Do you live in one of the murder capitals of Missouri?
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 Missouri 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 40 cities in the Show Me State with over 5,000 residents.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Cities With Highest Murder Rates In Missouri
What city has the highest murder rate in Missouri? The city with the highest murder rate in Missouri is Berkeley with 100.4 murders per 100,000 people.
What is the city in Missouri with highest number of murders? The city in Missouri with the highest number of murders is St. Louis with 150 murders.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town in Missouri ranked. There were ‘only’ 40 cities in Missouri where a city reported a murder to the FBI, meaning 87 places had no murder.
For more reading on the Show Me State check out:
- Best Places To Live In Missouri
- Cheapest Places To Live In Missouri
- Most Dangerous Cities in Missouri
The 10 Murder Capitals Of Missouri For 2026
/10
Population: 7,970
Murders: 8 (6th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 100.4 (Most)
More on Berkeley: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
2. Vinita Park
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Population: 8,727
Murders: 6 (7th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 68.8 (2nd Most)
More on Vinita Park: Crime | Movers
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Population: 277,294
Murders: 150 (Most)
Murders Per 100k: 54.1 (3rd Most)
More on St. Louis: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 17,835
Murders: 6 (7th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 33.6 (4th Most)
More on Ferguson: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 6,800
Murders: 2 (19th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 29.4 (5th Most)
More on Sullivan: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 511,535
Murders: 141 (2nd Most)
Murders Per 100k: 27.6 (6th Most)
More on Kansas City: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 15,358
Murders: 3 (12th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 19.5 (8th Most)
More on Overland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 5,129
Murders: 1 (32nd Most)
Murders Per 100k: 19.5 (9th Most)
More on Caruthersville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 10,263
Murders: 2 (19th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 19.5 (10th Most)
More on Bellefontaine Neighbors: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How we calculated the murder capitals of Missouri
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 Missouri for which FBI data was available for the most recent FBI Crime In The United States. That left us with 40 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 Berkeley. It is our eleventh time ranking the places with the most murders per capita in Missouri. We updated the list for 2026.
Summary: The Places With The Most Murders In Missouri For 2026
If you’re looking at the places in Missouri 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 Missouri are Berkeley, Vinita Park, St. Louis, Ferguson, Sullivan, Kansas City, Normandy, Overland, Caruthersville, and Bellefontaine Neighbors.
For more Missouri reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Missouri
- Fastest Growing Cities In Missouri
- Safest Places In Missouri
- Best Cities For Singles In Missouri
- Worst Places To Live In Missouri
Murder Rates By City In Missouri
| Rank | City | Population | Murders | Murders/100K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berkeley, MO | 7970 | 8 | 100.38 |
| 2 | Vinita Park, MO | 8727 | 6 | 68.75 |
| 3 | St. Louis, MO | 277294 | 150 | 54.09 |
| 4 | Ferguson, MO | 17835 | 6 | 33.64 |
| 5 | Sullivan, MO | 6800 | 2 | 29.41 |
| 6 | Kansas City, MO | 511535 | 141 | 27.56 |
| 7 | Normandy, MO | 8593 | 2 | 23.27 |
| 8 | Overland, MO | 15358 | 3 | 19.53 |
| 9 | Caruthersville, MO | 5129 | 1 | 19.5 |
| 10 | Bellefontaine Neighbors, MO | 10263 | 2 | 19.49 |
| 11 | Pacific, MO | 7647 | 1 | 13.08 |
| 12 | Poplar Bluff, MO | 16108 | 2 | 12.42 |
| 13 | Hazelwood, MO | 24678 | 3 | 12.16 |
| 14 | Raytown, MO | 28817 | 3 | 10.41 |
| 15 | Harrisonville, MO | 9762 | 1 | 10.24 |
| 16 | Kennett, MO | 9996 | 1 | 10.0 |
| 17 | Columbia, MO | 130354 | 13 | 9.97 |
| 18 | Maryville, MO | 10208 | 1 | 9.8 |
| 19 | Independence, MO | 120271 | 11 | 9.15 |
| 20 | Sedalia, MO | 22201 | 2 | 9.01 |
| 21 | Bridgeton, MO | 11206 | 1 | 8.92 |
| 22 | St. Ann, MO | 12547 | 1 | 7.97 |
| 23 | Grandview, MO | 25200 | 2 | 7.94 |
| 24 | Cape Girardeau, MO | 40753 | 3 | 7.36 |
| 25 | Washington, MO | 15707 | 1 | 6.37 |
| 26 | University City, MO | 33799 | 2 | 5.92 |
| 27 | Springfield, MO | 170527 | 10 | 5.86 |
| 28 | Kirksville, MO | 17472 | 1 | 5.72 |
| 29 | Manchester, MO | 17912 | 1 | 5.58 |
| 30 | Warrensburg, MO | 19785 | 1 | 5.05 |
| 31 | Blue Springs, MO | 61096 | 3 | 4.91 |
| 32 | St. Joseph, MO | 70139 | 3 | 4.28 |
| 33 | St. Charles, MO | 72143 | 3 | 4.16 |
| 34 | Florissant, MO | 50695 | 2 | 3.95 |
| 35 | Maryland Heights, MO | 27351 | 1 | 3.66 |
| 36 | Ballwin, MO | 30171 | 1 | 3.31 |
| 37 | Wentzville, MO | 48377 | 1 | 2.07 |
| 38 | Chesterfield, MO | 48907 | 1 | 2.04 |
| 39 | St. Peters, MO | 59993 | 1 | 1.67 |
| 40 | Lee’s Summit, MO | 105053 | 1 | 0.95 |