Violent Crime Rate vs. Poverty Rate by City
US cities with higher Poverty Rate tend to have higher Violent Crime Rate.
Strong link: a correlation of 0.57 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 →
Each dot in the chart is one of 394 US cities. The correlation between Poverty Rate and Violent Crime Rate is 0.57, a strong relationship: about 33% of the differences in Violent Crime Rate from place to place line up with Poverty Rate. Ranked instead of measured, the link is 0.62.
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 14.4% for Poverty Rate.
The biggest exceptions sit furthest from the trend line. Memphis, TN, Oakland, CA and Little Rock, AR have a much higher Violent Crime Rate than their Poverty Rate would predict, while Douglas, AZ, Ames, IA and Bloomington, IN 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. Poverty Rate is from 2024 and Violent Crime Rate from 2025.
Highest Violent Crime Rate
| Place | Violent Crime Rate | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Memphis, TN | 1,849.4 | 23.1% |
| Bessemer, AL | 1,706.2 | 27.9% |
| Detroit, MI | 1,649.1 | 32.7% |
| Monroe, LA | 1,634.5 | 35.9% |
| Little Rock, AR | 1,484.5 | 17.5% |
Lowest Violent Crime Rate
| Place | Violent Crime Rate | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Hibbing, MN | 6.3 | 16.2% |
| Punta Gorda, FL | 9.7 | 8.28% |
| Sammamish, WA | 15.1 | 4.27% |
| Somerton, AZ | 26.5 | 13.8% |
| Wilmette, IL | 33.0 | 3.24% |
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 Poverty Rate
- Full ranking and sources for Violent Crime Rate