Lake Charles, LA Is Among the Most Dangerous US Metro Areas
The U.S. violent crime rate — an annual, population-adjusted measure of cases of rape, robbery, aggravated assault, and homicide — climbed by 5% in 2020. 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.
Despite the largest single-year increase in homicides on record, the overall violent crime rate in 2020 remains relatively low by historical standards. There were 1.3 million violent crimes reported in the U.S. in 2020, or 399 for every 100,000 people. For context, the violent crime rate ranged between 523 and 758 incidents per 100,000 throughout the 1990s.
Of course, crime is a local phenomenon influenced by a wide range of factors. As a result, violent crime rates in the U.S. can vary considerably from place to place — and in some metro areas, rates of violence far exceed the nation-level highs recorded in decades past.
Lake Charles, Louisiana’s violent crime rate is nearly double the U.S. rate. There were 1,663 violent crimes reported in the metro area in 2020, or 789 for every 100,000 people. Due entirely to a surge in cases of aggravated assaults, Lake Charles’ violent crime rate is 44% higher now than it was in 2019.
Rates of violence are often higher in places with limited economic opportunity — and in Lake Charles, 20.4% of the population live below the poverty line, and average unemployment in 2020 was 8.9%. This compares to the national 12.3% poverty rate and 8.1% jobless rate that year.
Metro areas are ranked on their violent crime rate using data from the FBI’s 2020 Uniform Crime Report. Additional data on specific crimes are also from the 2020 FBI UCR. Poverty rates are one-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey.
RankMetro areaViolent crimes per 100,000 people, 2020Total violent crimes, 2020Murders per 100,000 people, 2020Total murders, 20201Memphis, TN1,35918,32424.23272Monroe, LA1,3092,60511.6233Anchorage, AK1,1713,5765.9184Pine Bluff, AR1,09895027.7245Detroit, MI1,08818,89422.33876Danville, IL1,05078517.4137Albany, GA1,0081,46915.8238Albuquerque, NM1,0069,2969.4879Alexandria, LA9681,46414.52210Little Rock, AR9397,01413.19811Lubbock, TX9192,9859.53112Florence, SC8601,76419.03913Fairbanks, AK8412779.1314Sumter, SC8121,14019.92815Saginaw, MI7951,50117.53316Lake Charles, LA7891,6639.01917Rockford, IL7712,56610.83618Gainesville, FL7602,5165.11719Corpus Christi, TX7383,17610.04320Stockton, CA7235,51711.08421Pueblo, CO7221,21610.71822Macon, GA7081,62419.24423Odessa, TX6971,18011.21924Bakersfield, CA6926,21612.911625Shreveport, LA6832,68321.68526Milwaukee, WI67810,68813.120627Amarillo, TX6731,7876.81828Springfield, IL6671,3695.81229Rapid City, SD66595710.41530Niles, MI6641,0135.2831Battle Creek, MI66488610.51432Kalamazoo, MI6631,7637.52033Farmington, NM6618173.2434Jonesboro, AR6608939.61335South Bend, IN6552,1219.33036Houston, TX63245,3689.266237Springfield, MO6322,9935.52638Billings, MT6271,1528.21539Jackson, TN6251,1159.51740New Orleans, LA6247,96021.727741Nashville, TN61612,1377.715242Fort Smith, AR6151,5414.41143Chattanooga, TN6133,4877.94544Beaumont, TX6062,3728.93545Kokomo, IN6044989.7846Lawton, OK60375912.71647Merced, CA5991,6608.72448Fresno, CA5975,9489.49449Tulsa, OK5915,9479.39450Hot Springs, AR5835829.09
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