Where you live can significantly affect your likelihood of experiencing violent crime, with reported rates varying severalfold across the United States.This map, via Visual Capitalist's Bruno Venditti, ranks every U.S. state and the District of Columbia by reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents between March 2025 and February 2026.The figures include murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, using data from the FBI Crime Data Explorer.Washington, D.C. and Alaska Top the RankingsWashington, D.C. recorded the nation’s highest violent crime rate at 789 incidents per 100,000 residents.D.C.’s rate is partly elevated because it is an entirely urban jurisdiction, unlike states that also include suburban and rural areas.RankState/DistrictViolent crime rate per 100K people (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)1District of Columbia7892Alaska7313New Mexico6454Arkansas5335Tennessee4826Kansas4657Louisiana4618Colorado4299Missouri42810Michigan42611California41712Montana41413Oklahoma40814New York38915Arizona37916Nevada37917South Carolina37618Maryland35319Delaware34520Texas34321Alabama33522South Dakota32223North Carolina31624Oregon31125Washington29026Indiana28927Ohio28328Georgia28129Massachusetts26730West Virginia26031Florida25232Illinois25033Wisconsin23934Iowa23935North Dakota23036Minnesota22437Pennsylvania22238Nebraska22239Utah22040Idaho21841Vermont21242Mississippi20743Kentucky20744Virginia20145New Jersey19446Hawaii19047Wyoming18948Rhode Island14349New Hampshire12150Connecticut10851Maine92Alaska ranked second overall, with 731 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. The state’s elevated rate was largely driven by higher levels of rape and aggravated assault.Meanwhile, New Mexico recorded 645 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, the highest rate in the contiguous United States.South and Southwest See Higher RatesThe South and Southwest account for many of the country’s highest violent crime rates. Alongside New Mexico, Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas all ranked in the upper half of the list, though the underlying factors vary widely by state.For example, New Orleans has more murders per capita than any other city in the country, contributing to Louisiana’s rate of 461 violent crimes per 100,000 people, the seventh highest in the country.More broadly, violent crime is shaped by a range of factors, including poverty, policing strategies, substance abuse, and population density.Northeastern States Report the Lowest Crime RatesThe Northeast dominates the bottom of the ranking. Maine reported the nation’s lowest violent crime rate at just 92 incidents per 100,000 residents, followed by Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.Several other Northeastern states, including New Jersey and Massachusetts, also posted relatively low rates.Although crime rates differ substantially across states, violent crime in the U.S. has generally declined over the past several decades. This makes today’s geographic differences more notable than the long-term national trend.If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Mapped: U.S. Financial Crimes by State on Voronoi.