State rankings

Missing Persons by State

California has the highest Open Missing Persons Cases in 2026 (3,764), followed by Texas (2,879) and Florida (2,457). South Dakota has the lowest (39).

Crime & Safety51 states · 6 metricsUpdated Mar 14, 2025Original page
1 source
51 of 51 states
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Open Missing Persons Cases, 2026

Darker means higher. Click a place to highlight it.

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All 51 ranked

Highest 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
291
Middle half 149 – 535
Average
524
51 states
Highest
3,764
California
Lowest
39
South Dakota

Over time · 2022–2026

The top 5 in 2026, against the median.

  • Median of all states
  • California
  • Texas
  • Florida
  • Alaska
  • Arizona

Data

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

51 states · # = rank by Open Missing Persons Cases
#
1California3,7644,842
2Texas2,8794,450
3Florida2,45720,531
4Alaska1,314676
5Arizona1,0941,683
6New York1,0621,686
7Tennessee9872,218
8Washington9441,057
9Oklahoma6743,116
10North Carolina6581,351
11Michigan6032,025
12Oregon581964
13Pennsylvania535917
13Rhode Island535917
15Illinois4931,076
16Louisiana492478
17Georgia472808
18Missouri464872
19Ohio444800
19New Jersey444917
21Colorado3871,468
22Arkansas3673,689
23Virginia353658
24Kentucky343456
25Alabama300392
26South Carolina291359
27Hawaii28872
28New Mexico267866
29Nevada266515
30Indiana246348
31Maryland245363
32Connecticut2291,460
33Massachusetts228410
34Wisconsin222342
35Mississippi205156
36Minnesota203251
37Maine153111
38Utah152313
39Kansas146203
40West Virginia135142
41Idaho128298
42Montana114390
43Iowa111152
44Nebraska88230
45Delaware6565
45Wyoming6587
47New Hampshire6170
48Vermont5636
49District of Columbia55154
50North Dakota4182
51South Dakota39112

What correlates with Open Missing Persons Cases (2026)?

Pearson r against 2,091 other state metrics sharing at least 31 states. 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 Open Missing Persons Cases tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

  1. Sex & Labor Trafficking Cases ReportedHuman Trafficking Statistics by State
    r = +0.96 · very strong · n = 44
    Plot
  2. Total Human Trafficking Cases IdentifiedHuman Trafficking Statistics by State
    r = +0.93 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot
  3. Hispanic (Any Race) Total RegisteredVoters by Race by State
    r = +0.93 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot
  4. Human Trafficking Victims InvolvedHuman Trafficking Statistics by State
    r = +0.93 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot
  5. Total Police Killings 2013-2026Police Killings by State
    r = +0.93 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot
  6. Additional Nurses Needed from 2022 to 2030Nursing Shortage by State
    r = +0.92 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Open Missing Persons Cases tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

  1. Req. English CreditsHigh School Graduation Requirements by State
    r = −0.57 · strong · n = 48
    Plot
  2. OpportunityBest States to Live InA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.56 · strong · n = 49
    Plot
  3. Opportunity RankWorst States to Live inA rank: rank 1 is the worst
    r = −0.55 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  4. Heating Degree Days per YearClimate by State (1991–2020 Averages)
    r = −0.52 · strong · n = 48
    Plot
  5. FTE Convictions RankMost Corrupt StatesA rank: rank 1 is the worst
    r = −0.50 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  6. Richest Person AgeRichest Person by State
    r = −0.50 · moderate · n = 47
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state has the highest Open Missing Persons Cases?
California has the highest Open Missing Persons Cases in 2026, at 3,764, followed by Texas (2,879) and Florida (2,457).
Which state has the lowest Open Missing Persons Cases?
South Dakota has the lowest Open Missing Persons Cases in 2026, at 39.
What is the median Open Missing Persons Cases across US states?
The median is 291 across the 51 US states with data in 2026.
Where does this missing persons by state data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: National Missing and Unidentified Persons System.