Map shows which states have the highest crime rates

Knowing crime rates across states is critical for policymakers, law enforcement and the general public, and a new map provides new insight into the social and economic factors that affect safety in the United States.

According to a February report from the Pew Research Center, 58 percent of American adults — about 70 percent of Republicans and 50 percent of Democrats — believe reducing crime “should be a top priority for the president and Congress.” That number is up from 47 percent at the start of the Biden presidency in 2021.

The crime rate is a hot topic, especially during the election campaign. In this election campaign, candidates are using their reputation for being tough on crime to win over the American public.

Although the national crime rate has been steadily declining since the 1990s, according to Pew, there are significant differences in crime rates from state to state.

Using research from Data Pandas, Newsweek created a map showing which states in the US have the highest and lowest crime rates

New Mexico tops the list of states with the highest reported crime rates, with 6,462 crimes per 100,000 residents, twice as high as the 11 states on the last list.

This may not be surprising, given that the state performs poorly in areas such as education and wealth, which have historically been associated with higher crime rates.

According to US News & World Report, New Mexico has the worst educational quality state in the United States.

According to data from the US Census Bureau, New Mexico is also one of the poorest states in the USA; around 18 percent of its residents live below the poverty line.

In mid-July, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham called for “immediate legislative action” to address the state’s crime problem, introducing a bill containing 11 bills to the state legislature that focuses on mental health treatment, crime reporting and gun violence, among other issues.

However, New Mexico lawmakers did not pass any of the governor's bills during a special session on July 18.

Closely following New Mexico is Louisiana with a crime rate of 6,408 per 100,000.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, Louisiana has the third highest murder rate in the country, surpassed only by Mississippi and Washington DC

In particular, large states such as California and Texas, as well as the densely populated states of New Jersey and Rhode Island, had relatively low crime rates.

California ranks 19th in the list, while Texas ranks 15th.^th place.

New Jersey, the most densely populated state according to the Census Bureau, has the fifth-lowest crime rate in the country at 2,512 cases, contradicting the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which cites population density as one of the most important variables influencing regional crime rates.

At the bottom of the list is New Hampshire, the state with the lowest crime rate.

The Granite State's success is due to a combination of factors, including strong socioeconomic conditions and high levels of education.

New Hampshire is ranked seventh among the richest states (with a median household income of $89,992) according to U.S. News & World Report and ninth in the rankings for the quality of education.

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