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FACT BRIEF

Is Nevada’s violent crime rate higher than the national average?

By Todd Butterworth
View this fact brief on The Nevada Independent
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YES

According to the latest national crime data from the FBI (2020), the violent crime rate in Nevada is 460 incidents per 100,000 people, which is above the national average of 398 per 100,000 people. However, since 2015, the national violent incidence rate is up from 375 per 100,000, and the Nevada rate has dropped significantly from nearly 700 per 100,000. Since Democratic U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto began her term in 2017, Nevada’s violent crime rate has fallen from about 560 per 100,000 to 460 per 100,000.

There are 11 states with a violent crime rate higher than Nevada, and 26 states with a higher overall crime rate.

Nevada’s homicide rate has dropped slightly since 2015 and increased slightly since 2011. There was a significant national spike in homicides during the pandemic, but Nevada’s rate was below the national average in 2019 and 2020. 

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
FBI Crime Data Explorer Crime Data Explorer
World Population Review Crime Rate by State 2022
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
The Nevada Independent
The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.