Do you live in one of the murder capitals of Maine?
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 Maine 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 7 cities in the Pine Tree State with over 8,000 residents.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
What city has the highest murder rate in Maine? The city with the highest murder rate in Maine is Skowhegan with 11.6 murders per 100,000 people.
What is the city in Maine with highest number of murders? The city in Maine with the highest number of murders is Portland with 5 murders.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town in Maine ranked. There were ‘only’ 7 cities in Maine where a city reported a murder to the FBI, meaning 53 places had no murder.
For more reading on the Pine Tree State check out:
The 10 Murder Capitals Of Maine For 2024
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Population: 8,595
Murders: 1 (5th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 11.6 (Most)
More on Skowhegan: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
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Population: 8,834
Murders: 1 (5th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 11.3 (2nd Most)
More on Bath: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
3. Wells
Population: 11,760
Murders: 1 (5th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 8.5 (3rd Most)
More on Wells:
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Population: 24,122
Murders: 2 (3rd Most)
Murders Per 100k: 8.3 (4th Most)
More on Auburn: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
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Population: 36,488
Murders: 3 (2nd Most)
Murders Per 100k: 8.2 (5th Most)
More on Lewiston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
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Population: 68,199
Murders: 5 (Most)
Murders Per 100k: 7.3 (6th Most)
More on Portland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
7. Sanford
Population: 22,315
Murders: 1 (5th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 4.5 (7th Most)
More on Sanford:
Methodology: How we calculated the murder capitals of Maine
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 Maine for which FBI data was available for the most recent FBI Crime In The United States. That left us with 7 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 Skowhegan. It is our tenth time ranking the places with the most murders per capita in Maine. We updated the list for 2024.
Summary: The Places With The Most Murders In Maine For 2024
If you’re looking at the places in Maine 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 Maine are Skowhegan, Bath, Wells, Auburn, Lewiston, Portland, and Sanford.
For more Maine reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Maine
- Fastest Growing Cities In Maine
- Safest Places In Maine
- Best Cities For Singles In Maine
- Worst Places To Live In Maine
Murder Rates By City In Maine
| Rank | City | Population | Murders | Murders/100K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Skowhegan, ME | 8595 | 1 | 11.63 |
| 2 | Bath, ME | 8834 | 1 | 11.32 |
| 3 | Wells, ME | 11760 | 1 | 8.5 |
| 4 | Auburn, ME | 24122 | 2 | 8.29 |
| 5 | Lewiston, ME | 36488 | 3 | 8.22 |
| 6 | Portland, ME | 68199 | 5 | 7.33 |
| 7 | Sanford, ME | 22315 | 1 | 4.48 |