: 41
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 594.1
Total Violent Crimes: 1,254
Population: 211,063
#5. Hinds County, MS
Murders per 100K People: 25.57
Total Murders: 63
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 665.7
Total Violent Crimes: 1,640
Population: 246,364
#4. Halifax County, NC
Murders per 100K People: 26.02
Total Murders: 14
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 414.5
Total Violent Crimes: 223
Population: 53,803
#3. Baltimore City, MD
Murders per 100K People: 33.91
Total Murders: 211
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 1,341.2
Total Violent Crimes: 8,346
Population: 622,271
#2. Orleans Parish, LA
Murders per 100K People: 40.71
Total Murders: 150
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 1,023.1
Total Violent Crimes: 3,770
Population: 368,471
The city of New Orleans and Orleans Parish are conterminous.
#1. St. Louis City, MO
Murders per 100K People: 49.89
Total Murders: 159
Violent Crimes per 100K People: 1,677.9
Total Violent Crimes: 5,348
Population: 318,727
St. Louis City also has the highest rate of violent crime in the country.
