The Violence Inequality Index
In some states, one city has ALL the crime. In others, it's everywhere.
Using the Gini coefficient — the same tool economists use to measure wealth inequality — we measure how concentrated violent crime is within each state.
Key Insights
- →Colorado has the highest crime concentration (Gini: 0.794) — 28.7% of violent crime is in Denver.
- →6 states have a Gini above 0.6, meaning crime is highly concentrated in a few cities.
- →4 states have relatively even crime distribution (Gini below 0.4).
- →On average, the top 3 cities in each state account for 52% of violent crime.
Violence Inequality by State (Gini Coefficient)
All States
| # | State | Gini Index | Top City % | Top 3 % | Top City | Cities | Avg Rate | Max Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado | 0.794 | 28.7% | 57.9% | Denver | 153 | 726.3 | 50000 |
| 2 | New York | 0.665 | 80.3% | 84.8% | New York | 403 | 111.9 | 1191.5 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | 0.646 | 51.2% | 57.5% | Philadelphia | 885 | 122.8 | 1693.7 |
| 4 | New Jersey | 0.626 | 9.1% | 25.4% | Newark | 488 | 127.3 | 2857.1 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 0.604 | 26.6% | 42.2% | Manchester | 194 | 67.5 | 571.4 |
| 6 | Missouri | 0.601 | 35% | 60.7% | Kansas City | 366 | 296.2 | 6310.7 |
| 7 | Illinois | 0.594 | 42.4% | 51.5% | Chicago | 591 | 178 | 3076.9 |
| 8 | South Dakota | 0.593 | 47.1% | 75% | Sioux Falls | 58 | 256.8 | 2314.8 |
| 9 | Kentucky | 0.583 | 60.6% | 74% | Louisville Metro | 235 | 88.9 | 707.4 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | 0.580 | 55.3% | 63.8% | Milwaukee | 318 | 139.4 | 2249.8 |
| 11 | Michigan | 0.568 | 32.9% | 42.3% | Detroit | 432 | 265.6 | 3019.3 |
| 12 | North Dakota | 0.568 | 39.3% | 63.7% | Fargo | 49 | 154.8 | 561.2 |
| 13 | Connecticut | 0.562 | 15.3% | 40.3% | New Haven | 95 | 85.7 | 534.8 |
| 14 | Delaware | 0.557 | 41.3% | 67.6% | Wilmington | 39 | 499.1 | 4433.5 |
| 15 | Ohio | 0.549 | 18.7% | 40.9% | Cleveland | 439 | 168.8 | 1613.7 |
| 16 | Minnesota | 0.548 | 38.4% | 55.4% | Minneapolis | 296 | 139.7 | 1411.8 |
| 17 | Alabama | 0.542 | 16.6% | 36.6% | Birmingham | 301 | 335 | 3589.7 |
| 18 | Georgia | 0.538 | 22.5% | 33.9% | Atlanta | 245 | 284.2 | 1653.7 |
| 19 | Indiana | 0.535 | 44% | 57.4% | Indianapolis | 143 | 232 | 2237.9 |
| 20 | California | 0.528 | 17.6% | 26.6% | Los Angeles | 462 | 532.3 | 36614.2 |
| 21 | Nebraska | 0.526 | 47% | 79.5% | Omaha | 67 | 140.5 | 588 |
| 22 | Oklahoma | 0.525 | 32.3% | 63.3% | Oklahoma City | 321 | 264.8 | 2464.8 |
| 23 | Louisiana | 0.524 | 27.9% | 52.5% | New Orleans | 106 | 573.8 | 3092.8 |
| 24 | West Virginia | 0.523 | 20.3% | 49% | Huntington | 63 | 230.3 | 982.6 |
| 25 | South Carolina | 0.521 | 10.8% | 26.2% | Columbia | 173 | 543.9 | 2813.3 |
| 26 | Vermont | 0.515 | 21.3% | 36.6% | Burlington | 55 | 198.4 | 991.7 |
| 27 | Tennessee | 0.510 | 43.7% | 70.6% | Memphis | 248 | 316.1 | 2501.3 |
| 28 | Kansas | 0.506 | 23.7% | 53.5% | Wichita | 162 | 232.8 | 1512.5 |
| 29 | Maine | 0.497 | 18.1% | 34.3% | Portland | 107 | 74.7 | 313.8 |
| 30 | Mississippi | 0.496 | 11.9% | 25.8% | Gulfport | 92 | 263 | 1517.8 |
| 31 | Florida | 0.494 | 14.6% | 25.5% | Jacksonville | 287 | 323 | 2290.8 |
| 32 | North Carolina | 0.490 | 23.8% | 40.6% | Charlotte-Mecklenburg | 266 | 359.9 | 2037.1 |
| 33 | Maryland | 0.490 | 71.2% | 76.6% | Baltimore | 73 | 408.8 | 1606.2 |
| 34 | Virginia | 0.489 | 13.5% | 33% | Newport News | 141 | 209.2 | 1068.9 |
| 35 | Wyoming | 0.485 | 24.7% | 53.7% | Cheyenne | 38 | 174.7 | 745.1 |
| 36 | Texas | 0.479 | 27.5% | 45.8% | Houston | 728 | 237.2 | 2888.1 |
| 37 | Iowa | 0.474 | 22.2% | 38.1% | Des Moines | 160 | 212.1 | 2102 |
| 38 | Washington | 0.471 | 28.3% | 47.2% | Seattle | 178 | 221.6 | 1570.2 |
| 39 | Arizona | 0.468 | 48.3% | 69.1% | Phoenix | 73 | 368.1 | 2402.5 |
| 40 | Arkansas | 0.466 | 25.1% | 36.2% | Little Rock | 218 | 406.8 | 1922.3 |
| 41 | Alaska | 0.464 | 77.7% | 88.1% | Anchorage | 27 | 432.5 | 1656.1 |
| 42 | Massachusetts | 0.455 | 18.6% | 30.5% | Boston | 322 | 184.8 | 1194 |
| 43 | Rhode Island | 0.434 | 32.9% | 57.8% | Providence | 38 | 97.8 | 390.6 |
| 44 | Utah | 0.430 | 27.6% | 43.6% | Salt Lake City | 86 | 193.3 | 864.2 |
| 45 | New Mexico | 0.421 | 57.6% | 71.4% | Albuquerque | 56 | 449.4 | 1503.6 |
| 46 | Idaho | 0.398 | 21.6% | 44.7% | Boise | 63 | 214.6 | 856.5 |
| 47 | Montana | 0.363 | 31.8% | 60.4% | Billings | 48 | 373.2 | 1032 |
| 48 | Oregon | 0.355 | 41.8% | 55.9% | Portland | 105 | 222.9 | 720.1 |
| 49 | Nevada | 0.330 | 63.4% | 85.9% | Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department | 14 | 355.3 | 845.6 |
💡 Why This Matters
When a state has a high Gini index, it means most of the state is relatively safe, but a few cities carry an outsized burden of violence. This has implications for:
- Policy: Statewide averages can be misleading — targeted city-level interventions may be more effective
- Perception: People may avoid an entire state because of one city's reputation
- Resources: Concentrated crime means concentrated demand for services
FAQ
What is the Violence Inequality Index?
It measures how unevenly violent crime is distributed across cities within a state using the Gini coefficient. A score of 1.0 means all crime is in one city; 0.0 means perfectly even distribution.
Why does crime concentration matter?
States with high concentration may need targeted interventions in specific cities, while evenly distributed crime requires statewide approaches. It also affects how "safe" a state feels overall.
What is a Gini coefficient?
Originally used to measure income inequality, the Gini coefficient ranges from 0 (perfect equality) to 1 (maximum inequality). We apply it to violent crime rates across cities in each state.
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