Whether you are thinking about retiring somewhere new, visiting family, or simply curious about how your home state stacks up, crime rates matter. And the latest numbers from the FBI offer a clearer picture than ever.
The good news first: violent crime is going down across the country. The U.S. now sees 359 violent crimes per 100,000 people. That is down from 380 the year before, and down from 390 in 2023.
But that national average hides a wide range. Some states are remarkably safe. Others have rates more than eight times higher. Here is what the data shows.
The Most Dangerous States
Washington, D.C. tops the list with 789 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, the highest in the country. One reason the district ranks so high is that it is entirely urban, with no suburban or rural areas to bring the average down.
Alaska comes in second at 731 crimes per 100,000. High rates of rape and aggravated assault push the state’s overall number up compared to most of the country.
New Mexico is third at 645 crimes per 100,000 people. Several Southern states round out the top ten.
Some states land on the dangerous list because of what is happening in specific cities. New Orleans has the highest murder rate in the country at 46 homicides per 100,000 people, which is part of why Louisiana makes the top ten. Memphis, Tennessee has the second-highest murder rate at 41 homicides per 100,000. Nashville also appears in the top 20 cities for murder rate, at 15 per 100,000.
Missouri makes the list partly because it has two cities in the top ten for murder rates: St. Louis at 38 homicides per 100,000, and Kansas City at 25 per 100,000.
Here are the ten states with the highest violent crime rates:
| Rank | State | Violent Crimes per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 789 |
| 2 | Alaska | 731 |
| 3 | New Mexico | 645 |
| 4 | Arkansas | 533 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 482 |
| 6 | Kansas | 465 |
| 7 | Louisiana | 461 |
| 8 | Colorado | 429 |
| 9 | Missouri | 428 |
| 10 | Michigan | 426 |
The Safest States in the Country
If safety is a priority, New England is worth a serious look. Four of the ten safest states are in the Northeast, with Vermont coming in at number eleven.
Maine leads the entire country with just 92 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. It is the only state in the nation with a crime rate under 100. Connecticut is second at 108, and New Hampshire is third at 121.
One reason for New England’s low numbers: none of its major cities show up on the list of the top 40 cities with the highest murder rates. Boston, for example, recorded just 22 homicides in 2024, the city’s lowest count since 1957.
Here are the ten safest states based on violent crime rate:
| Rank | State | Violent Crimes per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | 92 |
| 2 | Connecticut | 108 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | 121 |
| 4 | Rhode Island | 143 |
| 5 | Wyoming | 189 |
| 6 | Hawaii | 190 |
| 7 | New Jersey | 194 |
| 8 | Virginia | 201 |
| 9 | Kentucky | 207 |
| 10 | Mississippi | 207 |
All of these figures come from the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer and cover violent crimes per MentalFloss; including murder, robbery, rape, and aggravated assault, reported from March 2025 through February 2026.
If you are weighing a move or planning a trip, this kind of information is a useful starting point. And the overall trend is encouraging: crime is heading in the right direction across the country.
