Some blue cities in red states have the nation's highest homicide rates, FBI number show

Data: FBI; Map: Axios VisualsTo hear President Trump tell it, the nation's murder problem is particularly bad in New York City, Chicago, Baltimore, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. — Democrat-run cities in Democrat-led states (or district, in D.C.'s case). New FBI crime figures from 2024 tell a different story.The big picture: 13 of the 20 U.S. cities with the highest murder rates were in Republican-run states. Many of those cities were run by Democrats who often are at odds with state officials, an Axios analysis of FBI data finds.State of play: The nation's homicide rate dropped to 5 per 100,000 residents in 2024 — a rate not seen since the Obama era, when overall violent crime rates were hovering around 30-year lows.Many cities, including those with the highest murder rates, saw declines in homicides. Crime remains a significant concern, but Trump's criticism of big, Democrat-led cities in blue states tells only part of the story. By the numbers: Eight of the top 10 cities with the highest murder rates and populations of at least 100,000 were in red states — Mississippi, Alabama, Missouri, Tennessee, Ohio and Louisiana, Axios found.Jackson, Miss., had the nation's highest homicide rate— nearly 78 per 100,000 residents, more than 15 times the national average.Birmingham, Ala., was second with a homicide rate of almost 59 per 100,000 residents — more than 11 times the national average. St. Louis was third, followed by Memphis, Tenn.Zoom out: Six of the next 10 cities with the highest homicide rates were in Republican-run Georgia, Ohio, Indiana and Alabama, along with Virginia and Kentucky, whose state governments are politically divided.The intrigue: Trump's order that led National Guard troops and federal agents to patrol D.C. has drawn mixed reviews in the city, where several high-profile crimes have put a spotlight on safety. The city of 702,000 had a homicide rate of 25.5 per 100,000 residents in 2024, which officials say was a 30-year low. That ranked 11th among big U.S. cities last year.Baltimore, whose crime rate also drew criticism from Trump, had the nation's fifth-highest homicide rate at 34.8, though officials there say it was the lowest rate in five decades.What they're saying: "No mayor in the country, myself included, is saying that we have solved this issue of violent crime," Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott told reporters Thursday. Scott said historic lows in cities that have had to deal with high homicide rates annually have to be acknowledged, and programs that target gun violence should be expanded.Scott noted that the cities Trump has called out for having high crime have Black mayors, and said the president appears to be overlooking many high-crime cities in red states. Between the lines: 19 of the top 20 cities with the highest homicide rates have large percentages of Black residents in historically underserved communities plagued by poverty.Only Albuquerque, ranked 19th with a rate of 18.4, doesn't have a sizable Black population. Its population is 53% Latino or Native American.What we're watching: Trump is threatening to deploy the National Guard to cities such as Oakland and Baltimore as part of a crackdown on crime.Go deeper: These are the cities Trump targeted next after federalizing D.C. policeViolent crime in border cities fell below national rate in 2024Nation's violent crime rate fell in 2024 to lowest in 20 years: FBI

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