The ‘Most Violent State’ Crown Is Held By…Tennessee
What do you think is the state with the highest violent crime rate? You might be surprised to learn it’s Tennessee. Despite the reputations of states like New York, California and Florida when it comes to violence, Tennessee the most violent state, followed by Nevada and Alaska. Those are in the 2nd and 3rd spots, respectively. The violent crime statistic comes from the FBI compilation of statistics for rape, robbery, murder and aggravated assault. Why is Tennessee the most violent state? Well, according to 24 Wall St., who originally reported on the list of most dangerous states,The state was among the top 10 in the country for murders and robberies and was first for aggravated assaults, with an estimated 479.6 for every 100,000 residents. Tennessee’s 41,550 violent crimes in 2012 were up 6.8% from 2011 but down 10% from 2007, when there were 46,380 violent crimes. There were 388 murders in the state in 2012, up for a second straight year. To be fair, Tennessee’s violent streak is concentrated in some of the major metropolitan areas. Memphis’s violent crime rate was the nation’s fifth worst, while Nashville’s was the 18th worst. Like many states with high violent crime, poverty in Tennessee is acute, and high school and college graduation rates are lower than most of the country.
Who else is on the most violent state list?
The rest of those on the most violent state list are NV, AK, NM, SC, DE, LA, FL, MD and OK.Most of the top ten are the gun-friendly states we often have occasion to write about. Of course, the gun-rights fanatics will point out the exceptions and claim there's absolutely no connection to gun proliferation, but we know better.
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