Do you live in one of the murder capitals of Florida?
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 Florida 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 48 cities in the Sunshine State with over 5,000 residents.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Cities With Highest Murder Rates In Florida
What city has the highest murder rate in Florida? The city with the highest murder rate in Florida is Belleview with 102.0 murders per 100,000 people.
What is the city in Florida with highest number of murders? The city in Florida with the highest number of murders is Tampa with 36 murders.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town in Florida ranked. There were ‘only’ 48 cities in Florida where a city reported a murder to the FBI, meaning 52 places had no murder.
For more reading on the Sunshine State check out:
The 10 Murder Capitals Of Florida For 2026
/10
Population: 5,881
Murders: 6 (13th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 102.0 (Most)
More on Belleview: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 12,441
Murders: 8 (7th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 64.3 (2nd Most)
More on Florida City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 7,986
Murders: 5 (14th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 62.6 (3rd Most)
More on Arcadia: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 16,880
Murders: 7 (10th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 41.5 (4th Most)
More on Belle Glade: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 5,567
Murders: 2 (30th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 35.9 (5th Most)
More on Pahokee: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 8,959
Murders: 2 (30th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 22.3 (6th Most)
More on Lake Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 39,021
Murders: 7 (10th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 17.9 (7th Most)
More on Riviera Beach: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 12,106
Murders: 2 (30th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 16.5 (8th Most)
More on South Miami: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 58,432
Murders: 7 (10th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 12.0 (9th Most)
More on Sarasota: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 33,435
Murders: 4 (19th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 12.0 (10th Most)
More on Leesburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How we calculated the murder capitals of Florida
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 Florida for which FBI data was available for the most recent FBI Crime In The United States. That left us with 48 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 Belleview. It is our eleventh time ranking the places with the most murders per capita in Florida. We updated the list for 2026.
Summary: The Places With The Most Murders In Florida For 2026
If you’re looking at the places in Florida 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 Florida are Belleview, Florida City, Arcadia, Belle Glade, Pahokee, Lake Park, Riviera Beach, South Miami, Sarasota, and Leesburg.
For more Florida reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Florida
- Fastest Growing Cities In Florida
- Safest Places In Florida
- Best Cities For Singles In Florida
- Worst Places To Live In Florida
Murder Rates By City In Florida
| Rank | City | Population | Murders | Murders/100K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belleview, FL | 5881 | 6 | 102.02 |
| 2 | Florida City, FL | 12441 | 8 | 64.3 |
| 3 | Arcadia, FL | 7986 | 5 | 62.61 |
| 4 | Belle Glade, FL | 16880 | 7 | 41.47 |
| 5 | Pahokee, FL | 5567 | 2 | 35.93 |
| 6 | Lake Park, FL | 8959 | 2 | 22.32 |
| 7 | Riviera Beach, FL | 39021 | 7 | 17.94 |
| 8 | South Miami, FL | 12106 | 2 | 16.52 |
| 9 | Sarasota, FL | 58432 | 7 | 11.98 |
| 10 | Leesburg, FL | 33435 | 4 | 11.96 |
| 11 | Miami Gardens, FL | 110466 | 13 | 11.77 |
| 12 | Lake Worth, FL | 41324 | 4 | 9.68 |
| 13 | North Miami Beach, FL | 42574 | 4 | 9.4 |
| 14 | Tampa, FL | 408646 | 36 | 8.81 |
| 15 | Panama City, FL | 36646 | 3 | 8.19 |
| 16 | West Palm Beach, FL | 126427 | 10 | 7.91 |
| 17 | Palm Bay, FL | 141137 | 11 | 7.79 |
| 18 | Palmetto, FL | 13662 | 1 | 7.32 |
| 19 | Ocala, FL | 70046 | 5 | 7.14 |
| 20 | Plantation, FL | 98100 | 7 | 7.14 |
| 21 | Bradenton, FL | 57503 | 4 | 6.96 |
| 22 | St. Petersburg, FL | 264999 | 18 | 6.79 |
| 23 | Oldsmar, FL | 14801 | 1 | 6.76 |
| 24 | Winter Haven, FL | 59450 | 4 | 6.73 |
| 25 | Miami, FL | 460392 | 28 | 6.08 |
| 26 | Sanford, FL | 66900 | 4 | 5.98 |
| 27 | Pinellas Park, FL | 53481 | 3 | 5.61 |
| 28 | Stuart, FL | 20109 | 1 | 4.97 |
| 29 | Cocoa, FL | 20235 | 1 | 4.94 |
| 30 | Haines City, FL | 41035 | 2 | 4.87 |
| 31 | Bartow, FL | 20948 | 1 | 4.77 |
| 32 | Gainesville, FL | 147022 | 7 | 4.76 |
| 33 | Lynn Haven, FL | 21152 | 1 | 4.73 |
| 34 | Auburndale, FL | 21677 | 1 | 4.61 |
| 35 | Greenacres City, FL | 44143 | 2 | 4.53 |
| 36 | Tarpon Springs, FL | 26119 | 1 | 3.83 |
| 37 | Temple Terrace, FL | 27062 | 1 | 3.7 |
| 38 | Boynton Beach, FL | 81473 | 3 | 3.68 |
| 39 | Sebastian, FL | 27445 | 1 | 3.64 |
| 40 | Wellington, FL | 61652 | 2 | 3.24 |
| 41 | Casselberry, FL | 31166 | 1 | 3.21 |
| 42 | Coral Springs, FL | 135157 | 4 | 2.96 |
| 43 | Delray Beach, FL | 67780 | 2 | 2.95 |
| 44 | St. Cloud, FL | 68966 | 2 | 2.9 |
| 45 | Kissimmee, FL | 81967 | 2 | 2.44 |
| 46 | Cutler Bay, FL | 43290 | 1 | 2.31 |
| 47 | Boca Raton, FL | 100557 | 2 | 1.99 |
| 48 | Apopka, FL | 60583 | 1 | 1.65 |
Like your info . I only like to visit Florida cocoa beach Lauderdale by the sea, Tampa . A lot of dangerous places too. I am a cautious US NAVY VETERAN, THANKS!