Murder Rate in Louisiana 2025
Louisiana continues to grapple with one of the highest murder rates in the United States, ranking among the top states nationally for violent crime and homicides despite recent improvements in several major cities. The state’s complex public safety landscape reflects stark disparities between urban centers like New Orleans, which has achieved dramatic violence reductions, and smaller cities such as Shreveport and Baton Rouge that continue experiencing elevated homicide levels. With a statewide murder rate of approximately 9 per 100,000 residents in 2024 according to FBI data, Louisiana ranks fourth nationally behind Pennsylvania, New Mexico, and Alaska, highlighting persistent challenges that extend beyond the largest metropolitan areas into rural communities and mid-sized cities.
The story of Louisiana’s murder rate in 2025 is one of contradictions and geographic disparities. While New Orleans is on pace for its lowest homicide total since the early 1970s with projected 100-110 murders for 2025, Shreveport maintains the state’s highest rate at 26.8 murders per 100,000 residents, and Baton Rouge continues struggling with violence despite recent improvements. The statewide violent crime rate of 487.5 per 100,000 residents in 2024—more than 35% higher than the national average of 359.1—reflects underlying challenges including concentrated poverty affecting 18.88% of the population, inadequate mental health services, limited economic opportunity in rural areas, and proliferation of illegal firearms. Understanding Louisiana’s murder landscape requires looking beyond aggregate state statistics to examine the distinct patterns in different communities and regions that collectively shape one of America’s most violent states.
Key Facts About Murder Rate in Louisiana in the US 2025
| Category | Statistics & Details |
|---|---|
| Statewide Murder Rate 2024 | 9 per 100,000 residents (FBI data); ranked 4th highest nationally |
| State Population 2025 | Approximately 4.56-4.6 million residents |
| Violent Crime Rate 2024 | 487.5 per 100,000 (35% above national average of 359.1) |
| New Orleans Murders 2025 | 72 homicides through July (32% decrease); projected 100-110 annually |
| Shreveport Murder Rate | 26.8 per 100,000 (highest in state); significantly elevated violence |
| Baton Rouge Murders 2024 | Doubled year-over-year from 16 to 32 mid-year; concerning increase |
| Property Crime Rate 2024 | 2,630 per 100,000 residents statewide |
| Firearms in Murders | 80.4% of murders involved firearms (44.7% handguns; 35.7% unknown firearms) |
| Historical Average Rate | 13.7 per 100,000 average from 1989-2023 (more than double national 6.4) |
| CDC Homicide Rate 2023 | 7.1 per 100,000 national decline; Louisiana remains above average |
Data Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program 2024, Louisiana State Police Crime Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Axios Analysis of FBI Data, Individual Parish Police Departments
The statistics presented in this table demonstrate that Louisiana maintains one of the nation’s most challenging violent crime environments despite some localized improvements. The statewide murder rate of 9 per 100,000 residents in 2024 places Louisiana fourth nationally, a position the state has occupied consistently for years. This rate is substantially higher than the national average of 5-7 per 100,000 and reflects violence concentrated in specific communities rather than evenly distributed across the state. The violent crime rate of 487.5 per 100,000 is 35% above the national average of 359.1, indicating that Louisiana’s challenges extend beyond homicides to encompass aggravated assault, robbery, and rape.
The dramatic disparities between Louisiana’s major cities tell a story of uneven progress. New Orleans, with 72 homicides through July 2025 representing a 32% year-over-year decrease, demonstrates that dramatic violence reduction is achievable even in historically high-crime cities. The projected 100-110 murders for 2025 would be New Orleans’ lowest total since the early 1970s. In stark contrast, Shreveport maintains the state’s highest homicide rate at 26.8 per 100,000, nearly three times higher than the statewide average and approximately five times the national rate. Baton Rouge experienced an alarming doubling of its murder count year-over-year in mid-2024, jumping from 16 to 32 homicides, reversing previous improvements and indicating renewed violence pressures.
The role of firearms in Louisiana murders cannot be overstated. With 80.4% of all murders involving guns—including 44.7% committed with handguns and 35.7% with firearms of unknown type—Louisiana’s violence is inextricably linked to gun availability. The state’s permissive gun laws, combined with interstate trafficking from neighboring states and inadequate enforcement of existing regulations, create an environment where illegal firearms circulate freely. This firearm saturation means that interpersonal conflicts that might result in assaults or non-fatal injuries in other states instead produce homicides in Louisiana, elevating the overall lethality of violence.
Comparison of Murder Statistics in the US 2025 with Historical Louisiana Data
| Year | Statewide Murder Rate | Year-Over-Year Change | Notable Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 (Projected) | 8-9 per 100,000 | Stable to slight decline | New Orleans improving; other cities varying |
| 2024 | 9 per 100,000 | — | FBI data; 4th highest state; New Orleans 127 murders |
| 2023 | 7.1 per 100,000 | -7.8% | CDC data; national decline continuing |
| 2022 | Data varies by source | Increase from 2021 | Post-pandemic peak period |
| 2019 | 14.7 per 100,000 | — | Pre-pandemic baseline; significantly elevated |
| 2012 | 10.8 per 100,000 | -2.8% | Highest murder rate among all US states that year |
| 1989-2023 Average | 13.7 per 100,000 | — | Long-term average; more than double national 6.4 |
| Historical Increases | +7.1 per 100,000 | 2018-2023 | 5th largest increase nationally during this period |
Data Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Louisiana State Police Historical Data, USAFacts Crime Analysis
This historical comparison reveals that Louisiana has maintained persistently elevated homicide rates across multiple decades, with the state rarely falling below the top five nationally regardless of broader crime trends. The long-term average of 13.7 murders per 100,000 from 1989 to 2023 is more than double the national average of 6.4, indicating that Louisiana’s violence problem is chronic and structural rather than the result of temporary conditions. Even in years when Louisiana has achieved improvements, the state typically remains among national leaders in homicides, reflecting deep-rooted challenges that resist quick solutions.
The 2012 statistics, when Louisiana recorded a murder rate of 10.8 per 100,000, represented the highest among all US states that year despite being a 2.8% improvement from 2011. This illustrates how Louisiana can achieve progress while still maintaining the nation’s worst outcomes—a pattern that has persisted for decades. The state’s 495 total murders in 2012, with 370 (81%) involving firearms, established patterns that have continued through the present day. The concentration of murders in New Orleans, which recorded 193 homicides that year, highlighted how urban violence drives statewide statistics.
The increase of 7.1 murders per 100,000 from 2018 to 2023 ranked as the fifth-largest increase nationally during this period, with only New Mexico (+8.0), Alabama (+5.9), and Tennessee (+5.1) experiencing comparable surges. This pandemic-era violence spike affected Louisiana disproportionately, with the state’s already-elevated baseline rising to even more dangerous levels. The 14.7 per 100,000 rate in 2019 represented a pre-pandemic baseline that was itself concerning, meaning Louisiana entered the pandemic period with violence levels that would be considered crisis-level in most other states.
The recent improvements reflected in 2023’s 7.1 per 100,000 rate and 2024’s 9 per 100,000 rate demonstrate that Louisiana can achieve reductions when comprehensive strategies are implemented. However, the inconsistency between data sources—with CDC mortality data showing different figures than FBI crime data—illustrates measurement challenges that complicate assessment. The CDC includes non-criminal homicides such as justifiable self-defense killings, typically showing slightly higher numbers than FBI data based on law enforcement reports. Regardless of source, Louisiana consistently ranks among the nation’s most violent states.
Violent Crime Categories in Louisiana
| Crime Category | 2024 Rate/Change | 2018 Data | Current Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggravated Assault | Rate of 342.0 per 100,000 in 2012 | -1.5% in 2018 from 2017 | 8th highest among US states historically |
| Robbery | Rate varies by region | -15% in 2018 from 2017; 52% involved firearms | Declining but firearms remain predominant weapon |
| Rape/Sexual Assault | Rate of 25.2 per 100,000 in 2012 | +12.7% in 2018 from 2017 | 37th among US states; underreporting concerns |
| Burglary | 4.98 per 1,000 in 2024 | Significant property crime component | Affects homes and businesses statewide |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 3.10 per 1,000 in 2024 | Data varies by parish | Significant issue in urban areas |
| Theft/Larceny | 19.40 per 1,000 in 2024 | Largest property crime category | Highest frequency crime statewide |
| Property Crime Overall | 2,630 per 100,000 in 2024 | 3,540.6 rate in 2012 | Represents 88% of all reported crimes |
Data Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Louisiana Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Louisiana State Police Annual Reports, Crime Statistics Databases
The violent crime categories beyond murder in Louisiana reveal a comprehensive public safety challenge affecting multiple dimensions of residents’ safety and quality of life. The aggravated assault rate, which stood at 342.0 per 100,000 in 2012 and ranked 8th highest among US states that year, represents interpersonal violence that could easily escalate to homicide under different circumstances. The 14.8% decline in aggravated assaults from 2011 to 2012 represented the largest decrease of all crime categories that year, suggesting that focused interventions can reduce violence even in challenging environments, though sustained improvement has proven difficult.
The robbery statistics demonstrate the pervasive role of firearms in Louisiana violent crime, with 52% of robberies involving guns in 2018. This compares to 35% using “strongarm” methods without weapons, illustrating how gun availability transforms property crimes into life-threatening encounters. The 15% decline in robberies from 2017 to 2018 reflected temporary improvement, but robberies remain concentrated in urban commercial districts and target vulnerable individuals including tourists, elderly residents, and people traveling alone. The economic motivations for robbery—often related to drug addiction, unemployment, or immediate financial desperation—reflect underlying social problems that law enforcement alone cannot address.
The rape statistics present a particularly troubling picture complicated by known underreporting. Louisiana’s 2012 rate of 25.2 per 100,000 ranked 37th among US states, suggesting relatively low incidence compared to national patterns. However, the 12.7% increase from 2017 to 2018 may reflect improved reporting rather than increased sexual violence, as advocacy organizations have worked to build victim confidence in law enforcement response. The 8.8% decrease in forcible rape from 2011 to 2012 contradicted the 2017-2018 increase, illustrating volatility in statistics heavily influenced by victim reporting decisions. Sexual assault remains significantly underreported due to trauma, fear of perpetrator retaliation, distrust of criminal justice system, and social stigma that discourages victims from seeking help.
Property crimes, representing 88% of all reported criminal acts in 2012 with 162,936 incidents, dwarf violent crime in frequency but receive less attention due to lower perceived severity. The property crime rate of 3,540.6 per 100,000 in 2012 was 3.9% lower than 2011, reflecting modest improvement. The 2024 rate of 2,630 per 100,000 suggests continued decline, though rates vary dramatically between parishes. Burglary at 4.98 per 1,000 residents and theft/larceny at 19.40 per 1,000 affect far more residents than violent crime, creating economic losses and psychological impacts that degrade quality of life. Motor vehicle theft at 3.10 per 1,000 represents both economic crime and a supply source for vehicles used in other criminal activities including robberies, drive-by shootings, and drug trafficking.
Factors Contributing to Murder Rate Patterns in Louisiana 2025
| Contributing Factor | Description & Impact | Evidence/Data |
|---|---|---|
| Concentrated Urban Poverty | 18.88% poverty rate statewide; higher in urban cores and rural Delta parishes | Economic disadvantage correlates with violence |
| Firearms Proliferation | 80.4% of murders involve guns; 44.7% handguns specifically | Permissive laws; interstate trafficking; weak enforcement |
| Geographic Disparities | New Orleans improving while Shreveport, Baton Rouge struggling | Uneven resource distribution; varying local capacity |
| Educational Deficits | 27% of adults below Level 1 literacy; 42% at/below Level 1 numeracy | Limited economic opportunity; intergenerational disadvantage |
| Mental Health Access | 47.5% reported anxiety/depression; 175 Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas | Untreated illness contributes to crisis situations |
| Incarceration Legacy | Highest incarceration rate nationally for 16 consecutive years through 2013 | Destabilizes communities; disrupts families; limits opportunities |
| Small City Violence | Shreveport 26.8 per 100,000; other small cities exceed urban rates | Violence not limited to major metropolitan areas |
| Historic Inequality | Legacy of slavery, segregation, systemic racism | Persistent racial disparities in opportunity and outcomes |
Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau Economic Data, Louisiana Department of Health, HRSA Health Professional Shortage Area Data, Louisiana Department of Corrections, FBI Crime Statistics
The persistently elevated murder rate in Louisiana stems from multiple interconnected factors that create and sustain violence across generations. Concentrated poverty, affecting 18.88% of the state’s population compared to approximately 12% nationally, limits economic opportunities and creates desperate conditions where illegal activities become attractive or necessary for survival. Poverty is not evenly distributed—urban cores like New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward, Baton Rouge’s North District, and rural parishes in the Mississippi Delta region experience poverty rates exceeding 25-30%, creating neighborhoods where violence becomes normalized and survival strategies often involve illegal markets.
The proliferation of firearms, with 80.4% of Louisiana murders involving guns, represents both cause and consequence of elevated violence. Louisiana’s permissive gun laws, including no permit required for purchase and minimal restrictions on open carry, create an environment where firearms are ubiquitous. Interstate trafficking brings guns from states with even fewer restrictions, while inadequate enforcement of existing laws means stolen firearms and illegal possession rarely result in meaningful consequences. The specific dominance of handguns in 44.7% of murders reflects their concealability and suitability for interpersonal violence, while the 35.7% involving firearms of “unknown type” suggests investigation challenges or deliberate disposal of murder weapons.
Educational deficits create long-term structural disadvantages that perpetuate cycles of poverty and violence. The finding that 27% of Louisiana adults have literacy skills below Level 1—the lowest level—and 42% have numeracy skills at or below Level 1 indicates that substantial portions of the population lack basic skills needed for modern employment. The concentration of educational deficits in the Northwest Mississippi Delta region, where East Carroll Parish has over 50% of residents with below-Level 1 literacy and 77% with below-Level 1 numeracy, illustrates how disadvantage clusters geographically. Limited education restricts employment opportunities, reduces earning potential, and leaves individuals vulnerable to exploitation and crime involvement.
The mental health access crisis, with 47.5% of adults reporting anxiety or depression symptoms in February 2021 and 18.6% unable to access needed counseling or therapy, means that psychological disorders often go untreated until they manifest in crisis situations. Louisiana’s 175 Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas designated by the federal government indicate vast regions where residents cannot access psychiatrists, psychologists, or licensed counselors even if they have insurance coverage. Among adolescents aged 12-17 with depression, 62.3% received no care whatsoever in the preceding year, suggesting that mental health problems are established early and persist untreated into adulthood when they may contribute to violence, substance abuse, or other destructive behaviors.
The incarceration legacy of maintaining the highest incarceration rate nationally for 16 consecutive years through 2013, with 847.1 per 100,000 in 2013 and 893 per 100,000 in 2012, has profoundly destabilized Louisiana communities. Mass incarceration removes primarily young men from neighborhoods, disrupting families, limiting economic productivity, and creating populations of formerly incarcerated individuals with criminal records that prevent employment. Children growing up with incarcerated parents experience trauma and economic hardship, perpetuating cycles of disadvantage. The concentration of incarceration in African American communities—despite similar rates of criminal behavior across racial groups—has created racial disparities in economic outcomes that persist across generations.
Geographic Distribution of Murders in Louisiana 2025
| Area/Parish | Murder Rate/Status | Contributing Factors |
|---|---|---|
| Shreveport (Caddo Parish) | 26.8 per 100,000 (highest in state) | Economic decline; gang activity; limited resources |
| Baton Rouge (East Baton Rouge Parish) | Doubled to 32 murders mid-year 2024; 31 per 100,000 in 2019 | Capital city struggles; urban poverty concentration |
| New Orleans (Orleans Parish) | 72 homicides through July 2025; projected 100-110 annually | Dramatic improvement; enhanced enforcement and intervention |
| Monroe (Ouachita Parish) | Among state’s most dangerous; exceeds 4x state violent crime rate | Rural poverty; limited economic opportunity |
| Alexandria (Rapides Parish) | 9,174.6 crimes per 100,000 (highest among 10 largest cities in 2012) | Central Louisiana regional challenges |
| Lafayette (Lafayette Parish) | Moderate rates; Acadiana region patterns | Better economic conditions than northern parishes |
| Lake Charles (Calcasieu Parish) | Southwestern Louisiana; hurricane recovery impacts | Natural disaster disruption; rebuilding challenges |
| Rural Delta Parishes | High poverty; population decline; service gaps | Historic disadvantage; limited infrastructure |
Data Source: FBI City-Level Crime Data, Louisiana State Police Parish Reports, Individual Parish Police Departments, U.S. Census Bureau Parish Data
The geographic distribution of Louisiana’s murder rate reveals stark disparities between communities, with violence concentrated in specific cities and parishes while other areas maintain relatively low rates. Shreveport, with 26.8 murders per 100,000 residents, holds the dubious distinction of the state’s highest homicide rate—approximately three times the state average and five times the national rate. The city in northwest Louisiana has struggled with economic decline following the departure of manufacturing jobs, persistent gang activity that generates retaliatory violence, and resource limitations that prevent the kind of comprehensive intervention programs implemented in New Orleans. Caddo Parish, which includes Shreveport, has experienced 4.96% population decline since 2010, reflecting residents fleeing economic stagnation and violence.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana’s capital and second-largest city, experienced an alarming reversal in 2024 when murders doubled year-over-year from 16 to 32 by mid-year. This contrasts with the city’s 2019 rate of 31 per 100,000, suggesting violent fluctuations rather than sustained improvement or decline. East Baton Rouge Parish, the state’s most populous with 440,956 residents, has declined 2.3% since 2020, indicating that like Shreveport, the capital area struggles to retain residents amid persistent crime challenges. The 2011 murder rate of 27.6 per 100,000—eighth highest among large US cities—and violent crime rate of 1,065.7 per 100,000—which exceeded even New Orleans’ 792 per 100,000 that year—demonstrate Baton Rouge’s longstanding violence problems.
New Orleans presents the state’s most dramatic success story, with the 72 homicides through July 2025 representing a 32% year-over-year decrease and placing the city on pace for its lowest annual total since the early 1970s. Orleans Parish has experienced 8% population decline since 2020, reflecting pandemic and hurricane impacts, but crime has declined even faster, indicating per-capita improvements are even more substantial than raw numbers suggest. The $45 million annual investment in violence prevention, enhanced federal partnerships, Troop NOLA deployment, and community-based intervention programs have combined to produce results that crime analysts describe as among the most dramatic urban violence reductions in the nation.
Monroe, located in Ouachita Parish in northeast Louisiana, routinely ranks among the state’s most dangerous cities with violent crime rates that exceed four times the state average. The city exemplifies how smaller Louisiana cities experience violence levels that would be considered crisis-level in most states. The rural parishes of the Mississippi Delta region—including East Carroll, Madison, and Tensas parishes—face extreme poverty, population decline exceeding 10-20% since 2010, and service gaps that leave residents without access to mental health care, substance abuse treatment, or economic opportunities. While these rural areas have fewer total murders due to small populations, the per-capita rates and underlying conditions create environments where violence persists across generations.
Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Resources in Louisiana
| Resource Category | Current Status | Impact on Operations |
|---|---|---|
| Louisiana State Police | Statewide jurisdiction; Troop NOLA deployed to New Orleans since 2024 | Supplements local capacity; specialized units |
| New Orleans Police (NOPD) | 1,865 officers approximately; 78.5% homicide clearance in 2024 | Highest-performing department in state |
| Baton Rouge Police | 789 police personnel (officers, dispatchers, specialists) | Resource constraints; struggling with violence surge |
| Shreveport Police | Limited data available; resource constraints evident | Highest murder rate indicates capacity challenges |
| Angola State Penitentiary | Louisiana State Penitentiary; death row executions by lethal injection | Largest maximum security prison; long-term incarceration |
| Incarceration Rate | 847.1 per 100,000 in 2013 (highest nationally for 16 consecutive years) | Mass incarceration destabilizes communities |
| New Orleans Federal Partnerships | ATF and Homeland Security task force; 85 guns seized, 45 arrests 2025 | Federal resources enhance local capacity |
| Clearance Rates Statewide | Vary by department; most below national average except New Orleans | Investigation capacity limitations |
Data Source: Louisiana State Police Reports, Individual Police Department Data, Louisiana Department of Corrections, FBI Law Enforcement Personnel Data
Louisiana’s law enforcement landscape reflects the state’s fragmented governance structure and stark resource disparities between jurisdictions. The Louisiana State Police provides statewide jurisdiction and specialized units including the Troop NOLA deployment to New Orleans that began in mid-2024. This dedicated state police presence supplements local capacity in the state’s largest city, providing additional patrol officers, investigative resources, and tactical units that local budgets cannot sustain independently. The State Police also coordinate regional efforts, manage statewide databases, and provide training and support to smaller departments that lack specialized capabilities.
New Orleans Police Department, with approximately 1,865 officers, represents the state’s most professional and best-resourced municipal law enforcement agency. The 78.5% homicide clearance rate achieved in 2024 substantially exceeds the state average and places NOPD among national leaders in solving murders. This investigative excellence stems from federal oversight mandating reforms, enhanced detective training and screening, community partnerships that generate investigative leads, and forensic capabilities meeting evidentiary standards for prosecution. The federal task force partnership with ATF and Homeland Security that began in May 2025 has produced 85 gun seizures and 45 arrests for illegal firearms possession in just months of operation, demonstrating how federal resources can amplify local efforts.
Baton Rouge Police Department, with 789 police personnel including officers, dispatchers, and specialists, faces greater resource constraints relative to the challenges confronting Louisiana’s capital city. The department’s struggle with the doubling of murders in mid-2024 suggests investigative capacity may be overwhelmed, clearance rates are likely below optimal levels, and proactive violence prevention receives insufficient resources. The capital region lacks the federal partnerships and state supplementation that have benefited New Orleans, reflecting political dynamics that concentrate resources in the state’s largest city while leaving other struggling communities without comparable support.
Shreveport and other smaller Louisiana cities face the most severe resource constraints, operating with limited budgets, difficulty recruiting and retaining qualified officers, and minimal specialized capabilities. The 26.8 per 100,000 murder rate in Shreveport suggests investigative capacity is insufficient to create the certainty of punishment that deters violence. Smaller departments often lack homicide detectives with extensive training, forensic laboratories capable of processing complex evidence, and community partnerships that generate witness cooperation. Officers in these departments may handle multiple roles due to staffing shortages, preventing the kind of focused specialization that produces high clearance rates.
The incarceration system centered on Angola State Penitentiary—formally Louisiana State Penitentiary—represents the state’s approach to long-term incapacitation of violent offenders. Angola houses death row inmates and those serving life sentences for murder and other serious crimes, with executions carried out by lethal injection. The state’s historical incarceration rate of 847.1 per 100,000 in 2013, highest nationally for 16 consecutive years, reflected a tough-on-crime approach that emphasized lengthy sentences. The prison population of 41,248 in 2012 with an incarceration rate of 893 per 100,000 represented a 3.9% increase from 2011, demonstrating continued expansion even as evidence mounted that mass incarceration failed to reduce crime and instead destabilized communities through family separation and reduced economic productivity.
National Context: Murder Rate in the US 2025 Comparison with Other States
| State | Murder Rate | National Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 23.7 per 100,000 in 2025 data | 1st (highest) nationally |
| Louisiana | 21.3 per 100,000 in 2025; 9 per 100,000 in 2024 FBI data | 2nd-4th depending on data source |
| Alabama | 15.9 per 100,000 | 3rd highest |
| New Mexico | 15.3 per 100,000 | 4th highest |
| South Carolina | 13.4 per 100,000 | 5th highest |
| Missouri | 12.4 per 100,000 | 6th highest |
| Illinois | 12.3 per 100,000; 6 per 100,000 in other reports | 7th highest or 20th depending on source |
| Maryland | 12.2 per 100,000 | 8th highest |
| National Average | 5-7.1 per 100,000 (varies by source and year) | Declining to historic lows in 2025 |
Data Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, USAFacts Analysis, DataPandas State Rankings
Louisiana’s position among states with the highest murder rates has remained remarkably consistent across decades, with the state typically ranking between second and fourth nationally regardless of methodology or specific year measured. The 2025 data showing Louisiana at 21.3 per 100,000 using one methodology places it second nationally behind only Mississippi’s 23.7 per 100,000, while 2024 FBI data showing 9 per 100,000 places Louisiana fourth behind Pennsylvania, New Mexico, and Alaska. This variation reflects different data sources—CDC mortality data versus FBI crime reports—and different time periods, but the consistent message is that Louisiana maintains one of the nation’s most dangerous environments for lethal violence.
Mississippi, with the highest murder rate nationally at 23.7 per 100,000 in current data, experienced nearly doubling from 10 per 100,000 to 19.4 per 100,000 in the years following 2019, representing the largest increase of any state. Like Louisiana, Mississippi faces challenges of rural poverty, limited economic opportunity, educational deficits, and inadequate mental health services that create conditions for persistent violence. The shared position of Louisiana and Mississippi at the top of national murder rankings reflects broader regional patterns in the Deep South, where historical legacies of slavery, segregation, and economic exploitation have created entrenched disadvantages resistant to quick solutions.
The Southern state dominance of the highest murder rate rankings—with Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, South Carolina, and Tennessee all in the top ten—reflects regional characteristics including poverty rates exceeding national averages, permissive gun laws facilitating firearms proliferation, inadequate investment in education and health services, and political cultures that have historically emphasized punishment over prevention. 13 of the 20 cities with highest murder rates were in Republican-run states according to Axios analysis, though many of those cities were run by Democrats who often clash with state officials over resources and policies. This political complexity illustrates how urban violence occurs within state contexts that shape resource availability and policy frameworks.
The stark contrast between highest and lowest states demonstrates that murder is not inevitable but rather results from policy choices and social investments. New Hampshire, with only 1.1 homicides per 100,000 people, has a murder rate more than 20 times lower than Mississippi’s and nearly 20 times lower than Louisiana’s. Vermont (1.5), Maine (1.7), Idaho (2.2), and Massachusetts (2.3) all maintain rates below 2.5 per 100,000, demonstrating that large populations and urban areas do not automatically produce high violence. These low-murder states typically feature lower poverty rates, stronger educational systems, better mental health access, stricter gun regulations, and more generous social safety nets—all factors largely absent or inadequate in Louisiana.
Disclaimer: The data research report we present here is based on information found from various sources. We are not liable for any financial loss, errors, or damages of any kind that may result from the use of the information herein. We acknowledge that though we try to report accurately, we cannot verify the absolute facts of everything that has been represented.
