The United States recorded a historic increase in homicides in 2020. According to the FBI, there were 21,570 murders nationwide in 2020, a 29% increase from 2019 – the largest single-year increase never reported in the United States.
Although the specific reasons for the increase have yet to be determined, thspec xpertslater, the unrest following the murder of George Floyd, as well as the social and economic upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, likely played a role. Gun sales also surged in 2020 and firearms were used in 77% of murder cases, up from 73% in 2019. Here’s a look at the states where gun sales are increasing.
Whatever the explanation, murder is now at its highest level in the United States since the mi-1990 – and some major metropolitan areas bear the brunt of rising levels of deadly violence.
Using FBI data, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 50 metropolitan areas with the fastest rising murder rates. Metropolitan areas are ranked according to the year-over-year change in the number of murders per 100,000 population. In nearly every metro area on this list, the increase in the murder rate was at least double the national rise of 1.5 homicides per 100,000 in 2020.
Murder – along with rape, robbery and aggravated assault – is one component of the overall violent crime category. Even though murder accounts for a small percentage of all violent crime, most metropolitan areas on this list also reported an increase in the overall violent crime rate in 2020. Here’s a look at the states where crime is skyrocketing.
The largest share of metro areas that reported the largest increases in homicides are in the Midwest, while only two metro areas on this list are in the Northeast. Most metropolitan areas on this list have an overall homicide rate higher than the national rate of 6.5 murders per 100,000 population.
Click here to see subways with skyrocketing murder rates
Click here to read our detailed methodology