Do you live in one of the murder capitals of Idaho?
We all watch the news with horror when we hear about a homicide that happens not that far away from us. While a murder just blocks or even a couple of towns away from your house would make anyone uneasy, in the long run, most likely, where you live is relatively safe.
To find the cities in Idaho with the most murders and the highest murder rates per capita, we used Saturday Night Science to compare the FBI crime data on murders for the 9 cities in the Gem State with over 10,000 residents.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
What city has the highest murder rate in Idaho? The city with the highest murder rate in Idaho is Sandpoint with 9.7 murders per 100,000 people.
What is the city in Idaho with highest number of murders? The city in Idaho with the highest number of murders is Boise with 5 murders.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town in Idaho ranked. There were ‘only’ 9 cities in Idaho where a city reported a murder to the FBI, meaning 20 places had no murder.
For more reading on the Gem State check out:
The 10 Murder Capitals Of Idaho For 2025
1. Sandpoint
/10
Population: 10,345
Murders: 1 (7th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 9.7 (Most)
More on Sandpoint:
/10
Population: 11,244
Murders: 1 (7th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 8.9 (2nd Most)
More on Middleton: Data
/10
Population: 55,447
Murders: 3 (2nd Most)
Murders Per 100k: 5.4 (3rd Most)
More on Twin Falls: Data
/10
Population: 35,230
Murders: 1 (7th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 2.8 (4th Most)
More on Lewiston: Data
/10
Population: 116,116
Murders: 3 (2nd Most)
Murders Per 100k: 2.6 (5th Most)
More on Nampa: Data
6. Boise
Population: 236,949
Murders: 5 (Most)
Murders Per 100k: 2.1 (6th Most)
More on Boise:
7. Coeur d’Alene
/10
Population: 57,653
Murders: 1 (7th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 1.7 (7th Most)
More on Coeur D’alene:
/10
Population: 135,239
Murders: 2 (4th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 1.5 (8th Most)
More on Meridian: Data
/10
Population: 68,731
Murders: 1 (7th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 1.5 (9th Most)
More on Caldwell: Data
Methodology: How we calculated the murder capitals of Idaho
While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in a state are the most dangerous, we wanted to rely on something other than speculation and opinion. Instead, we used Saturday Night Science to compare the hard numbers from the FBI’s last year of reporting. Specifically, we analyzed the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, which summarizes the number of murders in each city annually.
We only looked at every single city in Idaho for which FBI data was available for the most recent FBI Crime In The United States. That left us with 9 cities to rank.
We took the number of murders per capita as the ranking factor. The place with the most murders per capita based on the most recent data is Sandpoint. It is our tenth time ranking the places with the most murders per capita in Idaho. We updated the list for 2025.
Summary: The Places With The Most Murders In Idaho For 2025
If you’re looking at the places in Idaho with the most murders, and where residents have the highest chances of being killed themselves, this is an accurate list. Again, these statistics are an indication of where crimes occur, not a statement about the effectiveness of the law enforcement in the areas they serve.
The cities with the highest murder per capita in Idaho are Sandpoint, Middleton, Twin Falls, Lewiston, Nampa, Boise, Coeur d’Alene, Meridian, and Caldwell.
For more Idaho reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Idaho
- Fastest Growing Cities In Idaho
- Safest Places In Idaho
- Best Cities For Singles In Idaho
- Worst Places To Live In Idaho
Murder Rates By City In Idaho
| Rank | City | Population | Murders | Murders/100K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sandpoint, ID | 10345 | 1 | 9.67 |
| 2 | Middleton, ID | 11244 | 1 | 8.89 |
| 3 | Twin Falls, ID | 55447 | 3 | 5.41 |
| 4 | Lewiston, ID | 35230 | 1 | 2.84 |
| 5 | Nampa, ID | 116116 | 3 | 2.58 |
| 6 | Boise, ID | 236949 | 5 | 2.11 |
| 7 | Coeur d’Alene, ID | 57653 | 1 | 1.73 |
| 8 | Meridian, ID | 135239 | 2 | 1.48 |
| 9 | Caldwell, ID | 68731 | 1 | 1.45 |