Pew Research Center has released a new report which concludes that only 6 different US cities have hold the title of the
Annual US Murder Capital starting with the year 1985. Those cities are, ranked after frequency as "the champion":
New Orleans, Louisiana - 12 years (1993-95, 2000-04, 2007-09 & 2011)
Washington D.C. - 8 years (1988-92, 1996 & 1998-99)
Detroit, Michigan - 4 years (1985-87 & 2006)
Flint, Michigan - 2 years (2010 & 2012)
Birmingham, Alabama - 1 year (2005)
Richmond, Virginia - 1 year (1997)
During the last 6 years, New Orleans and Flint, Michigan have alterated on being crowned the Murder Capital of the US.
The highest murder rates of US cities in 2012 were in the following cities:
1. Flint, Michigan - 62 per 100,000 citizens
2. Detroit, Michigan - 54.6
3. New Orleans, Louisiana - 53.2
4. Jackson, Mississippi - 35.8
Chicago, Illinois came "only" 21st in these statistics of 2012, having about halved (or more) its murder rate since its "heydays". Another city which has lowered its murder rate immensely during the past 15 years or so is Washington D.C..
Source/report:
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/07/14/despite-recent-shootings-chicago-nowhere-near-u-s-murder-capital/
