Do you live in one of the murder capitals of Louisiana?
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 Louisiana 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 30 cities in the Pelican State with over 5,000 residents.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Cities With Highest Murder Rates In Louisiana
What city has the highest murder rate in Louisiana? The city with the highest murder rate in Louisiana is Opelousas with 39.3 murders per 100,000 people.
What is the city in Louisiana with highest number of murders? The city in Louisiana with the highest number of murders is Shreveport with 47 murders.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town in Louisiana ranked. There were ‘only’ 30 cities in Louisiana where a city reported a murder to the FBI, meaning 9 places had no murder.
For more reading on the Pelican State check out:
- Best Places To Live In Louisiana
- Cheapest Places To Live In Louisiana
- Most Dangerous Places In Louisiana
The 10 Murder Capitals Of Louisiana For 2026
/10
Population: 15,263
Murders: 6 (8th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 39.3 (Most)
More on Opelousas: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 7,784
Murders: 3 (12th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 38.5 (2nd Most)
More on Ponchatoula: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 42,933
Murders: 16 (3rd Most)
Murders Per 100k: 37.3 (3rd Most)
More on Alexandria: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 26,653
Murders: 9 (5th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 33.8 (4th Most)
More on New Iberia: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 5,925
Murders: 2 (16th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 33.8 (5th Most)
More on Plaquemine: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 16,945
Murders: 5 (10th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 29.5 (6th Most)
More on Natchitoches: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 11,050
Murders: 3 (12th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 27.1 (7th Most)
More on Minden: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 175,092
Murders: 47 (Most)
Murders Per 100k: 26.8 (8th Most)
More on Shreveport: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 8,792
Murders: 2 (16th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 22.7 (9th Most)
More on Bastrop: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 77,982
Murders: 13 (4th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 16.7 (10th Most)
More on Lake Charles: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How we calculated the murder capitals of Louisiana
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 Louisiana for which FBI data was available for the most recent FBI Crime In The United States. That left us with 30 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 Opelousas. It is our eleventh time ranking the places with the most murders per capita in Louisiana. We updated the list for 2026.
Summary: The Places With The Most Murders In Louisiana For 2026
If you’re looking at the places in Louisiana 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 Louisiana are Opelousas, Ponchatoula, Alexandria, New Iberia, Plaquemine, Natchitoches, Minden, Shreveport, Bastrop, and Lake Charles.
For more Louisiana reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Louisiana
- Fastest Growing Cities In Louisiana
- Safest Places In Louisiana
- Best Cities For Singles In Louisiana
- Worst Places To Live In Louisiana
Murder Rates By City In Louisiana
| Rank | City | Population | Murders | Murders/100K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Opelousas, LA | 15263 | 6 | 39.31 |
| 2 | Ponchatoula, LA | 7784 | 3 | 38.54 |
| 3 | Alexandria, LA | 42933 | 16 | 37.27 |
| 4 | New Iberia, LA | 26653 | 9 | 33.77 |
| 5 | Plaquemine, LA | 5925 | 2 | 33.76 |
| 6 | Natchitoches, LA | 16945 | 5 | 29.51 |
| 7 | Minden, LA | 11050 | 3 | 27.15 |
| 8 | Shreveport, LA | 175092 | 47 | 26.84 |
| 9 | Bastrop, LA | 8792 | 2 | 22.75 |
| 10 | Lake Charles, LA | 77982 | 13 | 16.67 |
| 11 | Monroe, LA | 46290 | 7 | 15.12 |
| 12 | Lafayette, LA | 121471 | 18 | 14.82 |
| 13 | Gonzales, LA | 14259 | 2 | 14.03 |
| 14 | Ruston, LA | 22259 | 3 | 13.48 |
| 15 | Addis, LA | 7797 | 1 | 12.83 |
| 16 | Gretna, LA | 16788 | 2 | 11.91 |
| 17 | Scott, LA | 8917 | 1 | 11.21 |
| 18 | Bossier City, LA | 62750 | 7 | 11.16 |
| 19 | Jennings, LA | 9230 | 1 | 10.83 |
| 20 | Sulphur, LA | 19955 | 2 | 10.02 |
| 21 | Bogalusa, LA | 10252 | 1 | 9.75 |
| 22 | Kenner, LA | 62377 | 6 | 9.62 |
| 23 | Morgan City, LA | 10701 | 1 | 9.34 |
| 24 | Baker, LA | 11933 | 1 | 8.38 |
| 25 | West Monroe, LA | 12368 | 1 | 8.09 |
| 26 | Carencro, LA | 13985 | 1 | 7.15 |
| 27 | Broussard, LA | 14906 | 1 | 6.71 |
| 28 | Thibodaux, LA | 15562 | 1 | 6.43 |
| 29 | Zachary, LA | 20142 | 1 | 4.96 |
| 30 | Slidell, LA | 28449 | 1 | 3.52 |