Kansas City’s murder rate surpasses Chicago’s

When people compare murder rates between cities, it is often misconstrued because of the confusion between calculating the murder rate versus the number of murders. One city can have hundreds of more murders a year than another city, but their murder rates can be equal because the murder rate is based upon the number of murders divided by the population.

The chart is based on two very violent cities, Chicago and Kansas City, Missouri and compares their murder rates according to the State Data Lab.

In 2016, Chicago’s murder rate was 28.07 murders per 100,000 people, while Kansas City’s rate was just under that at 26.79 murders per 100,000 people. This information could come as a surprise for people because many Americans look at the “flyover states” as safe and calm places to live.

In fact, 2017 data shows us that Kansas City is ahead of Chicago on the list of highest murder rates per 100,000 people. According to CBS News, Chicago was named the No. 10 deadliest U.S. city with 24 murders per 100,000 people while Kansas City was named the No. 7 deadliest U.S. city with 31.2 murders per 100,000 people. Based on the information from the article, Chicago’s murder rate decreased by 14.5% from 2016 to 2017, while Kansas City’s murder rate increased by 12.3 percent.

It is important to look at the percent change because it tells us what the trends are and how they are changing overtime. However, the one thing we must remember is that rate is different from the actual number. Because Chicago is a much more populated city, 500 more murders took place in Chicago than Kansas City in 2017.

Georgia Evans is a social media and analytics intern for Truth in Accounting, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Chicago that researches government financial data.