Florida Homicide Rates: 2025 Statistics and Trends

Last Updated: Jan 9, 2026

Report Highlights: At 5.05 homicides per 100,000 people in 2024, Florida's homicide rates have declined by 68% since their peak in 1973.

Florida ranked 29th in the United States for the highest homicide rates in 2024.
Of all reporting Florida cities, Miami Gardens reported the highest violent crime rate in 2024 at 11.77 per 100,000 people.
In 2024, Florida (382 per 100,000) had a lower homicide rate than its peer states, California (480 per 100,000) and Texas (389 per 100,000).

Florida 2025 infographic showing report highlights

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Florida Homicide Rates

In 2024, Florida ranked 29th in the nation for the highest homicides, with a rate of 5.05 per 100,000 people (1,142 homicides). ^{1, 2}

The state's homicide rate averaged 9.31 per 100,000 between 1968 and 2024, higher than the 7.66 per 100,000 national average during the same timespan.

Florida Murder Rate Per Year

Florida averaged 9.31 homicides per 100,000 people per year (1968 to 2024). The late 1960s and early 1970s saw the state's highest homicide rates, peaking at 15.8 per 100,000 in 1973.

In 1975, the state saw a slight reduction in homicide rates from 15.8 per 100,000 to 14.1. The rate declined further in 1976 (11.4) and 1977 (10.5) before steadily increasing and reaching a rate of 15.3 per 100,000 in 1981 and 1982. ^{1, 2, 3}

Homicide rates in Florida began declining more consistently in the late 1980s, reaching 13.9 per 100,000 in 1988. The rate continued to decline throughout the 1990s: 12.2 in 1990, down to 6.1 in 1999.

Homicide rates remained steady from 2000 to 2024, with 5 to 7 homicides per 100,000 each year. Rates peaked at 7.0 per 100,000 in 2020, but quickly declined to 5.05 in 2024.

Florida homicide rates per 100,000 broken down by year

Florida Murder Rates by Gender

In 2024, men were murdered at a rate three times higher than women in Florida. Men were murdered at a rate of 7.67 per 100,000 that year; women, 2.52. ^{1, 2}

There were 852 male and 290 female victims of homicide in Florida in 2024.

Florida Cities With the Highest Murder Rates

Of the 10 most populous cities reporting homicides in 2024, Miami Gardens had the highest rate at 11.77 per 100,000 (28 homicides). Tampa reported the second-highest homicide rate at 8.81 per 100,000 (36 homicides). ³

Boca Raton reported the lowest homicide rate at 1.99 per 100,000 (2 homicides), and Coral Springs reported the second lowest rate at 2.99 per 100,000 (4 homicides).

Note: City crime data is extracted from the FBI's Crime Data Explorer, which relies on jurisdictional reporting. Crime rates may vary among sources.

Table showing cities with highest murder rates in Florida

Florida Crime Rate Compared to Other States

In 2024, 128 jurisdictions in Florida reported 17,092 violent crimes (aggravated assault, homicide, rape, and robbery). Those jurisdictions' combined violent crime rate was 381.58 per 100,000 people.

Compared to its peer states (i.e., those with large populations), Florida had a lower violent crime rate than California and Texas in 2024.

Note: Violent crime rates, including homicides, are reported to the FBI by local jurisdictions. The CDC WONDER database encompasses homicides throughout all U.S. counties. Rates may vary by source.

Florida homicide and violent crime rates compared to other states

Florida vs. California Murder Rates

California had a lower homicide rate (4.96 per 100,000) than Florida (5.26 per 100,000) in 2024, according to CDC WONDER. ²

According to the FBI's Crime Data Explorer, California reported a violent crime rate of 480.30 per 100,000 in 2024; 1.26 times higher than that of Florida (381.58). ^{3, 5}

Florida vs. Texas Murder Rates

Florida had a lower murder rate (5.26 per 100,000) than Texas (6.08 per 100,000) in 2024, according to the CDC WONDER database. ²

Conversely, Florida and Texas shared a similar violent crime rate during that same year (382 vs. 389 per 100,000, respectively). ^{3, 4}

How Do Florida's Homicide Rates Compare to the National Average?

The national average homicide rate from 1968 to 2024 was 7.66 per 100,000. Florida's was approximately 21% higher (9.31 per 100,000) during the same span of time. ^{1, 2}

Florida's homicide rate was approximately 40% higher than the national average every year spanning from 1968 and 1992: 12.84 per 100,000 and 9.19 per 100,000, respectively.

Florida's homicide rate dipped below the national average in 1993, and aligned with it through 2024 (6.56 per 100,000 and 6.35 per 100,000, respectively).

How Many Gun Owners Are in Florida

In 2025, survey data indicated that 35.3% of Florida residents own at least one firearm. This suggests that approximately 8.25 million Floridians would state they own guns.

Like the United States government, Florida does not officially track gun ownership. Therefore, we must rely on self-reporting surveys and NICS background checks to make an educated guess on the total number of gun owners in a state. Florida likely has more gun owners than reported.

Wrap-Up

Florida's homicide rate in 2024 was lower than the national average, as well as those of similarly highly populated states California and Texas. Of the Florida cities that reported homicides to the FBI in 2024, Miami Gardens had the highest rate, and Boca Raton had the lowest.

Sources:

Cassandra McBride