Which states have the highest and lowest crime rates?

The nation’s crime rate has trended downward for decades. However, while the violent crime rate has continued to decline in recent years, the property crime rate rose by 6.7% from 2021 to 2022. Rates vary by region due to economic conditions, law enforcement effectiveness, and other factors. Here are the highest and lowest crime rates by state.

The national crime rate fell 58.0% from 1979 to 2022. Property crime was down 61.0%, while violent crime was down 30.6%.

The most recent data shows that violent crime rates decreased in 35 states from 2021 to 2022, down 23.3% in Florida, 20.4% in Kentucky, and 16.7% in Illinois. The greatest year over year increases were in New York (39.2%), Alabama (17.4%), and Vermont (14.4%).

Map of violent crimes per 100,000 people

New Mexico had the nation’s highest violent crime rate, with 780.5 incidents per 100,000 residents. Alaska followed with 758.9 per 100,000, then Arkansas with 645.3. Maine had the lowest rate (103.3 per 100,000), then New Hampshire (125.6), and Connecticut (150.0).

Property crime declined in 23 states from 2021 to 2022. Iowa had the biggest drop, down 11.7%, but Washington, DC’s rate fell even more, down 13.9%. New York's rate increased the most: 64.3%.

There’s much more where that came from. Track crime in your state here.

How long does family-based immigration take?

Family-based immigration involves people moving to the US to reunite with their spouse and/or children, or children being adopted from abroad. In recent years, it’s taking longer for family members to immigrate to the US.

Chart of median processing times for family-based immigration forms

From October 2022 to September 2023, the median wait time for spouses, dependent children, and parents was 11.8 months, while fiancé(e)s waited a median of 13.9 months. The median processing time for international adoption immigration cases increased to 49.2 months.

As of November 1, 2022, 4.08 million people were on the visa application waiting list overall. Of these, 3.92 million people (95.9% of applicants) awaited family sponsorship, while 168,148 (4.1%) were employment-based applicants.

The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 relaxed Cold War-era immigration quotas. This allowed more skilled laborers in the US and allowed more people to reunite with family members here.

Read the article to see which countries have the most people waiting on the family-sponsored waiting list.

Data behind the news

April is National Volunteer Month. How many people volunteer in your state?

Last week, Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after a cargo ship lost power and collided with a bridge pillar. While ships and barges can cause bridge collapses, some major bridge incidents are a matter of infrastructure conditions. The loss of this major part of I-695 might have people wondering: what is the state of US highway bridges?

Did you read last week’s newsletter? Then you’re set for the weekly fact quiz.

One last fact

Lawyers working in nonscheduled air transportation had some of the highest salaries in the profession in 2022.

Lawyers in three healthcare or education sectors earned mean salaries below $100,000. These include lawyers in the public/community services sectors industry (earning an average salary of $88,010), while family services lawyers earned $78,240.