Education and violent crime in US cities
Cities with more college graduates report less violent crime on average, but the link is only moderate.
US cities with higher Bachelor’s Degree or Higher tend to have lower Violent Crime Rate.
Moderate link: a correlation of −0.37 across 394 US cities.CorrelationHow closely two metrics move together, from −1 to +1. Near +1: both rise together. Near −1: one rises as the other falls. Near 0: no clear link.More in the glossary →
City violent crime rates depend on many things. The share of adults with a degree is one of them, but the link is moderate, so many cities break the pattern.
Each dot in the chart is one of 394 US cities. The correlation between Bachelor’s Degree or Higher and Violent Crime Rate is -0.37, a moderate relationship: about 13% of the differences in Violent Crime Rate from place to place line up with Bachelor’s Degree or Higher. Ranked instead of measured, the link is -0.38.
The highest Violent Crime Rate is in Memphis, TN (1,849.4), Bessemer, AL (1,706.2) and Detroit, MI (1,649.1); the lowest is in Hibbing, MN (6.3), Punta Gorda, FL (9.7) and Sammamish, WA (15.1). The median place has 382.5 for Violent Crime Rate and 34.0% for Bachelor’s Degree or Higher.
The biggest exceptions sit furthest from the trend line. Memphis, TN, Monroe, LA and Oakland, CA have a much higher Violent Crime Rate than their Bachelor’s Degree or Higher would predict, while Somerton, AZ, Hibbing, MN and San Luis, AZ have a much lower one.
This is a comparison across places, not proof that one causes the other: both can follow from something else, such as income, age or how urban a place is. Bachelor’s Degree or Higher is from 2024 and Violent Crime Rate from 2025.
Highest Violent Crime Rate
| Place | Violent Crime Rate | Bachelor’s Degree or Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Memphis, TN | 1,849.4 | 28.0% |
| Bessemer, AL | 1,706.2 | 15.6% |
| Detroit, MI | 1,649.1 | 18.1% |
| Monroe, LA | 1,634.5 | 32.4% |
| Little Rock, AR | 1,484.5 | 44.6% |
Lowest Violent Crime Rate
| Place | Violent Crime Rate | Bachelor’s Degree or Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Hibbing, MN | 6.3 | 18.6% |
| Punta Gorda, FL | 9.7 | 41.7% |
| Sammamish, WA | 15.1 | 77.1% |
| Somerton, AZ | 26.5 | 12.4% |
| Wilmette, IL | 33.0 | 83.6% |
Explore it yourself
- Open this comparison in the interactive chart to highlight places, change the metrics or colour by party.
- Full ranking and sources for Bachelor’s Degree or Higher
- Full ranking and sources for Violent Crime Rate