First State Times

Delaware last year recorded a homicide rate of 7.4 per 100,000 residents, compared to the U.S. rate of 6.5 per 100,000 and the state’s 5.7 rate a decade earlier, according to newly released FBI crime data.

The increase reflected data reported to the FBI by 62 of 62 Delaware law enforcement agencies. Municipal police departments such as Wilmington's provided data to the FBI through the comprehensive National Incident-Based Reporting System. 

Nationwide, 15,897 of 18,619 eligible law enforcement agencies submitted crime data to the FBI in 2020. Estimates based on the data showed violent crimes in the United States rose 5.6% from 2019 to 2020, although property crimes were down 7.8% over the same time period.

In 2010, the number of homicides in the nation was 4.8 per 100,000 Americans, compared to 6.5 per 100,000 last year, the FBI reported.

The arrest rate for murder and manslaughter offenses last year was 3.8 per 100,000 residents – or 58.5% of the total homicide number, according to the report. 

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2020 vs. 2010 Homicide Rates by State

State	2010 Homicide Rate (per 100,000)	2020 Homicide Rate (per 100,000)	Change in Homicide Rate (per 100,000)	Law Enforcement Agencies Reporting to FBI
Alabama	5.7	9.6	3.9	357 of 432
Alaska	4.3	6.7	2.4	32 of 39
Arizona	6.4	6.9	0.5	105 of 125
Arkansas	4.6	10.6	6.0	281 of 305
California	4.8	5.6	0.8	732 of 740
Colorado	2.6	5.1	2.5	227 of 246
Connecticut	3.7	3.9	0.2	107 of 107
Delaware	5.7	7.4	1.7	62 of 62
Florida	5.2	5.9	0.7	675 of 687
Georgia	5.7	8.8	3.1	399 of 657
Hawaii	1.8	2.9	1.1	3 of 4
Idaho	1.4	2.2	0.8	111 of 114
Illinois	5.5	9.1	3.6	667 of 935
Indiana	4.1	7.5	3.4	205 of 334
Iowa	1.2	3.5	2.3	251 of 272
Kansas	3.4	3.4	0.0	359 of 418
Kentucky	4.3	7.2	2.9	423 of 466
Louisiana	11.0	15.8	4.8	187 of 253
Maine	1.8	1.6	-0.2	133 of 133
Maryland	7.4	9.1	1.7	152 of 153
Massachusetts	3.3	2.3	-1.0	369 of 411
Michigan	5.9	7.6	1.7	637 of 648
Minnesota	1.8	3.4	1.6	417 of 420
Mississippi	6.9	10.6	3.7	113 of 251
Missouri	7.0	11.8	4.8	551 of 594
Montana	2.5	5.0	2.5	106 of 114
Nebraska	3.0	3.6	0.6	235 of 271
Nevada	5.8	5.7	-0.1	60 of 63
New Hampshire	1.0	0.9	-0.1	193 of 210
New Jersey	4.2	3.7	-0.5	577 of 577
New Mexico	6.8	7.8	1.0	121 of 128
New York	4.5	4.2	-0.3	563 of 595
North Carolina	5.0	8.0	3.0	378 of 534
North Dakota	1.5	4.2	2.7	110 of 110
Ohio	4.2	7.0	2.8	610 of 858
Oklahoma	5.2	7.4	2.2	443 of 445
Oregon	2.5	2.9	0.4	214 of 234
Pennsylvania	5.1	7.9	2.8	945 of 1,504
Rhode Island	2.8	3.0	0.2	49 of 49
South Carolina	5.7	10.5	4.8	398 of 471
South Dakota	2.8	4.5	1.7	128 of 145
Tennessee	5.6	9.6	4.0	463 of 464
Texas	4.9	6.6	1.7	1,062 of 1,158
Utah	1.9	3.1	1.2	130 of 145
Vermont	1.1	2.2	1.1	88 of 88
Virginia	4.7	6.1	1.4	416 of 423
Washington	2.3	3.9	1.6	254 of 275
West Virginia	3.1	6.6	3.5	251 of 435
Wisconsin	2.7	5.3	2.6	427 of 447
Wyoming	1.4	3.1	1.7	59 of 69

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation