What State Has the Highest Crime Rate? Key Statistics for 2026

Understanding the crime rate by state helps facilities managers, security directors, and procurement officers make informed decisions about security investments across commercial portfolios, government facilities, and educational campuses. Based on the latest FBI crime data and national crime statistics, this analysis identifies which states have the highest violent crime rates, the factors driving these trends, and what the numbers mean for organizations protecting multiple locations. Nationally, violent crime rates decreased to historic lows in 2024—but the data on violent and property crimes varies dramatically by state.

Key Takeaways

• Alaska now ranks #1 for violent crime at 724.1 per 100,000 residents, followed by New Mexico at 717.1—geographic isolation and limited law enforcement resources drive both states’ elevated crime rates.
• National crime is at historic lows: Violent crime dropped 4.5% in 2024, with murder and nonnegligent manslaughter down 14.9%—the lowest violent crime rates since 1969.
• Property crime fell 8.1%, with motor vehicle theft seeing its largest single-year decline ever at 18.6%—and 2025 data shows the trend accelerating, with nonresidential burglaries down another 18%.
• ~89% of burglaries go unsolved, making deterrence through visible security systems far more effective than relying on law enforcement recovery after the fact.
• Maine remains the safest state with just 100.1 violent crimes per 100,000 residents—but state averages mask wide city-level variation that matters for facilities managers and security directors evaluating multi-site deployments.

Overview of Crime Rates by State

The FBI report data below shows crime rates for all 50 states and the District of Columbia, sourced from the Uniform Crime Reporting Program.

Important note for facilities managers and security directors: State averages describe a wide and internally diverse geography. The safest city in Louisiana is safer than the most dangerous city in Vermont. Organizations managing multiple commercial locations, government facilities, or educational campuses should evaluate crime data at the city and county level—not just the state—when making security investment and site selection decisions.

States with the Highest Violent Crime Rates

The FBI crime data reveals which states have the highest violent crime rates in the country. Violent crime includes murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault—reported by local law enforcement agencies through the Uniform Crime Reporting system.

1. Alaska

Alaska holds the highest violent crime rate in America at 724.1 per 100,000 residents, according to the latest FBI report data. The state’s unique challenges include geographic isolation, harsh weather conditions limiting law enforcement response times, and rural communities with minimal security infrastructure. Criminal investigations in remote areas often take longer due to limited law enforcement agencies and vast distances between population centers.

Key Crime Types: Aggravated assault accounts for approximately 72% of violent crimes in Alaska, with domestic violence and alcohol-related incidents being prevalent concerns. The state also experiences elevated rates of rape, with some felony cases taking 5-10 years to resolve due to court backlogs and limited prosecution resources. Robbery and theft also affect many cities and counties throughout the state.

Business Impact: Organizations operating in Alaska—including government agencies, energy sector facilities, and commercial enterprises—face extended emergency response times, making self-monitoring security systems and remote video surveillance essential for protection. When law enforcement response takes longer, the ability to detect threats in real time—and deter criminals before they act—becomes the primary line of defense. This is especially critical for facilities with high-value assets or public safety obligations.

2. New Mexico

New Mexico ranks second for violent crime with 717.1 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. Contributing factors include high poverty rates (18.8% compared to the national average of 11.5%), limited law enforcement resources in rural areas, and drug-related criminal activity. The state also leads the nation in property crime rates, with high rates of motor vehicle theft, burglary, larceny, and arson reported across multiple county jurisdictions.

Business Impact: Commercial enterprises, government facilities, and educational institutions operating in New Mexico should invest in comprehensive security systems—including surveillance cameras, access control, and alarm systems—to protect their property, employees, and the populations they serve from violent and property crimes.

3. Tennessee

Tennessee reports 592.3 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, with Memphis being a particular city hotspot for criminal activity. However, recent FBI data shows improvement—the city of Memphis saw a 30% decline in homicides by late 2024, with overall crime dropping to a 25-year low across major categories. Law enforcement agencies in Tennessee have historically focused resources on violent crime investigation and prosecution.

Business Impact: Commercial security systems remain essential for Tennessee organizations—particularly office buildings, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities in urban areas where property crime remains elevated. The state’s violent crime rates vary significantly across cities and counties, making site-level assessment important for multi-location operators.

4. Arkansas

Arkansas experiences 579.4 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, with aggravated assault being the most common violent offense. Both the Pine Bluff and Little Rock metropolitan areas report violent crime rates far higher than the national average. The state also faces significant property crime challenges, including burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft.

5. Louisiana

Louisiana has a violent crime rate of 519.8 per 100,000 residents and maintains one of the nation’s highest homicide rates. Economic challenges, historical crime trends, and regional circumstances significantly affect crime rates throughout the state. However, the city of New Orleans has shown remarkable improvement—homicide is down 21% from the previous year and 64% from three years ago, representing one of the most significant declines in the country.

6. California

California’s violent crime rate of 486.0 per 100,000 residents varies significantly by region and city. The state’s large population and economic disparities contribute to higher crime rates in certain areas, but targeted security investments can effectively reduce risk for commercial and government facilities statewide.

7. Colorado

Colorado’s violent crime rate is 476.3 per 100,000 residents. The state of Colorado’s property crime rates are also significant, ranking second nationally, with frequent incidents of burglary, larceny, theft, and arson affecting businesses throughout the state. The city of Denver saw violent crime decline by 58% in early 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.

8. Missouri

Missouri has a violent crime rate of 462.0 per 100,000 residents. Urban hubs like St. Louis and Kansas City account for a disproportionate share of violent crime, including homicide, aggravated assault, and robbery. Homicide rates in St. Louis declined approximately 22% in early 2025—the lowest mid-year numbers in more than a decade.

9. Kansas

Kansas ranks ninth with a violent crime rate of 438.7 per 100,000 residents. Urban centers like Wichita, Kansas City, and Topeka account for much of the state’s crime, while rural areas maintain lower rates.

10. South Carolina

South Carolina experiences 436.7 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. Aggravated assault, robbery, homicide, and rape are common throughout the state, with historical crime patterns and economic factors influencing the elevated violent crime rates.

Also read:

• Chicago Crime Rate
• San Francisco Crime Rate

States with the Lowest Violent Crime Rates

Certain regions consistently maintain the lowest violent crime rates in the nation. These states share common factors: strong community values, adequate law enforcement funding, low population density, and stable economic conditions.

1. Maine

Maine consistently ranks as America’s safest state, with just 100.1 violent crimes per 100,000 residents—the lowest violent crime rate in the nation. The state’s lowest crime rates are attributed to strong community policing initiatives by local law enforcement agencies, low population density, and robust socioeconomic conditions. Criminal activity, including violent crime, robbery, aggravated assault, and property crime, remains rare throughout the state.

2. New Hampshire

New Hampshire boasts the second-lowest violent crime rate at 110.1 per 100,000 residents. Over 78% of New Hampshire citizens stated they feel they live in safe neighborhoods—the highest percentage in the country. New Hampshire’s property crime statistics show that most incidents involve burglary and larceny rather than violent offenses. The state’s law enforcement agencies have established strong community partnerships that contribute to these low crime rates.

3. Connecticut

Connecticut has one of the lowest violent crime rates in the country, at 136.0 per 100,000 residents. Most offenses are property-related rather than violent, and the state’s crime statistics have shown a consistent decline over recent decades.

4. Rhode Island

Rhode Island’s violent crime rate of 153.6 per 100,000 ranks among the lowest in the nation, including the lowest per capita murder and nonnegligent manslaughter rate in the country. The state’s compact size allows law enforcement agencies to respond quickly throughout every city and county.

5. Wyoming

Wyoming has a very low crime rate of 203.4 per 100,000, with violent crime especially rare. Low population density and strong community values contribute to Wyoming’s overall safety profile.

6. New Jersey

New Jersey has one of the lowest crime rates among densely populated states. The state’s crime statistics have declined significantly in recent years, and New Jersey maintains the fourth-lowest violent crime rate alongside one of the nation’s largest law enforcement forces.

7. Kentucky

Kentucky maintains relatively low crime rates, with violent crime infrequent throughout most of the state. Rural county areas benefit from strong community values, while city centers have focused law enforcement resources on prevention.

8. Vermont

Vermont consistently ranks among the safest states, with just 173.4 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. Nearly 77% of residents feel safe in their communities, and property crime, including burglary, larceny, and theft, remains minimal.

9. Virginia

Virginia has low crime rates in violent and property crime categories, with continued declines reported by state law enforcement agencies across most criminal offense types.

10. Idaho

Idaho has one of the lowest crime rates in the country and the lowest property crime rate nationally at 736.3 per 100,000—reflecting strong community values and effective local law enforcement.

Understanding Crime Rate Data and Trends

National Crime Trends: According to the FBI’s 2024 crime data, the United States is experiencing historically low crime rates:

• Violent crime decreased 4.5% compared to 2023
• Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter dropped 14.9%—the largest single-year decline in over a decade
• Robbery decreased 8.9%, rape decreased 5.2%, and aggravated assault decreased 3.0%
• Property crime decreased 8.1%, with motor vehicle theft down 18.6%—the largest one-year decline ever recorded
• 46 states saw a decrease in violent crime rates in 2024; only five states saw increases

The national violent crime rate of 359.1 per 100,000 residents is the lowest since 1969. Property crime rates are at their lowest since 1961—a trend that is clearly trending downward across most regions.

2025 Trends Accelerating Further: According to the Council on Criminal Justice, crime trends in the first half of 2025 outpaced 2024’s historic declines across all major categories: homicides down 17%, robbery down 20%, carjackings down 24%, motor vehicle theft down 25%, residential burglary down 19%, nonresidential burglary down 18%, and larceny down 12%—the lowest mid-year numbers in over a decade.

Data Sources: The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program provides standardized crime statistics, measured per 100,000 residents, enabling accurate state-by-state comparisons. In 2024, over 16,000 law enforcement agencies, representing 95.6% of the U.S. population, submitted data.

Key Factors Influencing Crime Rates: Population density and urbanization levels, economic conditions, including poverty and unemployment rates, law enforcement resources and community policing programs, educational attainment, and the availability of social services all drive variation between states.

Regional Crime Patterns Across the United States

Comparing crime statistics across regions of the country reveals significant variations in violent crime rates and property crime rates:

• Western States: Report the highest regional violent crime rates at 21.0% above the national average, with Alaska, New Mexico, and Colorado leading. Washington state also ranks among the top five for property crime nationally, and Western states hold four of the highest property crime rates in the country.
• Southern States: Lead in homicide rates. Eight of the ten states with the highest murder rates are in the South, with Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama accounting for disproportionately high totals.
• Northeastern States: Show the lowest regional violent crime rates at 22.1% below the national average. Four of the five states with the lowest property crime rates and the four lowest violent crime rates are in the Northeast—a region where violent and property crimes have been trending downward for decades.
• Midwestern States: Display moderate crime rates with significant urban-rural disparities. City centers in Missouri and Illinois drive the majority of violent and property crime in those states.

What this means for multi-site organizations: Regional patterns are useful for portfolio-level risk assessment, but city-level variation within each region is dramatic. A warehouse in rural Tennessee may face very different risks than one in Memphis. A school district or government agency operating across multiple jurisdictions faces an especially complex risk profile. Security assessments should always be conducted at the property and neighborhood level—not just the state or regional level.

States with the Highest Property Crime Rates

Property crime affects commercial operations significantly. Office buildings, warehouses, manufacturing facilities, schools, government buildings, and hospitality properties face substantial burglary risk—and with a burglary clearance rate of approximately 11%, roughly 89% of commercial break-ins go unsolved by law enforcement. That makes deterrence the primary line of defense, not recovery after the fact.

For SLED organizations—state, local, and education entities—the stakes are compounded by public accountability and compliance obligations. A security incident at a school, government building, or university campus carries consequences that go well beyond financial loss. Proactive security investment is both a risk management decision and an institutional responsibility.

Here are the states with the highest property crime rates, based on FBI crime data:

These states experience elevated levels of burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, and arson. The combination of high property crime rates and a ~11% burglary clearance rate makes proactive security investment—not reactive response—the most cost-effective strategy for any organization operating in these markets.

Commercial burglary by facility type (2023 FBI data):

• Office buildings and commercial properties: 42,508 burglaries
• Construction sites: 12,979 burglaries
• Hotels/motels: 6,808 burglaries
• Places of worship: 6,567 burglaries
• Restaurants: 23,358 burglaries

These numbers reflect reported incidents only. For facilities without adequate camera coverage or alarm systems, incidents often go entirely unreported—making the actual exposure higher than any single dataset can capture.

States with the Lowest Property Crime:

States with the lowest property crime rates share strong law enforcement coverage, community values, and sustained investment in crime prevention. These statistics reflect years of consistent decline in criminal activity across the Northeast and Mountain West.

Technology’s Role in Crime Prevention

Modern Security Systems: The evidence on security technology as a crime deterrent is clear. A University of North Carolina at Charlotte study of 422 convicted burglars found that 60% would avoid a property with visible security systems—cameras, alarms, and signage were the top deterrent cited. A multi-city Urban Institute evaluation in Baltimore, Washington D.C., and Chicago found that in areas where cameras were actively monitored, crime dropped by as much as 20%—without simply displacing crime to nearby areas.

With a burglary clearance rate of roughly 11%, prevention through visible security measures is far more effective than relying on law enforcement response and prosecution. The math is straightforward: the cost of a professional security system is almost always less than a single incident of commercial burglary, theft, or vandalism—before accounting for insurance, lost inventory, operational disruption, and employee safety concerns.

Remote Video Monitoring: AI-powered monitoring identifies suspicious criminal activity in real time, providing protection even in areas with extended law enforcement response times—particularly valuable for facilities in Alaska and other remote locations. When an incident is detected live, monitoring operators can trigger voice-down warnings, dispatch law enforcement with incident verification, and dramatically improve the quality of evidence collected. Baltimore’s homicide clearance rate jumped from 40.3% in 2020 to 68.2% in 2024 following sustained investment in surveillance infrastructure—a model that applies equally to commercial campuses and government facilities managing multi-site risk.

Protecting Your Business in High-Crime Areas

For organizations operating across high-crime states—whether managing a commercial real estate portfolio, a school district, a government agency, or a multi-site enterprise—professional security systems are a core operational requirement. The financial exposure extends beyond theft: damaged property, insurance claims, operational downtime, employee safety incidents, and liability all compound the cost of a single event. For SLED organizations, regulatory, compliance, and public trust dimensions make security incidents especially costly.

Crime is trending down nationally, but individual site risk doesn’t automatically fall with it. With only about 11% of burglaries resulting in a cleared case, the odds of recovery after a break-in remain very low regardless of how national statistics shift. For facilities managers overseeing multi-site portfolios, internal theft and access control failures remain persistent risks that aggregate crime statistics don’t capture. A layered approach—combining surveillance cameras, access control, and alarm monitoring—addresses both external threats and internal vulnerabilities.

Our team at Safe and Sound Security has protected over 20,000 commercial locations and government facilities nationwide, achieving a 99% customer satisfaction rate. We specialize in security solutions for commercial enterprises, SLED organizations, and multi-site operators.

Security System Benefits:

• Deterrent effect: 60% of convicted burglars avoid properties with visible security systems (University of North Carolina at Charlotte)
• Evidence collection: High-quality cameras provide crucial evidence for law enforcement investigation and criminal prosecution—directly improving clearance rates
• Real-time monitoring: Immediate alerts enable rapid response to criminal activity and security threats, particularly in areas with limited law enforcement coverage
• Insurance benefits: Many insurers offer reduced premiums for properties with professional security systems, recognizing the value of crime prevention

FAQs

Key Takeaways

Understanding crime rates by state helps facilities managers, security directors, procurement officers, and operations leaders make informed decisions across commercial portfolios and public sector facilities. The national trend is clear—violent crime is at its lowest point in over 50 years and property crime continues to decline.

For commercial enterprises and SLED organizations, the critical takeaway is this: national trends don’t determine individual site risk. With burglary clearance rates at approximately 11%, deterrence through professional security systems is the most effective protection strategy regardless of where a facility operates.

With over 19 years of experience protecting 20,000+ commercial locations and government facilities nationwide, Safe and Sound Security delivers security solutions tailored to your risk profile and location.

Ready to protect your facilities? Contact our security experts today for a comprehensive assessment of your commercial or government property’s security needs.

Citations:

1. https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/fbi-releases-2024-reported-crimes-in-the-nation-statistics
2. https://usafacts.org/articles/which-states-have-the-least-and-most-crime/
3. https://counciloncj.org/crime-trends-in-u-s-cities-mid-year-2025-update/
4. https://guardianprotection.com/blog/6-crime-statistics-every-business-owner-should-know/
5. https://guardianprotection.com/blog/do-security-cameras-deter-crime-roi-surveillance/
6. https://zealousadvocate.com/resources/llm/burglary-statistics/
7. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/nationwide-2024-crime-data-demonstrate-the-value-of-violence-prevention-and-local-law-enforcement/