Kentucky · Safety & Health
Violent Crime Rate in Kentucky
Counts murder, non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Rate per 100,000 residents.
226 per 100K in 2024
#11 of 50 · Top tier (lower is better)
Kentucky is better than the 50-state median (328 per 100K). That's a gap of 102 per 100K.
View interactive chart & trend → See full 50-state ranking →
1960 – 2024 · Kentucky only · interactive chart with US median overlay →
About violent crime rate
What this measures: Counts murder, non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, expressed per 100,000 residents.
Why it matters: Violent crime shapes whether residents feel safe at home, at school, and in public, and influences both family location decisions and how police resources get allocated.
Watch out: Pre-1985 coverage is incomplete because the FBI's UCR program was still being adopted. A visible step around 2020 to 2021 reflects FBI's switch from UCR-vintage state totals to NIBRS-era reconstructions, not an actual one-year jump.
Recent trend
| Year | Kentucky | US median |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 219 per 100K | 348 per 100K |
| 2016 | 232 per 100K | 370 per 100K |
| 2017 | 226 per 100K | 358 per 100K |
| 2018 | 212 per 100K | 344 per 100K |
| 2019 | 217 per 100K | 350 per 100K |
| 2020 | 259 per 100K | 374 per 100K |
| 2021 | 272 per 100K | 339 per 100K |
| 2022 | 223 per 100K | 362 per 100K |
| 2023 | 232 per 100K | 352 per 100K |
| 2024 | 226 per 100K | 328 per 100K |
Kentucky vs. neighboring states
Same metric (violent crime rate), latest year with full state coverage. Click any name for that state's full report.
| State | Violent Crime Rate | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Indiana | 354 per 100K | #28 of 50 |
| Ohio | 313 per 100K | #24 of 50 |
| West Virginia | 262 per 100K | #19 of 50 |
| Virginia | 223 per 100K | #8 of 50 |
| Tennessee | 604 per 100K | #48 of 50 |
| Missouri | 472 per 100K | #42 of 50 |
How Kentucky compares (2024)
Top 5 best
| #1 | Maine | 102 per 100K |
| #2 | New Hampshire | 112 per 100K |
| #3 | Connecticut | 139 per 100K |
| #4 | Rhode Island | 155 per 100K |
| #5 | Wyoming | 212 per 100K |
Bottom 5
| #46 | Louisiana | 505 per 100K |
| #47 | Arkansas | 590 per 100K |
| #48 | Tennessee | 604 per 100K |
| #49 | Alaska | 731 per 100K |
| #50 | New Mexico | 747 per 100K |
Source and methodology
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer · Direction: lower is better · Unit: per 100K
Download raw CSV (all 50 states, all years)