Number of forcible rape cases U.S. 2020, by state

In 2020, Texas had the highest number of forcible rape cases in the United States, with 13,509 reported rapes. Vermont had the lowest number of reported forcible rape cases at 213.

Number vs. rate

It is perhaps unsurprising that Texas and California reported the highest number of rapes, as these states have the highest population of states in the U.S. When looking at the rape rate, or the number of rapes per 100,000 of the population, a very different picture is painted: Alaska was the state with the highest rape rate in the country in 2019, with California ranking as 37th in the nation.

The prevalence of rape

Rape and sexual assault are notorious for being underreported crimes, which means that the prevalence of sex crimes is likely much higher than what is reported. Additionally, more than a third of women worry about being sexually assaulted, and most sexual assaults are perpetrated by someone the victim knew.