Across the United States, violence is an unfortunate part of daily life in several cities. While law enforcement strategies to bring down rates of violence have some effectiveness, socio-economic and political instabilities in many communities and cities make it extremely challenging to enforce long-term, sustainable change due to deep-seated inequalities. Many of the cities rated the highest on the list have reported a decrease in crime throughout the first half of 2025, but there is still much work to do on this front.
So, which city is considered the "murder capital" of the country? Click through the list of 20 US cities with the highest murder rates to find out more.