Which state has the highest Incarceration Rate?

Mississippi has the highest Incarceration Rate in 2022, at 661 per 100k, followed by Louisiana (596 per 100k) and Arkansas (574 per 100k).

Which state has the lowest Incarceration Rate?

Massachusetts has the lowest Incarceration Rate in 2022, at 94 per 100k.

What is the median Incarceration Rate across US states?

The median is 294 per 100k across the 50 US states with data in 2022.

Where does this incarceration rates by state data come from?

Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: US Criminal Justice Data - The Sentencing Project; US Bureau of Justice Statistics 2021 - pg 15.

State rankings

Incarceration Rates by State

Name: Incarceration Rates by State
Creator: Rankodex

Mississippi has the highest Incarceration Rate in 2022 (661 per 100k), followed by Louisiana (596 per 100k) and Arkansas (574 per 100k). Massachusetts has the lowest (94 per 100k).

Crime & Safety50 states · 3 metricsUpdated Jul 11, 2024Original page

2 sources

Showing

Year 202250 of 51 states

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Incarceration Rate, 2022

Green is better, red is worse (lower is better). Click a place to highlight it.

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All 50 ranked

Best first.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one state; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median

294 per 100k

Middle half 211 per 100k – 380 per 100k

Average

306 per 100k

50 states

Lowest (best)

94 per 100k

Massachusetts

Highest (worst)

661 per 100k

Mississippi

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

50 states · # = rank by Incarceration Rate

#
1	Massachusetts	94 per 100k	7	32
2	Maine	107 per 100k	8.8	22
3	Rhode Island	124 per 100k	8.5	73
4	Vermont	126 per 100k	12.3	—
5	New Jersey	137 per 100k	12.5	40
6	New Hampshire	149 per 100k	5	10
7	Minnesota	151 per 100k	9.9	62
8	New York	159 per 100k	7.8	40
9	Connecticut	170 per 100k	9.4	18
10	Washington	174 per 100k	5.5	51
10	Hawaii	174 per 100k	2.4	20
12	Utah	176 per 100k	7.6	37
13	Alaska	205 per 100k	4.7	195
14	North Dakota	230 per 100k	5.2	48
15	New Mexico	231 per 100k	5.8	87
16	Illinois	236 per 100k	7.8	39
17	California	250 per 100k	9.2	58
18	Maryland	252 per 100k	5	31
19	Iowa	264 per 100k	9.3	77
20	North Carolina	268 per 100k	3.9	38
21	Delaware	272 per 100k	5.3	138
22	Nebraska	284 per 100k	8.9	93
23	Colorado	288 per 100k	6.6	78
24	Pennsylvania	292 per 100k	7.7	80
24	Kansas	292 per 100k	6.3	106
26	Oregon	295 per 100k	5.2	146
27	South Carolina	302 per 100k	3.8	78
28	Wisconsin	311 per 100k	11.9	79
29	Virginia	312 per 100k	4.4	64
30	Nevada	322 per 100k	4.1	104
31	Michigan	323 per 100k	6.7	82
32	West Virginia	331 per 100k	3.8	202
33	Tennessee	334 per 100k	3.4	42
34	Indiana	349 per 100k	4.6	113
35	Wyoming	369 per 100k	5	269
36	South Dakota	370 per 100k	5.9	99
37	Florida	377 per 100k	4.1	61
38	Missouri	381 per 100k	3.6	109
39	Ohio	385 per 100k	5.7	122
40	Alabama	390 per 100k	2.8	130
41	Montana	414 per 100k	7.5	89
42	Georgia	435 per 100k	2.8	71
43	Kentucky	437 per 100k	2.9	63
44	Arizona	446 per 100k	4.9	46
45	Texas	452 per 100k	3.5	89
46	Idaho	460 per 100k	4.4	117
47	Oklahoma	563 per 100k	4.4	59
48	Arkansas	574 per 100k	3.5	90
49	Louisiana	596 per 100k	3.8	144
50	Mississippi	661 per 100k	2.6	56

What correlates with Incarceration Rate (2022)?

Pearson r against 2,111 other state metrics sharing at least 30 states, 2 near-identical series hidden. Ranks are read by standing: a better rank counts as higher, whether rank 1 is the best place on a list or the worst. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Incarceration Rate tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

Prisoners Over Age 18Prison Population by State
r = +0.99 · very strong · n = 50
Plot
Male Prisoner RatePrison Population by State
r = +0.99 · very strong · n = 50
Plot
PrisonersPrisons by State
r = +0.95 · very strong · n = 50
Plot
PrisonersPrison Spending by State
r = +0.84 · very strong · n = 50
Plot
Teen Birth RateTeen Pregnancy Rates by State
r = +0.82 · very strong · n = 50
Plot
Female Prisoner RatePrison Population by State
r = +0.79 · very strong · n = 50
Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Incarceration Rate tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

Low Incarceration Rate RankWorst Prisons by StateA rank: rank 1 is the best
r = +0.96 · very strong · n = 50
Plot
Overall ScoreHealthiest States
r = −0.80 · very strong · n = 50
Plot
% Fully VaxxedVaccination Rates by State
r = −0.78 · very strong · n = 50
Plot
Total Safety Score (WalletHub)Safest States in the US
r = −0.78 · very strong · n = 50
Plot
% That Received Updated BoosterVaccination Rates by State
r = −0.76 · very strong · n = 50
Plot
Median Income - Five Person HouseholdMedian Household Income by State
r = −0.75 · very strong · n = 50
Plot

Quick answers

Which state has the highest Incarceration Rate?: Mississippi has the highest Incarceration Rate in 2022, at 661 per 100k, followed by Louisiana (596 per 100k) and Arkansas (574 per 100k).
Which state has the lowest Incarceration Rate?: Massachusetts has the lowest Incarceration Rate in 2022, at 94 per 100k.
What is the median Incarceration Rate across US states?: The median is 294 per 100k across the 50 US states with data in 2022.
Where does this incarceration rates by state data come from?: Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: US Criminal Justice Data - The Sentencing Project; US Bureau of Justice Statistics 2021 - pg 15.