In 2020, the District of Columbia had the highest reported violent crime rate in the United States, with 999.8 violent crimes per 100,000 of the population. Maine had the lowest reported violent crime rate, with 108.6 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 an extremely high poverty rate. 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. The number of full-time law enforcement officers in the U.S. is also down from 2008, 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 2020, 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 changes in the state/local agency's reporting practices, figures are not comparable to previous years' data.
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FBI. (September 27, 2021). Reported violent crime rate in the United States in 2020, by state (per 100,000 of the population) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved May 28, 2022, 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 2020, by state (per 100,000 of the population)." Chart. September 27, 2021. Statista. Accessed May 28, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/200445/reported-violent-crime-rate-in-the-us-states/
FBI. (2021). Reported violent crime rate in the United States in 2020, by state (per 100,000 of the population). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: May 28, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/200445/reported-violent-crime-rate-in-the-us-states/
FBI. "Reported Violent Crime Rate in The United States in 2020, by State (per 100,000 of The Population)." Statista, Statista Inc., 27 Sep 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/200445/reported-violent-crime-rate-in-the-us-states/
FBI, Reported violent crime rate in the United States in 2020, 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 May 28, 2022)
