Do you live in one of the murder capitals of North Dakota?
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 North Dakota 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 Peace Garden State with over 3,000 residents.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Cities With Highest Murder Rates In North Dakota
- Beulah
- Watford City
- Minot
- Wahpeton
- Bismarck
- West Fargo
- Fargo
What city has the highest murder rate in North Dakota? The city with the highest murder rate in North Dakota is Beulah with 32.9 murders per 100,000 people.
What is the city in North Dakota with highest number of murders? The city in North Dakota with the highest number of murders is Minot with 7 murders.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town in North Dakota ranked. There were ‘only’ 7 cities in North Dakota where a city reported a murder to the FBI, meaning 13 places had no murder.
For more reading on the Peace Garden State check out:
- Best Places To Live In North Dakota
- Cheapest Places To Live In North Dakota
- Most Dangerous Cities In North Dakota
The 10 Murder Capitals Of North Dakota For 2025
1. Beulah
/10
Population: 3,039
Murders: 1 (5th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 32.9 (Most)
More on Beulah:
2. Watford City
/10
Population: 5,716
Murders: 1 (5th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 17.5 (2nd Most)
More on Watford City:
/10
Population: 47,452
Murders: 7 (Most)
Murders Per 100k: 14.8 (3rd Most)
More on Minot: Data
/10
Population: 8,015
Murders: 1 (5th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 12.5 (4th Most)
More on Wahpeton: Data
/10
Population: 74,802
Murders: 3 (2nd Most)
Murders Per 100k: 4.0 (5th Most)
More on Bismarck: Data
/10
Population: 40,541
Murders: 1 (5th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 2.5 (6th Most)
More on West Fargo: Data
/10
Population: 134,268
Murders: 2 (3rd Most)
Murders Per 100k: 1.5 (7th Most)
More on Fargo: Data
Methodology: How we calculated the murder capitals of North Dakota
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 North Dakota 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 Beulah. It is our tenth time ranking the places with the most murders per capita in North Dakota. We updated the list for 2025.
Summary: The Places With The Most Murders In North Dakota For 2025
If you’re looking at the places in North Dakota 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 North Dakota are Beulah, Watford City, Minot, Wahpeton, Bismarck, West Fargo, and Fargo.
For more North Dakota reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In North Dakota
- Fastest Growing Cities In North Dakota
- Safest Places In North Dakota
- Best Cities For Singles In North Dakota
- Worst Places To Live In North Dakota
Murder Rates By City In North Dakota
| Rank | City | Population | Murders | Murders/100K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beulah, ND | 3039 | 1 | 32.91 |
| 2 | Watford City, ND | 5716 | 1 | 17.49 |
| 3 | Minot, ND | 47452 | 7 | 14.75 |
| 4 | Wahpeton, ND | 8015 | 1 | 12.48 |
| 5 | Bismarck, ND | 74802 | 3 | 4.01 |
| 6 | West Fargo, ND | 40541 | 1 | 2.47 |
| 7 | Fargo, ND | 134268 | 2 | 1.49 |