US Murder Rate 2024

Key Insights

  • →16,935 people were murdered in 2024 — a rate of 5.0 per 100K, down from the 2020 spike of 6.5.
  • →Firearms account for 77% of all homicides. Handguns alone are used in more murders than all other weapons combined.
  • →Homicide is intensely concentrated: just 10 cities account for 21% of all U.S. murders.
  • →The victim-offender relationship data reveals that most murders are not random — the majority involve people who know each other.
16,935
Total Murders
5.0
per 100K People
-15.7%
vs 2023
18
Large Cities with 0 Murders

In 2024, 16,935 people were murdered in the United States — a rate of 5.0 per 100,000 residents. This represents a 15.7% decline from 2023, the steepest single-year drop in murder in decades. The rate is now well below pre-pandemic levels and at the lowest point since the early 2010s.

At its peak in 1991, the US murder rate was 9.8 per 100,000 — nearly double the current rate. The dramatic decline in murder over the past three decades is one of the most significant public safety achievements in American history, though the reasons remain debated.

US Murder Rate 1979–2024

Total Murders by Year

Murder Demographics by Race & Ethnicity

The FBI's Supplementary Homicide Report provides demographic data on both victims and known offenders. Offender data includes a large "Unknown" category because many homicides remain unsolved.

Victims by Race

RaceTotal%
White6,75342.8%
Black8,15851.6%
Other4642.9%
Unknown4202.7%

Known Offenders by Race

RaceTotal%
White6,04831.2%
Black8,35743.1%
Other4042.1%
Unknown4,57023.6%

Victim Ethnicity

EthnicityTotal
Hispanic or Latino2,372
Not Hispanic or Latino9,314
Unknown1,364

Offender Ethnicity

EthnicityTotal%
Hispanic or Latino2,24914.1%
Not Hispanic or Latino7,99850.0%
Unknown5,74635.9%

Victim–Offender Relationship by Race

Most homicides are intraracial — victims and offenders are typically the same race. This table shows single-victim/single-offender incidents where both races are known.

Victim RaceBy White OffenderBy Black OffenderBy OtherUnknownTotal
White Victim2,968684751133,840
Black Victim3343,137141983,683
Other Race Victim72501319262
Unknown Race Victim71561156194
Context: Homicide data reflects reported incidents. Offender demographics include a large "Unknown" category from unsolved cases. Demographic patterns reflect structural factors including poverty, segregation, and policing patterns — not inherent characteristics. See our full analysis, crime by race, and who commits crime articles.

Cities with Highest Murder Rates (100K+ Pop)

#CityMurder RateTotal MurdersPopulation
1BirminghamAlabama58.9115195,418
2St. LouisMissouri54.1150277,294
3New OrleansLouisiana53.0193364,197
4MemphisTennessee40.6249613,207
5BaltimoreMaryland34.8197566,632
6DetroitMichigan31.2203651,171
7ClevelandOhio30.1109362,762
8DaytonOhio29.740134,857
9Kansas CityMissouri27.6141511,535
10ShreveportLouisiana26.847175,092
11AtlantaGeorgia26.4132500,212
12WashingtonDistrict of Columbia25.5179702,250
13Baton RougeLouisiana24.253219,086
14RichmondVirginia24.256231,805
15MilwaukeeWisconsin23.9134560,416
16South FultonGeorgia22.225112,441
17CincinnatiOhio21.868311,599
18Louisville MetroKentucky21.7147676,843
19Fort LauderdaleFlorida20.137184,347
20IndianapolisIndiana20.0178890,685
21OaklandCalifornia18.681435,042
22AlbuquerqueNew Mexico18.4103558,745
23MontgomeryAlabama18.135193,728
24MinneapolisMinnesota17.976423,282
25LancasterCalifornia17.729164,012

Large Cities with Zero Murders

Overland Park, Kansas(196,875)Joliet, Illinois(150,569)Orange, California(137,970)Torrance, California(136,899)Amherst Town, New York(126,184)Arvada, Colorado(120,456)Cambridge, Massachusetts(120,447)Ann Arbor, Michigan(118,025)Goodyear, Arizona(116,892)West Jordan, Utah(114,211)Allen, Texas(113,737)Temecula, California(110,880)Hillsboro, Oregon(107,978)Centennial, Colorado(106,454)Boulder, Colorado(105,195)
Full DashboardMost Dangerous CitiesAll Crime Statistics

Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2024.