Things You May Not Know About Crime Rates Nationwide
As reported by U.S. News & World Report, crime saw a downward trend from 2016 to 2019. Their report on “The 10 Safety States in America” indicated that crime rates dropped from slightly below “400 incidents per 100,000 people “ in 2016 to “about 380 per 100,000 people in 2019.”
Their reporting on the safety states found that Maine had the lowest rate of violent crime, “about 115 per 100,000 people.” Alaska, on the other hand, had the highest violent crime rate with approximately “867 incidents per 100,000 people.”
Other noteworthy facts about crime in America, according to U.S. News & World Report, include:
- Virginia ranked as the 10th safest state in America.
- New England states had lower rates of violent crime and property crime compared to other regions of the United States.
- Idaho ranked third in the nation for safest states.
- New Hampshire ranked second.
- Wyoming and Idaho were the only two western states to rank in the top 10 for safest states.
Read the U.S. News & World Report article “The 10 Safest States in America.”
California Crime Statistics
According to data collected by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), California’s violent crime rates have increased significantly after dipping to a low point in 2014. For example, the homicide rate in the state was 5.6 per 100,000 people in 2020 compared to 4.3 per 100,000 people in 2019.
The homicide rate in California, however, has been lower than the national average every year since 2014. Prior to 2014, the homicide rate in California was at or slightly higher than the national average.