Which states have the highest murder rates?

The national homicide rate rose 36.7% between 2019 and 2021. It then decreased by 6.1% From 2021 to 2022. Rates nationwide were higher in the last three recorded years of data than at any other point in the 21st century. However, they’re still lower than the 1980s and early 1990s peaks. Here’s the data on which states have rising and falling rates after the pandemic.

Mississippi has the nation’s highest homicide rate: 20.7 per 100,000 people. Its rate is more than 11 times that of New Hampshire’s national low of 1.8. Rounding out the top five were Louisiana (19.8 per 100,000), Alabama (14.9), New Mexico (14.5), and Missouri (12.8).
Homicide rates increased in every state from 2012 to 2022, with three exceptions: Connecticut, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. (Reliable data was unavailable for New Hampshire, North Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming.)
Murder rates doubled in at least six states over the decade: South Dakota (up 188%), Montana (125%), New Mexico (120%), Alaska (104%), Mississippi (103%), and Hawaii (100%).
In 2020, the US had its biggest single-year homicide rate increase since record collecting began, rising from 6.0 in 2019 to 7.8. The previous record annual increase was a 20% rise between 2000 (5.9) and 2001 (7.1), which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attributes to the September 11 terrorist attacks.

See where your state ranks in this article.

Tracking 2024 election contributions

Fundraising for the 2024 election cycle has particularly ramped up since November last year. So which groups are raising the most? USAFacts collected metrics from the Federal Election Commission for a snapshot of fundraising thus far.

Chart showing funds raised for the 2024 election cycle

From January 2023 to April 2024, campaigns collected $8.6 billion for the 2024 House, Senate, and presidential elections. Over 65% of that (about $5.6 billion) was contributed by political action committees. From November 2023 to April 2024, political fundraising increased 137%.
The Democratic National Committee raised $188.6 million; the Republican National Committee raised $130.1 million.
Incumbent Senate Democrat David Trone has raised more than any other Senate candidate: $54.9 million. Former Republican Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy raised over $15.4 million, despite resigning from Congress and withdrawing from his reelection campaign. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has raised the second most in the House: $15.1 million. 
For comparison, by the end of the 2020 election cycle, campaigns overall had collected over $29.8 billion (adjusted for inflation).

Do taxpayer dollars pay for elections? Find out here. And read this new article for more on who's contributing to the 2024 election.

Data behind the news

Looking for facts after last week’s presidential debate? USAFacts has numbers behind the issues raised, including:

Immigration: Find out what the data can tell us about unauthorized arrivals and the average wait times for family-based immigration.
The economy: Explore key economic data, including the inflation rate and the unemployment rate.
Abortion: See how many abortions occur in the US and which states ban abortion medication.

On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that cities can enforce bans on homeless people sleeping outside. Here are cities with the largest homeless populations, plus definitions of sheltered and unsheltered, which play into the decision.

The weekly fact quiz is here! Did you study last week’s newsletter?

One last fact

Map showing which stats hold US Congressional runoff elections

Runoff elections are usually triggered when voters are choosing a general election candidate from a crowded primary field. Nine states schedule runoffs after congressional primaries if no candidate garnered 50% in the primary election. Georgia and Louisiana also hold runoffs for general elections.