crimebycounty

Counties with the Highest Violent Crime Rates

Published May 2, 2026

Violent crime — murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault — is the most feared category of crime because it threatens personal safety directly. We identified the 25 counties with the highest violent crime rates in America to understand where violent crime is most concentrated and what factors drive it.

The national average violent crime rate is approximately 381 per 100,000 residents. The counties on this list exceed 1,000 per 100,000, with several surpassing 2,000. Texas (5 counties), Missouri (4 counties), Oklahoma (2 counties), Arkansas (2 counties), Louisiana (2 counties) are most represented.

Counties with the Highest Violent Crime Rates

Martin County, TX has the highest violent crime rate at 12510 per 100,000 residents:

RankCountyStateViolent CrimeProperty CrimeTotal CrimeSafety Score
1Martin CountyTX1251050823633320
2Osage CountyOK896944105530740
3Cass CountyMO737025787331580.1
4Clay CountyTX494729048339940.1
5Ogle CountyIL40997662117610.4
6Fort Bend CountyTX335514046174010.3
7Jones CountyTX311813109162260.3
8Canadian CountyOK298114540175220.2
9Christian CountyMO284310436132780.4
10Delaware CountyOH236516351187160.2
11Hays CountyTX233815123174610.2
12Clinton CountyMI2129555676850.8
13Plymouth CountyIA192010476123960.4
14New Madrid CountyMO1909520871171
15Crittenden CountyAR1858382756861.4
16Dale CountyAL1856605079060.7
17Bossier ParishLA1765799597600.5
18Shelby CountyTN1743554572870.9
19Lincoln CountySD174010039117800.4
20Baltimore cityMD1668331949872
21Dillon CountySC1586371352981.7
22St. Francis CountyAR1513263641492.8
23Orleans ParishLA1478455860361.2
24Bibb CountyGA1474384753201.7
25St. Louis cityMO1442707585180.7

What Drives Violent Crime

Violent crime concentrates in counties with specific risk factors:

  • Poverty and inequality: Economic deprivation is the strongest predictor of violent crime at the county level.
  • Urban density: Most high-violent-crime counties include major cities where gang activity, drug markets, and domestic disputes are more common.
  • Firearm availability: Counties with higher rates of gun ownership and illegal firearm possession experience more aggravated assaults and homicides.
  • Substance abuse: Drug and alcohol abuse are present in the background of a large share of violent crime incidents.
  • Family structure: Counties with higher rates of single-parent households and family instability report more violent crime.

Methodology

Violent crime includes murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault as defined by the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program (2022 data year). Rates are per 100,000 residents. Counties are ranked by violent crime rate from highest to lowest.

Data sources: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program (2022), County Health Rankings (2024). All figures are estimates and may differ from other published analyses due to methodology differences.

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