Guide Rankings Health Updated May 31, 2026

Violent Crime Rate by State 2026

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Violent Crime Rate by State 2026

Ranking - Health

Quick Answer

Violent Crime Rate by State 2026

  1. 1

    Alaska has the highest violent crime rate in the U.S. at 837.8 per 100,000 residents, driven by geographic isolation, high alcohol consumption, and limited law enforcement reach in remote communities. New Mexico (779.0) follows closely.

  2. 2

    Maine, New Hampshire, and Connecticut have the lowest violent crime rates, all below 200 per 100,000. These states combine low poverty, high educational attainment, cohesive communities, and well-funded local law enforcement.

  3. 3

    Violent crime includes murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, as defined by the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program. The national rate is approximately 380 incidents per 100,000 residents.

Map

Violent Crime Rate by State 2026 Map

Per 100k
No data
Violent Crime Rate by State 2026 Map
Rank State Per 100k
1 Alaska 837.8
2 New Mexico 779
3 Louisiana 640.8
4 Tennessee 640.7
5 Arkansas 556.3
6 Nevada 516.8
7 California 499.5
8 Missouri 495.2
9 South Carolina 490.4
10 Arizona 473.4
11 Alabama 447.8
12 Oklahoma 442.7
13 Michigan 432.3
14 Texas 431.8
15 Maryland 431.7
16 Colorado 407.3
17 Delaware 404
18 Montana 401.3
19 South Dakota 400.6
20 Kansas 394.2
21 Illinois 390.5
22 Indiana 349.4
23 North Carolina 346.4
24 Georgia 340.3
25 Washington 319.8
26 New York 319.6
27 Ohio 316.5
28 West Virginia 312
29 Nebraska 311.2
30 Pennsylvania 299.5
31 Wisconsin 295.8
32 Oregon 293.8
33 Massachusetts 283.3
34 North Dakota 282.5
35 Iowa 277.2
36 Mississippi 269.8
37 Minnesota 268.9
38 Florida 252.4
39 Utah 243.4
40 Hawaii 242.5
41 Idaho 224.7
42 Kentucky 218.6
43 Wyoming 216.5
44 Rhode Island 215.5
45 Virginia 195.2
46 New Jersey 188.9
47 Vermont 187.6
48 Connecticut 178
49 New Hampshire 164.4
50 Maine 109.8

New Mexico and Alaska are the clear outliers. The Northeast and Upper Midwest run lightest. Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont are among the safest states in the country.

Violent Crime Rate by State 2026 Table

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Clean, print-ready version of Violent Crime Rate by State 2026.

Safest and Most Dangerous States by Violent Crime Rate

Highest

837.8
Alaska flag
Alaska #1

Lowest

109.8
Maine flag
Maine #50

Top 10 Highest — Violent Crime Rate (per 100k)

#1 Alaska flag Alaska
837.8
#2 New Mexico flag New Mexico
779
#3 Louisiana flag Louisiana
640.8
#4 Tennessee flag Tennessee
640.7
#5 Arkansas flag Arkansas
556.3
#6 Nevada flag Nevada
516.8
#7 California flag California
499.5
#8 Missouri flag Missouri
495.2
#9 South Carolina flag South Carolina
490.4
#10 Arizona flag Arizona
473.4

Top 10 Lowest — Violent Crime Rate (per 100k)

#50 Maine flag Maine
109.8
#49 New Hampshire flag New Hampshire
164.4
#48 Connecticut flag Connecticut
178
#47 Vermont flag Vermont
187.6
#46 New Jersey flag New Jersey
188.9
#45 Virginia flag Virginia
195.2
#44 Rhode Island flag Rhode Island
215.5
#43 Wyoming flag Wyoming
216.5
#42 Kentucky flag Kentucky
218.6
#41 Idaho flag Idaho
224.7

Why New England States Have the Lowest Violent Crime Rates

Calm small-town street with storefronts, trees, and parked cars
Compact towns and smaller urban networks are part of the low-crime profile often associated with northern New England.

Maine (109.8 per 100,000), New Hampshire (164.4), and Vermont (187.6) consistently record the lowest violent crime rates in the country. All three share structural characteristics associated with low crime: high median household incomes, low poverty rates, high educational attainment, and relatively small and socially cohesive communities. Maine's largest city, Portland, has a population under 70,000, limiting the concentration of poverty-linked crime that larger cities generate.

New Jersey (188.9) and Connecticut (178.0) achieve low rates despite being densely populated states with major urban centers. Both states invest heavily in law enforcement and have relatively low rates of gun violence compared to their regional peers. Connecticut's violent crime rate has fallen by more than 40% since the early 1990s, tracking national trends but from an already lower baseline.

Why Alaska Has the Highest Violent Crime Rate

Patrol vehicle parked along a long road in a sparsely settled landscape
Distance, sparse settlement, and long travel corridors can complicate public safety in places far from dense urban service networks.

Alaska's 837.8 per 100,000 violent crime rate, more than double the national average, is driven by geographic isolation, high alcohol consumption, and limited law enforcement reach. Many Alaska communities are accessible only by air or water, which means law enforcement response times can be measured in hours rather than minutes. Crimes that might be interrupted quickly in connected communities go unaddressed longer.

Alaska has the highest per-capita alcohol consumption in the United States, and alcohol is implicated in a large share of violent offenses including assault and domestic violence. Native Alaskan communities, many in remote villages, experience violent crime rates several times higher than statewide averages. State funding for village public safety officers, a program for communities too small to support full police departments, has been inconsistent, leaving some villages without any law enforcement presence.

New Mexico Ranks 49th Despite Not Being in Common High-Crime Conversations

New Mexico's 779.0 per 100,000 violent crime rate places it second-worst nationally. Albuquerque, the state's largest city with about 560,000 people in its metro area, has recorded one of the highest property and violent crime rates of any major U.S. city for multiple consecutive years. Auto theft in Albuquerque has been among the highest per capita of any American city.

Poverty explains much of New Mexico's position. At 17.8%, New Mexico has one of the three highest poverty rates in the country. Rural poverty on Native American reservations, combined with chronic underfunding of behavioral health services and law enforcement infrastructure, keeps crime rates elevated across large portions of the state.

Crime Rates Reflect Reported Crimes, Not All Crime

Violent crime statistics are compiled from law enforcement agencies that voluntarily report to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all agencies report, and participation rates vary by state. Some states have gaps in local agency participation that cause statewide rates to appear lower than the true figure.

Domestic violence, sexual assault, and crimes in rural areas are systematically underreported across all states. States with better victim advocacy programs and higher reporting rates may show higher crime numbers not because they have more crime, but because more victims come forward. Comparing rates across states requires awareness that the data reflects reported incidents, not a complete census of criminal acts.

Quick Answers

Which state has the highest violent crime rate
Alaska has the highest violent crime rate among U.S. states, at 837.8 per 100,000 residents. Geographic isolation, high alcohol consumption, and limited law enforcement reach in remote communities are the primary drivers. New Mexico (779.0) ranks second.
Which states are the safest from violent crime
Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont consistently have the lowest violent crime rates in the U.S., all well below 200 per 100,000. These states share low poverty rates, high social trust, predominantly rural or small-city populations, and low rates of drug trafficking.
What counts as violent crime in FBI data
The FBI defines violent crime as offenses that involve force or the threat of force: murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Property crimes (burglary, theft, arson) are tracked separately. Only incidents reported to law enforcement and submitted to the FBI are included.
Does a low violent crime rate mean a state is truly safe
Not entirely — violent crime rates capture reported offenses but miss unreported crimes, property crime, fraud, cybercrime, and traffic fatalities. States with high violent crime can have low property crime, and vice versa. The FBI and BJS publish separate measures for property crime, drug offenses, and other categories.

Methodology

Violent crime rates are per 100,000 residents using FBI Unified Crime Reporting (UCR) 2022 data, the most recent year with complete state-level coverage. Violent crime includes murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape (revised definition), robbery, and aggravated assault. Not all agencies report to the UCR; states with lower coverage rates may have estimates adjusted by the FBI.

Sources

Information is cross-referenced with official state archives.
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