Missouri Soars to Top of Murder Rates Ranking Not Once, But Twice

It's a list I thought Missouri had found a way to get off of, but I was very wrong. The new 2024 murder rate rankings have just been released and the Show Me State has soared to the top not just once, but twice.

Get our free mobile app

World Population Review just shared the rundown of the latest statistics about cities where people are having a problem staying alive. They named "twenty cities in the United States with the highest murder rates (murders per 100,000 people)". It's not a pretty picture for Missouri.

There are so many pathetic aspects to this for Missouri, it's hard to know where to start. First and worst is St. Louis, Missouri at #1 with a murder rate so high that there isn't even a close 2nd. St. Louis has a 69.4 murder rate that's almost 20 higher than 2nd place Baltimore, Maryland.

What is the big problem with violent crime in St. Louis, Missouri?

The ranking says it's because of "unsafe housing, a failing economy, and poor school systems".

New entry into the murder rate top 10 is Kansas City, Missouri which roars up to #7 among the most dangerous cities in America. It's not totally unexpected as the Kansas City area is the fastest-growing part of Missouri and where you find more people, you'll sadly find more violent crime. My perception from my many friends who live in the Kansas City area was it was safer than St. Louis. That is technically true, but not by much.

This is one of those problems there's no easy solution for. Both St. Louis and Kansas City have huge gang problems that add to the body count.

For the record, Chicago fell from the top spot last year to #10 in 2024.