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Crime · June 13, 2026

America's most dangerous city is one most people never think about

Jackson, Mississippi looks like the deadliest city in the country. The reason you rarely hear that is the same reason it stays dangerous: almost nobody is counting.

We just ranked every American city of 10,000 people or more by how many murders it records for its size. The city at the top is not Chicago or Baltimore. It is Jackson, Mississippi. The only reason that surprises people is that Jackson has nearly stopped telling the federal government what happens inside it.

Read the full story →

Featured map

Where the economy is hot and cold

Open full Outlook →

Each state's color shows its overall economic + safety + outcomes health (green = good, yellow = mixed, red = struggling). The nine bars per state cover economic activity, jobs, unemployment vs. the U.S., how long homes sit on the market, migration, gas prices, consumer-price inflation, the homicide rate vs. the U.S. and Grade 4 reading scores vs. the U.S. Hover a state for exact numbers, or click to open its dashboard.

Grading
Rank each state against the others. Top performers green, worst red.
Focus
Color by the average of every metric (current state + trend together).
Economic activity 12-moJobs YoYUnemployment vs U.S.Homes sitting longer YoYNet domestic migrationGas YTDConsumer prices YoYMurders vs U.S.Reading vs U.S.good directionbad direction(direction varies by metric — e.g., higher unemployment than U.S. is bad)

Featured map

The most dangerous cities

Open the full ranking →

Every U.S. city of 10,000 or more, ranked by murders per 100,000 residents averaged across 2020 through 2024 from FBI agency data. The largest mass shootings are excluded and disclosed. Tap a bubble for any city, or zoom in to pull crowded metros apart.

Annualized murders per 100,000:under 5(2,601)5 to 10(505)10 to 20(291)20 to 35(73)35 to 50(25)50 or more(14)

Dark red (50+) is sized by rate (max on this map: 80); bubbles grow as you zoom in, and the basemap fills in streets and city names so you can place each one. Use the zoom buttons, a double-click or pinch to move around. Hover or tap a red or orange bubble for details, or search the table below for any city.

Highest rates nationwide

  1. 1.Jackson, MS80.5/100k
  2. 2.College Park, GA73.4/100k
  3. 3.St. Louis, MO68.0/100k
  4. 4.Gary, IN67.3/100k
  5. 5.Chester, PA66.1/100k
  6. 6.East Point, GA64.9/100k
  7. 7.Petersburg, VA64.2/100k
  8. 8.Birmingham, AL59.8/100k
  9. 9.New Orleans, LA58.3/100k
  10. 10.Bogalusa, LA57.6/100k
See the full map and ranking →

Top stories

From the statehouses

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MNMinnesota SF 1943

Minnesota SF 1943 passes both chambers, heads to governor for signature

Minnesota SF 1943 has passed both chambers of the Legislature and is now heading to the governor for action. The bill, titled "Pet shops prohibition from selling cats and dogs," would bar pet shops in the state from…

MNMinnesota HF 2484

Minnesota HF 2484 presented to governor after passing both chambers

Minnesota House File 2484 has passed both chambers of the Legislature and was presented to the governor on May 20, 2026. The bill is a bonding measure that would authorize spending to acquire and improve land and…

MIMichigan HB 5636

Michigan HB 5636 passes both chambers, heads to governor for signature

Michigan lawmakers have sent HB 5636 to the governor after the bill passed both chambers, with the most recent action recorded on May 19, 2026. The bill would designate a portion of Telegraph Road as the "Deputy…

Recently signed into law

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The economy

By the numbers

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National indicators

Outlook

U.S. Economic Activity YoY

+1.8%

Composite of jobs, hours, wages and sales (Philadelphia Fed), 12-month change

Outlook

U.S. Jobs YoY

+0.3%

BLS total nonfarm payroll employment, year-over-year change

Outlook

U.S. Unemployment rate

4.3%

BLS U-3 national unemployment rate, monthly

Inflation

U.S. Consumer Prices YoY

+3.9%

Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (BLS), year-over-year

Home Sales

U.S. Homes sitting longer (YoY)

+2.0%

Realtor.com national median days on market, year-over-year change

Outlook

U.S. Population growth

+0.52%

Census PEP, year ending July 1, 2025

Gas Prices

U.S. Gas Prices YoY

+33.9%

$4.16/gal vs. $3.11 a year ago

Education

U.S. Reading (NAEP G4)

215

Score 215 in 2024 · -2.5 pts since 2022

Crime

U.S. Murder rate

6.0/100k

6.0 per 100k in 2024 · -11.8% YoY

More from your state

On the agenda

MIMichigan HB 5745

Michigan HB 5745 passes both chambers and heads to governor for signature

Michigan HB 5745 has passed both chambers of the state legislature and is now heading to the governor, following a House vote on May 19, 2026, with immediate effect. The bill would amend sentencing guidelines under…

KYKentucky SB9

Senate bill SB 9 relating to housing districts cleared both chambers

A Senate bill (SB9) that relates to housing districts has cleared both chambers of the Kentucky General Assembly after a conference committee report was filed in both houses.

KYKentucky SB56

Senate bill SB 56 passes both chambers of Kentucky legislature

A Senate bill aimed at implementing utilization controls for nonopioid analgesics in the Medicaid program has cleared both chambers of the Kentucky Legislature. The bill, known as SB56, seeks to regulate and manage…

Midwest Safety News tracks state legislation across Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota and Texas, plus city councils and county boards across those states. We surface what local government is actually doing. Not just what gets reported.

Government entities tracked
30
States covered
5
Population in coverage area
9.7M
Browse 30 entitiesHow it works