FBI Data Revealed in Violent Crime Rate Map for Each State

When examining violent crime rates nationwide, the data reveals some interesting trends, including a surprising find about Illinois. Despite its reputation, Illinois' violent crime rate isn’t as high as one might expect, shedding new light on the state’s safety compared to others.

Understanding Violent Crime in the U.S.

In 2022, the FBI recorded approximately 1.2 million violent crimes across the United States. Here's a closer look at the data.

Definition of Violent Crimes

Homicide (murder and nonnegligent manslaughter)
Rape
Robbery
Aggravated assault

Trend in National Violent Crime Rates:

The national violent crime rate has been gradually decreasing.
In 2020, the rate was 398 incidents per 100,000 people.
By 2022, it had dropped to 381 incidents per 100,000 people.

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

This data provides insight into the state of violent crime across the country and highlights the gradual improvement in safety over the last few years.

ORE: 28 Things People of Illinois Look Forward To Most In the Fall

Getty Images

Get our free mobile app

States with Highest Violent Crime Rate

Washington D.C.
New Mexico
Alaska
Arkansas
Louisianna

4 Things That Will Surprise About Illinois' Violent Crime Rate

Getty Images

Like any other state, Illinois has a violent crime problem, and it's always the areas around its largest cities where the numbers are the worst. What was surprising to me, is with all the attention the city of Chicago gets for its violence, I never thought that we would not have the highest rate of all 4 states that surround us.

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