FBI data released in violent crime rate map for each state

When examining violent crime rates across the country, the data reveals some interesting trends, including a surprising discovery about Illinois. Despite its reputation, Illinois' violent crime rate is not as high as expected, shedding new light on the state's safety compared to others.

Understanding violent crime in the United States

In 2022, the FBI recorded about 1.2 million violent crimes across the U.S. Here's a closer look at the data.

Definition of violent crime

• Homicide (murder and manslaughter)
• Rape
• Robbery
• Serious bodily harm

National violent crime rate trend:

• The national rate of violent crime has gradually declined.
• In 2020, the rate was 398 incidents per 100,000 people.
• By 2022, the number dropped to 381 incidents per 100,000 people.

The map below from Visual Capitalist shows the rate of violent crime per 100,000 residents by U.S. state in 2022, with data from the FBI and is current as of October 2023. FBI statistics for 2022 are based on data from 16,100 of the 18,930 participating law enforcement agencies nationwide.

These data provide insight into the situation of violent crime across the country and illustrate the gradual improvement in security in recent years.

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States with the highest violent crime rates

1. Washington, DC
2. New Mexico
3. Alaska
4. Arkansas
5. Louisiana:

4 things that will surprise you about Illinois’ violent crime rate

Like every other state, Illinois has a problem with violent crime, and the numbers are always highest in the areas surrounding the largest cities. What surprised me was that the city of Chicago gets so much attention for its violence. I never thought we wouldn't have the highest rate of all four states around us.

Illinois has a violent crime rate of 287 (violent crimes per 100,000 people), which is below the national average.

• Iowa-287
• Wisconsin-297
• Indiana-306
• Missouri-488

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