During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. violent crime rate rose to its highest level in a decade. The increase was driven by a rise in aggravated assault and, most notably, a historic 29% surge in homicides that made 2020 the deadliest year in the United States since the mid-1990s.
Violent crime is a broad category of offenses that includes rape, robbery, aggravated assault, and murder. All told, more than 1.3 million violent crimes were reported in the U.S. – or 399 for every 100,000 people – in 2020, an increase of 18 incidents per 100,000 people from the previous year.
Though the precise reasons for the surge have yet to be determined, experts speculate that unrest following the murder of George Floyd, along with social and economic upheaval wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, likely played a role. Gun sales also surged in 2020, and firearms were used in 77% of murder cases, up from 73% in 2019. Here is a look at the states where gun sales are surging.
In the Decatur metro area, located in Illinois, the violent crime rate rose even faster than it did nationwide. According to the FBI, a total of 540 violent crimes were reported in the area in 2020, or 526 for every 100,000 people – higher than the 2019 rate by about 106 incidents per 100,000 people. The increase in Decatur is about six times higher than the national increase.
Like most metro areas that reported a near-nation-leading year-over-year surge in violence, the overall violent crime rate in Decatur is higher than the national rate.
All data used in this story is from the FBI. Only metro areas for which the boundaries defined by the FBI match the boundaries as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau were considered. Because some state and local agencies changed reporting practices between 2019 and 2020, the figures are not comparable, and those states and areas were excluded.
RankMetro area1-yr. increase in violent crimes per 100k peopleViolent crimes per 100k people, 2020Violent crimes per 100k people, 20191Monroe, LA4961,3098132Pine Bluff, AR2021,0988953Saginaw, MI1717956244Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR1579397825Rockford, IL1367716356Dubuque, IA1342691347Rapid City, SD1336655328Shreveport-Bossier City, LA1206835639Alexandria, LA11996884910Danville, IL1151,05093611Niles, MI11366455112Sioux City, IA-NE-SD11342831613Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL11047636614Greeley, CO10832421615Decatur, IL10652641916Yakima, WA10638528017Jonesboro, AR10466055618Twin Falls, ID9738328719Sumter, SC9381271920Kalamazoo-Portage, MI9166357321Sioux Falls, SD9047838822Grand Junction, CO8336728423Springfield, IL8366758424New Bern, NC8036428425Idaho Falls, ID7928420526Bakersfield, CA7169262127Burlington, NC7047840828Gainesville, FL6876069229Lansing-East Lansing, MI6849843030San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA6729022231Goldsboro, NC6748141532Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX6560654133Cedar Rapids, IA6325218934Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA6336430135Durham-Chapel Hill, NC6150043936Hot Springs, AR5958352437Ann Arbor, MI5741235638Missoula, MT5540434939Fargo, ND-MN5435129740Springfield, OH5430124741Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI5357051742Yuma, AZ5333127843Vallejo, CA5352647344Raleigh-Cary, NC5122417345Pittsfield, MA5143138146Grants Pass, OR4928823947Chico, CA4949344448Charleston-North Charleston, SC4844639849Fairbanks, AK4784179550Greensboro-High Point, NC46576530
