US Murder Rate 2024
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
Cities with Highest Murder Rates (100K+ Pop)
| # | City | Murder Rate | Total Murders | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BirminghamAlabama | 58.9 | 115 | 195,418 |
| 2 | St. LouisMissouri | 54.1 | 150 | 277,294 |
| 3 | New OrleansLouisiana | 53.0 | 193 | 364,197 |
| 4 | MemphisTennessee | 40.6 | 249 | 613,207 |
| 5 | BaltimoreMaryland | 34.8 | 197 | 566,632 |
| 6 | DetroitMichigan | 31.2 | 203 | 651,171 |
| 7 | ClevelandOhio | 30.1 | 109 | 362,762 |
| 8 | DaytonOhio | 29.7 | 40 | 134,857 |
| 9 | Kansas CityMissouri | 27.6 | 141 | 511,535 |
| 10 | ShreveportLouisiana | 26.8 | 47 | 175,092 |
| 11 | AtlantaGeorgia | 26.4 | 132 | 500,212 |
| 12 | WashingtonDistrict Of Columbia | 25.5 | 179 | 702,250 |
| 13 | Baton RougeLouisiana | 24.2 | 53 | 219,086 |
| 14 | RichmondVirginia | 24.2 | 56 | 231,805 |
| 15 | MilwaukeeWisconsin | 23.9 | 134 | 560,416 |
| 16 | South FultonGeorgia | 22.2 | 25 | 112,441 |
| 17 | CincinnatiOhio | 21.8 | 68 | 311,599 |
| 18 | Louisville MetroKentucky | 21.7 | 147 | 676,843 |
| 19 | IndianapolisIndiana | 20.0 | 178 | 890,685 |
| 20 | OaklandCalifornia | 18.6 | 81 | 435,042 |
| 21 | AlbuquerqueNew Mexico | 18.4 | 103 | 558,745 |
| 22 | MontgomeryAlabama | 18.1 | 35 | 193,728 |
| 23 | MinneapolisMinnesota | 17.9 | 76 | 423,282 |
| 24 | LancasterCalifornia | 17.7 | 29 | 164,012 |
| 25 | Little RockArkansas | 17.6 | 36 | 204,247 |
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)
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2024.