Black Homicide Victimization in the United States

Spotlight on Missouri

In 2020, Missouri had the highest Black homicide victimization rate in the nation for the seventh year in a row. Missouri has ranked either first or second in the nation for Black homicide victimization 14 years in a row.

Even these grim statistics do not reveal the true scope of the problem in Missouri. Despite already having the highest Black homicide victimization rate in the country in 2014, from 2014 to 2020 the Black homicide victimization rate in Missouri increased by 46 percent. Missouri’s 2020 Black homicide victimization rate of 50.98 is more than twice the national Black homicide victimization rate, and nearly 16 times the national homicide victimization rate for white victims.

Missouri’s Black homicide victimization rates in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 are the six highest rates in the 17-year history of this study.


Back to Table of Contents

Next – State Rankings