State rankings

Serial Killers by State

California has the highest # of Serial Killers (128), followed by Texas (90) and Florida (76). Vermont has the lowest (2).

Crime & SafetyPopulation51 states · 5 metricsUpdated Mar 30, 2026Original page
6 sources
51 of 51 states
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# of Serial Killers

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
16
Middle half 8 – 23.5
Average
21.35
51 states
Highest
128
California
Lowest
2
Vermont

Data

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

51 states · # = rank by # of Serial Killers
#
1California1281,777
2Texas90984
3Florida76933
4Ohio50505
5Illinois43680
6Missouri41350
7New York39677
8Washington33396
9Oregon32175
10Indiana30349
11Georgia29409
12Michigan24425
12New Jersey24232
14North Carolina23295
14Oklahoma23200
16Virginia20272
16Colorado20161
18Pennsylvania18462
18Maryland18213
18South Carolina18198
18Alabama18199
22Arizona17188
22Tennessee17208
22Kentucky17212
22Nevada17117
26Louisiana16344
26Arkansas16143
28Massachusetts14200
28Wisconsin14118
28Utah1486
31Connecticut13134
32New Mexico1272
33Kansas11181
34Idaho1045
34West Virginia1043
34District of Columbia10—
37Alaska964
38Maine835
38Montana847
38Wyoming832
41Minnesota781
41Iowa753
41Nebraska782
44Mississippi698
45Rhode Island525
45Delaware516
47New Hampshire414
48Hawaii313
48South Dakota310
50North Dakota213
50Vermont211

What correlates with # of Serial Killers?

Pearson r against 2,074 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 # of Serial Killers tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

  1. Sex Trafficking Cases ReportedHuman Trafficking Statistics by State
    r = +0.95 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot
  2. Total Human Trafficking Cases IdentifiedHuman Trafficking Statistics by State
    r = +0.95 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot
  3. Estimated Meth Users (12+) 2022 and 2023Meth Use by State
    r = +0.95 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot
  4. Estimated Meth Users (18+) 2022 and 2023Meth Use by State
    r = +0.95 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot
  5. Gas Cons. Commercial (BTU)Gas Consumption by State
    r = +0.95 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot
  6. Estimated Meth Users (26+) 2022 and 2023Meth Use by State
    r = +0.95 · very strong · n = 51
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher # of Serial Killers tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

  1. FTE Convictions RankMost Corrupt StatesA rank: rank 1 is the worst
    r = −0.61 · strong · n = 50
    Plot
  2. Req. English CreditsHigh School Graduation Requirements by State
    r = −0.58 · strong · n = 48
    Plot
  3. OpportunityBest States to Live InA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.50 · moderate · n = 49
    Plot
  4. Richest Person AgeRichest Person by State
    r = −0.49 · moderate · n = 47
    Plot
  5. Mitigation Efforts RankFood Waste by StateA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = +0.48 · moderate · n = 50
    Plot
  6. Opportunity RankWorst States to Live inA rank: rank 1 is the worst
    r = −0.48 · moderate · n = 50
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state has the highest # of Serial Killers?
California has the highest # of Serial Killers, at 128, followed by Texas (90) and Florida (76).
Which state has the lowest # of Serial Killers?
Vermont has the lowest # of Serial Killers, at 2.
What is the median # of Serial Killers across US states?
The median is 16 across the 51 US states with data.
Where does this serial killers by state data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: List of serial killers in the United States - Wiki; This Is Arizona's Most Notorious Serial Killer - iHeart; Who is the Zodiac killer? - USA Today; The 8 States With the Most Serial Killers - The Lineup.