In 2023, the District of Columbia had the highest reported violent crime rate in the United States, with 1,150.9 violent crimes per 100,000 of the population. Maine had the lowest reported violent crime rate, with 102.5 offenses per 100,000 of the population.
Life in the District
The District of Columbia has seen a fluctuating population over the past few decades. Its population decreased throughout the 1990s, when its crime rate was at its peak, but has been steadily recovering since then. While unemployment in the District has also been falling, it still has had a high poverty rate in recent years. The gentrification of certain areas within Washington, D.C. over the past few years has made the contrast between rich and poor even greater and is also pushing crime out into the Maryland and Virginia suburbs around the District.
Law enforcement in the U.S.
Crime in the U.S. is trending downwards compared to years past, despite Americans feeling that crime is a problem in their country. In addition, the number of full-time law enforcement officers in the U.S. has increased recently, who, in keeping with the lower rate of crime, have also made fewer arrests than in years past.
Reported violent crime rate in the United States in 2023, by state
(per 100,000 of the population)
State / Territory
Reported violent crime rate per 100,000 population
Rates are the number of reported offenses per 100,000 of the population.
In the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, violent crime is composed of four offenses: murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Violent crimes are defined in the UCR Program as those offenses which involve force or threat of force.
Due to the FBI's transition to a new crime reporting system, not all law enforcement agencies submitted crime data to the FBI for 2023. As a result, figures may not accurately reflect the total number of crimes and are not comparable to previous years' data.
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FBI. (September 23, 2024). Reported violent crime rate in the United States in 2023, by state (per 100,000 of the population) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/200445/reported-violent-crime-rate-in-the-us-states/
FBI. "Reported violent crime rate in the United States in 2023, by state (per 100,000 of the population)." Chart. September 23, 2024. Statista. Accessed November 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/200445/reported-violent-crime-rate-in-the-us-states/
FBI. (2024). Reported violent crime rate in the United States in 2023, by state (per 100,000 of the population). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: November 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/200445/reported-violent-crime-rate-in-the-us-states/
FBI. "Reported Violent Crime Rate in The United States in 2023, by State (per 100,000 of The Population)." Statista, Statista Inc., 23 Sep 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/200445/reported-violent-crime-rate-in-the-us-states/
FBI, Reported violent crime rate in the United States in 2023, by state (per 100,000 of the population) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/200445/reported-violent-crime-rate-in-the-us-states/ (last visited November 22, 2024)
Reported violent crime rate in the United States in 2023, by state (per 100,000 of the population) [Graph], FBI, September 23, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/200445/reported-violent-crime-rate-in-the-us-states/
