In this piece, we will take a look at the top 20 U.S. cities with the highest murders in 2024.
While it’s impossible to completely root out crime, it is possible to reduce it. This also seems to be the case in the U.S. where the crime rate has dropped in 2021 and 2022. The most common kinds of crime in America are property crimes, and data from the FBI compiled by USAFacts shows that violent crime in America fell for the second consecutive year in 2022. It stood at 381 per 100,000 people in 2022, for a 1.5% drop over 2021’s figure of 387 which itself had marked a 3% drop over 2021’s figure of 399.
Violent crime covers four major crimes. These are rape, robbery, aggravated assault, and homicide or murder. Thankfully, homicide accounts for the smallest percentage of violent crime since data is available, but unlike broader violent crime trends, it did not fall for two consecutive years in 2022. In fact, this trend is influenced solely by the sharp drop in the number of aggravated assault cases since 2020, which some believe rose to an unusual level due to coronavirus lock downs forcing people to live in close proximity of each other for extended periods of time. Specifically, murder rates in U.S. cities, or the homicide rates sat at 6.5 per 100,000 people in 2020. This jumped to 6.8 in 2021 before dipping to 6.3 in the following year. However, on a positive note, the 7.4% drop in homicide rates in 2022 was the highest among the four violent crime categories.
Not only do homicides and murders devastate the families of the victims, but they also have a significant economic impact. After all, not only do homicides remove individuals from the economy to reduce output, but they also cost resources to investigate and solve. Then, those convicted have to be housed in corrections facilities, and for regions that disproportionately suffer from them, broader economic activity is also affected due to a loss of business confidence.
Data shows that violence as a whole cost the global economy a whopping $14.4 trillion in 2019 when adjusted for purchasing power parity. This covers direct and indirect costs, and zooming in specifically on murders shows that their total cost sat at $1 trillion, and crucially, within this, 87% or $877 billion were in the form of indirect costs. Not only does crime not pay, but it also costs a lot it seems as these indirect costs were the highest among the 18 indicators of violence. These costs also seem to be reflected in GDP per capita. Researchers from India studied the link between GDP per capita, foreign direct investment (FDI), exports, and other economic indicators with homicide rates over time and found that a percentage increase in homicide rates led to a 0.25% drop in GDP growth.
Since businesses form a crucial chunk of the economy, the next logical step in our analysis of the impact of homicide and violent crime is to see their response. This helps with determining the economic impact on U.S. cities with the highest murders. On this front, research from the UCLA, which analyzed the effects of homicide on market prices and market size as well as its effects on workers’ welfare shares some insights. It outlines that in areas with higher crime, firms raise prices which translates into higher non housing living costs. As one would expect, higher crimes also lead to lower housing costs as more workers leave the area. In terms of numbers, a 48% drop in homicide rates between 1995 and 2010 in Colombia led to an 8.1% growth in production and a 22.5% increase in worker welfare. Blue collar workers are also hit the hardest by violence as not only do their costs grow but their income does not rise. Since human nature rarely differs in its response to tragedy, it’s not far fetched to think that these trends will also be present in the U.S. cities with the most murders in 2024 and otherwise.
Shifting gears, while crime does not pay, it does pay to help prevent crime. Since Insider Monkey is primarily a hedge fund tracking website dedicated to spotting the best stocks that smart money is investing in, we go through hundreds of stocks daily as part of our coverage. One such piece is 11 Best Prison and Law Enforcement Stocks To Buy Now which analyzed a handful of companies that help law enforcement prevent and solve murders and other violent crime cases. One firm that helps save lives and solve cases is Cadre Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CDRE). Cadre makes body armor, forensic investigation equipment, energy absorbing seats, and other associated products. It has $1.49 billion in market capitalization, and the stock is up 13.4% year to date and 67% over the past year despite the broader industrial sector having struggled due to high interest rates.
One key reason that Cadre Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CDRE)’s shares have gained is because of a string of acquisitions that have diversified its business model and show management’s focus on emerging technologies. One of the hottest technologies these days is robotics due to the sharp growth in data computation capabilities that enable our digital companions to work better. On this front, Cadre Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CDRE) bought law enforcement robotics firm ICOR in January. ICOR makes a variety of robots for Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) and SWAT teams, and while Cadre Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CDRE) did not share the price tag of its deal, it was careful to note that ICOR is a $19 million revenue generating business. The firm’s acquisition of Alpha Safety seeks to target a growth in interest in nuclear energy since Alpha allows nuclear operators to manage their occupational health safety needs.
Cadre Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CDRE)’s management shared some insights behind its thought process of acquiring Alpha Safety during the Q1 2024 earnings call where it shared:
Their diversified portfolio of products and services expand the nuclear value chain and are best understood by highlighting the three key nuclear missions they serve. First and the largest by revenue is environmental safety. Approximately 50% of Alpha’s 2023 revenues relate to this mission and Alpha provides advanced engineered containers, ventilation and containment solutions and analysis services for the cleanup initiatives that relate to decades of U.S. Nuclear material processing and handling.
These include Department of Energy mission critical and mandated cleanup efforts spanning numerous sites from decades of nuclear weapons development and government sponsored nuclear energy research. Second is national security missions, which reflect ongoing and expanding national defense initiatives. For Alpha Safety, this involves advanced engineered container solutions and specialty filters as the U.S. ramps its plutonium pit production. Third, related to nuclear energy, this key mission includes the decommissioning and decontaminating of legacy nuclear power plants. Alpha provides an engineered container solutions and ventilation containment systems. Increasing global demand for sustainable energy sources will drive demand for both legacy and new nuclear power.
With these details in mind, let’s take a look at the U.S. cities with the highest murders in 2024.
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Our Methodology
To make our list of the U.S. cities with the highest murders in 2024, we used AH Datalytics‘ year to date murder comparison dashboard which aggregates publicly available information for 272 American cities either from city officials, the FBI, or media reports to share the latest year to date homicides for American cities. For added value, the nature of the data source is also provided. Of course, the number of murders is different from murder rates, and if you’re interested in the latter, be sure to check out 30 US Cities With Highest Homicide Rates In 2024.
20. Cleveland, Ohio
Murders in 2024: 65
Data Source: Official
Cleveland is one of the most populated cities in the U.S. There were 65 murders in the city according to the City of Cleveland’s Public Safety Data Initiatives which makes places it at the bottom of the 2o U.S. cities with the highest murders in 2024. It also houses the headquarters of a Coast Guard District, and a key pillar of the Cleveland economy is the healthcare industry. Overall, Cleveland has a crime rate of 60 per thousand residents, with the metro area’s violent crime rate being higher than the national average in 2022.
19. Atlanta, Georgia
Murders in 2024: 67
Data Source: Official
Atlanta is Georgia’s largest city in terms of population and also its capital. Its crime rate is lower than Cleveland’s, as it sat at 44.8 crimes per 1,000 people in 2022. The violent crime rate in the city is 1 in 116, with the property crime rate naturally being higher at 1 in 25.
18. Charlotte, North Carolina
Murders in 2024: 68
Data Source: Official
Charlotte is the most populous state in North Carolina, and it had a population of 911,311 in 2023. While its overall crime rate of 42 per one thousand residents is lower than the high ranking cities, the violent crime rate in the city sits at 746 per 100,000, which is also higher than the national average. Its population and high violent crime mean that Charlotte ranks high among all U.S. cities when we count the number of murders in 2024.
17. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Murders in 2024: 69
Data Source: Official
Milwaukee is Wisconsin’s most populous city and had a population of 575,722 in 2022. By mid April, data from the Milwaukee Police Department showed that there were 30 homicides in the city, so there appears to be a pickup in homicides since then. Milwaukee’s violent crime rate is one in 66, and the April year to date murder data had marked a 39% annual drop. The latest data has narrowed this down to a 17.9% drop.
16. New Orleans, Louisiana
Murders in 2024: 75
Data Source: Official
New Orleans is Louisiana’s most populated city, with an estimated population of 383,997 in 2020. It has a relatively lower rate of violent crime, which according to the FBI’s data sat at 14.46 in a thousand. However, New Orleans has a high rate of property crime, which is 46.52 per 1,000 residents.
15. Indianapolis, Indiana
Murders in 2024: 76
Data Source: Official
Indianapolis is Indiana’s capital and its population of 887,642 people also makes it the most populated city in the state. The 76 murders in the city year to date mark a 12.6% annual drop. It has one of the highest crime rates in the U.S., which sits at 44 per one thousand people. The violent crime rate in Indianapolis is one in 23 which is also one of the highest on our list of the U.S. cities with the highest murders in 2024.
14. Kansas City, Missouri
Murders in 2024: 79
Data Source: Official
Kansas City is Missouri’s most populated city courtesy of its population of 508,090. It has a higher crime rate than Indianapolis, which sits at 63 per one thousand people. The violent crime rate in the city is very high too, and it currently sits at one in 16. Annually, the 79 murders year to date marks a 26.2% annual drop.
13. St. Louis, Missouri
Murders in 2024: 84
Data Source: Official
St. Louis had a population of 293,310 in 2021, which makes it one of the smaller cities on our list. Despite this, it has more murders than cities with twice the population. In terms of rates, St. Louis’ crime rate sits at 87 per one thousand, with violent and property crime rates both sitting at one in 11. However, the 84 murders year to date mark a 1.2% annual drop; yet, it fails to remove St. Louis from the list of U.S. cities with the highest murders in 2024.
12. Birmingham, Alabama
Murders in 2024: 85
Data Source: BHAMWiki
Birmingham is one of the smaller cities on our list since it had a population of 196,744 in 2023. Its violent crime rate is 16.94 per one thousand residents, which is lower than several cities on our list. The latest murder in Birmingham is a strange case, as a man was shot to death in his car while driving and then crashed on the road.
11. Louisville, Kentucky
Murders in 2024: 85
Data Source: Official
Louisville is Kentucky’s most populated city as it had a population of 624,444 in 2022. Its population lends it a lower violent crime rate which is 7.51 per one thousand residents. The property crime rate is quite high, and it sits at 29.17 per one thousand residents. Additionally, the 85 murders mark a worrying 7.6% annual growth and it means that it has gained 10 spots in 2024’s list of the U.S. cities with the highest murders when compared to 2023’s list of the same time.
10. Washington, D.C.
Murders in 2024: 96
Data Source: Official
Washington D.C. has a sizeable population of 678,972. While its year to date murders of 96 place it at tenth in our list of the U.S. cities with the highest figure, they mark a noticeable 26.7% annual drop. In terms of crime rates, the violent crime rate in D.C. is 1 in 134 while the property crime rate is significantly higher at 1 in 29.
9. Baltimore, Maryland
Murders in 2024: 100
Data Source: Official
Baltimore had a population of 576,498 in 2021 which made it one of the most populated cities in America. There have been one hundred murders in the city as of now, which also marks a 34.6% annual drop. Baltimore has one of the highest crime rates in America, which currently sits at 48 per one thousand residents. Its violent and property crime rates are high too, and both sit at one in 21, making it unsurprising that it’s the 9th ranking U.S. city in terms of murders in 2024.
8. Dallas, Texas
Murders in 2024: 108
Data Source: Official
Dallas not only sits at 8th in the list of the U.S. cities with the most murders in 2024, but its population of 1.3 million in America also made it the 9th most populous city overall. Dallas also leads Texas and the U.S. with its crime rate. Its crime rate, as of March 2024, is 45.9 per 1,000 residents. The violent crime rate is 1 in 130 and the property crime rate is higher and is 1 in 26.
7. Detroit, Michigan
Murders in 2024: 111
Data Source: Official
Detroit had a population had 633,218 in 2023 which makes its 111 murders year to date alarming when compared to Dallas. However, it marks a 17.2% annual drop. Detroit had a violent crime rate of 2027.6 per 100,000 people in 2022 which is higher than the national average. Its property crime rate sat at 4487.7 per 100,000 people.
6. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Murders in 2024: 120
Data Source: Official
Philadelphia is one of the most iconic cities in the U.S. particularly because of the role that it played in the American Revolution. Additionally, while it nearly made it to the 5th place on our list, its 120 murders year to date mark the highest annual percentage drop of our list of 43.1%. Philadelphia has an overall crime rate of 54 per one thousand residents, and its violent and property crime rates are among the highest in our list and both sit at 1 in 19. Is it really a surprise then that Philadelphia almost became the 5th U.S. city with the highest murders in 2024?
5. Houston, Texas
Murders in 2024: 151
Data Source: State UCR
Houston is one of the most populated cities in the U.S. since it had 2.3 million in 2023. Almost 500 people were killed in the city in 2020, so if the current rate of murders holds, then it will mark a noticeable drop since then. Authorities have been attempting to bring down the crime rate, and they have cracked down on gangs engaging in drug trafficking as part of these efforts. Annually, the 151 murders mark a 12.7% annual drop. Houston’s murder rate was 19 per 100,000 in 2023.
4. Memphis, Tennessee
Murders in 2024: 155
Data Source: Official
Memphis had a population of 633,104 which made it the 28th most populous city in the U.S. As is the case with other cities in this list, Memphis’ violent crime rate was higher than the national average in 2022. It sat at 2,409 per 100,000 people for violent crime and at 7,191 per 100,000 for property crime. The year to date figure of 155 marks an annual drop of 9.4%, but its rank in the 2024 list of U.S. cities with the highest murders stays the same annually.
3. Los Angeles, California
Murders in 2024: 160
Data Source: Official
Los Angeles is the second most populous city in America due to its population of 3.8 million people in 2023. This also makes it unsurprising that it ranks 3rd on our list of the U.S. cities with the most murders. Los Angeles is also known for a sizeable presence of gangs, and the latest figures from law enforcement officials suggest that there are more than 450 gangs in the city. The violent crime rate in the city is 1 in 119, and the crime rate per square mile is 290. This is nearly 4x of California’s state average of 84. The number of murders means that Los Angeles has gained three spots in the 2024 list of the U.S. cities with the highest murders compared to the 2023 ranking.
2. New York, New York
Murders in 2024: 185
Data Source: Official
New York City is America’s largest city in terms of population. It had a population of 8.2 million in 2023. New York City had 386 murders in 2023, which implies that the current year to date figure could mark an annual drop if the rate holds. Annually, the 185 murders mean that the murders are down by 15.9%. New York City had a violent crime rate of 744.2 per 100,000 people in 2022. While this is higher than the national average, it is lower than Los Angeles and Houston, which are comparable cities.
1. Chicago, Illinois
Murders in 2024: 304
Data Source: Official
Chicago, whose population of 2.6 million makes it the third biggest city in America ranks first on our list of the American cities with the most murders in 2024. Along with crime, Chicago is infamous for high levels of corruption. This includes corruption by publicly elected officials. This list also includes a City Hall official convicted of taking $2 million in bribes in 2016. In terms of violent crimes, Chicago’s overall violent crime rate was 640 per 100,000 people in 2021. The homicide rate was 30 per 100,000 people; however, the 617 homicides in Chicago in 2023 marked a 15% annual drop. Estimates suggest that there are at least 55 gangs in Chicago in 2022. Homicide rates in Chicago differ by area. Some areas with high homicide rates are West Garfield Park and West Pullman. They had homicide rates of 189.3 per 100,000 people and 118.8 per 100,000 people in 2022, respectively.
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