St. Louis usurps Detroit to become most violent city in the US: Gateway City is worst for rape, robbery aggravated assault and murder according to FBI data

  • St. Louis, Missouri ranked first with 88.1 violent crimes per 10k residents
  • FBI released crime rates in cities with more than 100,000 people
  • Cities in Delaware, Maine, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming were not included because city populations were too low
  • Criminology professor said St. Louis is unlikely to be influenced by the police shooting of Michael Brown, since homicides were already increasing
  • Violent crimes include rape, robbery, aggravated assault, and murder

By Dailymail.com Reporter

Published: 12:36 EST, 8 February 2016 | Updated: 13:07 EST, 8 February 2016

A list of the most violent cities in each state has been released, with St. Louis, Missouri taking the top spot.

Compiled from data released by the FBI charting crime in the first six months of 2015, the 'Gateway City' is followed by Memphis, Tennessee, Detroit, Michigan, Birmingham, Alabama, and Rockford, Illinois, to round out the top five. 

The violent crimes listed by the FBI include rape, robbery, aggravated assault, and murder. 

Because the data excludes states with cities that do not have populations over 100,000, Delaware, Maine, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming are not listed and ranked.

A criminology professor argued against the idea that crime rates in St Louis were influenced by the turmoil following Michael Brown's death. Pictured, police arresting a protester in Ferguson a day after Brown's death.

A criminology professor argued against the idea that crime rates in St Louis were influenced by the turmoil following Michael Brown's death. Pictured, police arresting a protester in Ferguson a day after Brown's death.

The violent crimes listed by the FBI include rape, robbery, aggravated assault, and murder. The list excludes Delaware, Maine, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming, which do not have cities with more than 100,000 people

The violent crimes listed by the FBI include rape, robbery, aggravated assault, and murder. The list excludes Delaware, Maine, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming, which do not have cities with more than 100,000 people

After decades of economic decline,  Detroit was ranked number one spot in 2014. According to FBI figures in the first six months of 2015, the city landed in third place with 83.4 violent crimes per 10,000 residents

After decades of economic decline,  Detroit was ranked number one spot in 2014. According to FBI figures in the first six months of 2015, the city landed in third place with 83.4 violent crimes per 10,000 residents

Baltimore ranked sixth overall, with 82.8 violent crimes per 10,000 people. Pictuerd, Baltimore police investigate the scene of a shooting in May, 2015

Baltimore ranked sixth overall, with 82.8 violent crimes per 10,000 people. Pictuerd, Baltimore police investigate the scene of a shooting in May, 2015

The FBI data also failed to include Little Rock, Arkansas, which has just under 200,000 people, and the state of Minnesota, where cities Minneapolis, St Paul, and Rochester all register above the 100,000 population threshold. 

The top five slots of the list largely follow similar patterns in reports published in previous years, although Oakland, California, which previously ranked as the third most dangerous city in the country, was excluded from this year's list.

Instead, Stockton, California, which was listed in ninth place last year, has moved up to take seventh overall. 

While people may question whether St Louis' crime rates have been influenced by the turmoil after a white police officer shot and killed unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in August 2014, Richard Rosenfeld, a professor of criminology at the University of Missouri-St Louis debunked the idea.

He told Forbes: 'Homicides were going up in 2014 quite a bit before Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson. So it’s hard to attribute it to a so-called Ferguson effect because we began to see those increases before August 9.'

Rosenfeld also pointed out that the figures do not track drug use or the crimes committed in subsequent turf wars.

THE MOST VIOLENT CITIES IN EACH STATE, WITH CRIME RATES PER 10,000 RESIDENTS

1. St. Louis, Missouri: 88.1

2. Memphis, Tennessee: 84.2

3. Detroit, Michigan: 83.4

4. Birmingham, Alabama: 82.8

5. Rockford, Illinois: 76.3

6. Baltimore, Maryland: 67.7

7. Stockton, California: 67.4

8. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: 65.3

9. Cleveland, Ohio: 61.5

10. Hartford, Connecticut: 55.8

11. Atlanta, Georgia: 55.7

12. Springfield, Massachusetts: 54.4

13. Anchorage, Alaska: 53.6

14. Tallahassee, Florida: 52.8

15. Odessa, Texas: 51.8

16. Newark, New Jersey: 50.2

17. Buffalo, New York: 50.2

18. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 49.1

19. Albuquerque, New Mexico: 48.2

20. Wichita, Kansas: 45.5

21. North Las Vegas, Nevada: 43.4

22. Jackson, Mississippi: 43.2 

23. Durham, North Carolina: 42.8

24. New Orleans, Louisiana: 42.7

25. Tulsa, Oklahoma: 41.5

26. Pueblo, Colorado: 41.6

27. Des Moines, Iowa: 38.7

28. Salt Lake City, Utah: 38.2

29. Tacoma, Washington: 36.6

30. North Charleston, South Carolina: 34.8

31. Tucson, Arizona: 32.4

32. South Bend, Indiana: 32.2

33. Louisville, Kentucky: 30.2

34. Manchester, New Hampshire: 28.9

35. Providence, Rhode Island: 26.6

36. Norfolk, Virginia: 24.5

37. Billings, Montana: 21.1

38. Sioux Falls, South Dakota: 20.6

39. Lincoln, Nebraska: 17.4

40. Eugene, Oregon: 15.3

41. Fargo, North Dakota: 14.6

42. Boise, Idaho: 13.5

43. Honolulu, Hawaii: 11.6

Source: FBI

Delaware, Maine, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming were excluded, because these states do not have cities with populations of 100,000 or more. Arkansas and Minnesota were not listed.

Oakland, California, was not included in the FBI data. Instead, the city of Stockton (pictured) took the state's number one spot and ranked seventh in the country

Oakland, California, was not included in the FBI data. Instead, the city of Stockton (pictured) took the state's number one spot and ranked seventh in the country

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