Across the United States, there were 22,830 homicides in 2023, averaging 6.8 deaths per 100,000 people.

Homicide rates vary widely across American cities, influenced by factors such as poverty, inequality, gun laws, and local policing strategies.

This map, via Visual Capitalist’s Niccolo Conte, shows the top 40 U.S. cities by their homicide rate per 100,000 residents and the total number of homicides, based on the latest reported data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Where Homicide Rates Are Highest in America

Cities in the South and Midwest tend to show higher homicide rates, reflecting a combination of economic stress, structural inequality, and regional differences in firearm access and enforcement.

The table below ranks the top 40 U.S. cities by homicide rate:

Rank
Major City
State
Homicides per 100,000 people
Total Homicides
1
New Orleans
LA
46
166
2
Memphis
TN
41
372
3
St. Louis
MO
38
106
4
Baltimore
MD
36
205
5
Washington, DC
DC
36
244
6
Birmingham
AL
28
187
7
Philadelphia
PA
26
402
8
Kansas City
MO
25
182
9
Richmond
VA
23
53
10
Indianapolis
IN
22
211
11
Milwaukee
WI
21
190
12
Louisville
KY
19
146
13
Cleveland
OH
18
220
14
Detroit
MI
17
304
15
Norfolk
VA
17
40
16
Atlanta
GA
16
175
17
Chicago
IL
16
805
18
Jacksonville
FL
15
153
19
Nashville
TN
15
103
20
Dallas
TX
12
319
21
Columbus
OH
12
159
22
Houston
TX
11
540
23
Denver
CO
11
77
24
San Antonio
TX
10
218
25
Cincinnati
OH
10
83
26
New York City (The Bronx)
NY
9
128
27
Rochester
NY
9
69
28
Las Vegas
NV
9
207
29
Portland
OR
9
70
30
Oakland
CA
8
136
31
Oklahoma City
OK
8
66
32
Phoenix
AZ
7
337
33
Pittsburgh
PA
8
98
34
Charlotte
NC
8
90
35
Orlando
FL
7
104
36
Minneapolis
MN
7
88
37
Los Angeles
CA
7
659
38
Miami
FL
7
176
39
Newark
NJ
7
56
40
Virginia Beach
VA
6
29

New Orleans ranks first, with a homicide rate of 46 per 100,000 people. Memphis and St. Louis follow closely, each reporting rates above 38 per 100,000. While these cities have a relatively low number of total homicides, their small population sizes place them among the most violent cities in the country.

In terms of total homicides, Chicago ranks first with more than 800 homicides, followed by Los Angeles and Houston. Despite the high totals, these cities have relatively lower rates due to their large populations.

Many Southern and Western states with high homicide rates also rank highly in gun-related deaths per 100,000 people, reflecting a combination of firearm availability, gun ownership rates, and broader socioeconomic challenges.

If you found this infographic interesting, see this graphic on America’s Most Dangerous Cities on Voronoi.