Do you live in one of the murder capitals of Alabama?
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 Alabama 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 44 cities in the Heart of Dixie with over 5,000 residents.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Cities With Highest Murder Rates In Alabama
What city has the highest murder rate in Alabama? The city with the highest murder rate in Alabama is Prichard with 58.9 murders per 100,000 people.
What is the city in Alabama with highest number of murders? The city in Alabama with the highest number of murders is Birmingham with 115 murders.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town in Alabama ranked. There were ‘only’ 44 cities in Alabama where a city reported a murder to the FBI, meaning 53 places had no murder.
For more reading on the Heart of Dixie check out:
The 10 Murder Capitals Of Alabama For 2026
/10
Population: 18,672
Murders: 11 (6th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 58.9 (Most)
More on Prichard: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 195,418
Murders: 115 (Most)
Murders Per 100k: 58.8 (2nd Most)
More on Birmingham: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 12,314
Murders: 7 (8th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 56.8 (3rd Most)
More on Eufaula: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 8,294
Murders: 4 (13th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 48.2 (4th Most)
More on Atmore: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 8,582
Murders: 4 (13th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 46.6 (5th Most)
More on Tuskegee: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 24,720
Murders: 11 (6th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 44.5 (6th Most)
More on Bessemer: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 9,280
Murders: 3 (19th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 32.3 (7th Most)
More on Sheffield: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 14,353
Murders: 4 (13th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 27.9 (8th Most)
More on Alexander City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 16,013
Murders: 4 (13th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 25.0 (9th Most)
More on Hueytown: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 8,456
Murders: 2 (25th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 23.7 (10th Most)
More on Bay Minette: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How we calculated the murder capitals of Alabama
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 Alabama for which FBI data was available for the most recent FBI Crime In The United States. That left us with 44 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 Prichard. It is our eleventh time ranking the places with the most murders per capita in Alabama. We updated the list for 2026.
Summary: The Places With The Most Murders In Alabama For 2026
If you’re looking at the places in Alabama 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 Alabama are Prichard, Birmingham, Eufaula, Atmore, Tuskegee, Bessemer, Sheffield, Alexander City, Hueytown, and Bay Minette.
For more Alabama reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Alabama
- Fastest Growing Cities In Alabama
- Safest Places In Alabama
- Best Cities For Singles In Alabama
- Worst Places To Live In Alabama
Murder Rates By City In Alabama
| Rank | City | Population | Murders | Murders/100K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prichard, AL | 18672 | 11 | 58.91 |
| 2 | Birmingham, AL | 195418 | 115 | 58.85 |
| 3 | Eufaula, AL | 12314 | 7 | 56.85 |
| 4 | Atmore, AL | 8294 | 4 | 48.23 |
| 5 | Tuskegee, AL | 8582 | 4 | 46.61 |
| 6 | Bessemer, AL | 24720 | 11 | 44.5 |
| 7 | Sheffield, AL | 9280 | 3 | 32.33 |
| 8 | Alexander City, AL | 14353 | 4 | 27.87 |
| 9 | Hueytown, AL | 16013 | 4 | 24.98 |
| 10 | Bay Minette, AL | 8456 | 2 | 23.65 |
| 11 | Loxley, AL | 5007 | 1 | 19.97 |
| 12 | Anniston, AL | 21052 | 4 | 19.0 |
| 13 | Springville, AL | 5381 | 1 | 18.58 |
| 14 | Montgomery, AL | 193728 | 35 | 18.07 |
| 15 | Mobile, AL | 237092 | 39 | 16.45 |
| 16 | Semmes, AL | 6105 | 1 | 16.38 |
| 17 | Leeds, AL | 12445 | 2 | 16.07 |
| 18 | Chickasaw, AL | 6226 | 1 | 16.06 |
| 19 | Tuscaloosa, AL | 113834 | 18 | 15.81 |
| 20 | Lanett, AL | 6691 | 1 | 14.95 |
| 21 | Demopolis, AL | 6733 | 1 | 14.85 |
| 22 | Cullman, AL | 20433 | 3 | 14.68 |
| 23 | Hamilton, AL | 6963 | 1 | 14.36 |
| 24 | Ozark, AL | 14350 | 2 | 13.94 |
| 25 | Talladega, AL | 14590 | 2 | 13.71 |
| 26 | Montevallo, AL | 7877 | 1 | 12.7 |
| 27 | Selma, AL | 16299 | 2 | 12.27 |
| 28 | Gadsden, AL | 33015 | 4 | 12.12 |
| 29 | Troy, AL | 17894 | 2 | 11.18 |
| 30 | Russellville, AL | 10679 | 1 | 9.36 |
| 31 | Spanish Fort, AL | 11199 | 1 | 8.93 |
| 32 | Opelika, AL | 34448 | 3 | 8.71 |
| 33 | Decatur, AL | 58514 | 5 | 8.54 |
| 34 | Huntsville, AL | 228697 | 19 | 8.31 |
| 35 | Sylacauga, AL | 12109 | 1 | 8.26 |
| 36 | Phenix City, AL | 38323 | 3 | 7.83 |
| 37 | Moody, AL | 13720 | 1 | 7.29 |
| 38 | Dothan, AL | 71318 | 5 | 7.01 |
| 39 | Athens, AL | 32862 | 2 | 6.09 |
| 40 | Albertville, AL | 23242 | 1 | 4.3 |
| 41 | Foley, AL | 26424 | 1 | 3.78 |
| 42 | Enterprise, AL | 30766 | 1 | 3.25 |
| 43 | Hoover, AL | 92352 | 3 | 3.25 |
| 44 | Madison, AL | 62087 | 2 | 3.22 |