We appreciate you taking the time to help America’s Health Rankings better understand our audiences. Your feedback will allow us to optimize our website and provide you with additional resources in the future. Thank you.
Explore national- and state-level data for hundreds of health, environmental and socioeconomic measures, including background information about each measure. Use features on this page to find measures; view subpopulations, trends and rankings; and download and share content.
United States Value:
Number of deaths due to injuries inflicted by another person with intent to injure or kill per 100,000 population
Number of deaths among non-Hispanic white individuals due to injuries inflicted by another person with intent to injure or kill per 100,000 population
0.9 - 1.8
1.9 - 2.3
2.4 - 3.1
3.2 - 3.7
3.8 - 6.6
No Data
US Value: 6.7
Top State(s): New Hampshire: 1.7
Bottom State(s): Mississippi: 18.3
Definition: Number of deaths due to injuries inflicted by another person with intent to injure or kill per 100,000 population
Data Source and Years(s): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Multiple Cause of Death by Single Race Files via CDC WONDER Online Database, 2022-2023
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Multiple Cause of Death by Single Race Files via CDC WONDER Online Database, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2026.
In 2023, there were 22,830 homicides committed in the U.S., of which nearly 18,000, or almost 80%, involved a firearm.
Losing a loved one or community member through violent means can have significant psychological implications — survivors are more likely to experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and substance abuse issues. Living in a community that experiences violence may limit engagement in healthy outdoor activities such as walking and biking, or even prevent people from being able to access nutritious food outlets. It can also negatively impact participation in neighborhood activities, which in turn can limit economic growth, harm local businesses and stunt community progress.
According to America’s Health Rankings analysis, the rate of homicide deaths is higher among:
The surgeon general’s advisory on firearm violence assesses contributing factors to and consequences of the current crisis from a public health perspective, and provides an in-depth list of community risk reduction and education prevention strategies to prevent firearm-related death and injury.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides Prevention Resources for Action, a compilation of the best available evidence on violence prevention. Additionally, the Violence Prevention in Practice resource serves as a tool to support state and local health agencies in planning, implementing and evaluating violence prevention efforts in their communities.
County Health Rankings and Roadmaps recommends strengthening firearm licensing laws as a strategy to reduce firearm-related homicides.
Community organizations can collaborate with public health and safety organizations to analyze local patterns of gun violence and develop tailored solutions. For example, the Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission (MHRC), a multidisciplinary and multiagency effort, was able to cut homicide rates in half within intervention districts.
Healthy People 2030 has several violence prevention objectives, including:
Azrael, Deborah, Anthony A. Braga, and Mallory O’Brien. Developing the Capacity to Understand and Prevent Homicide: An Evaluation of the Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission. Unpublished grant report. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice, January 2013. https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/240814.pdf.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Firearm Violence: A Public Health Crisis in America: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, 2024. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK605169/.
Zinzow, Heidi M., Alyssa A. Rheingold, Alesia O. Hawkins, Benjamin E. Saunders, and Dean G. Kilpatrick. “Losing a Loved One to Homicide: Prevalence and Mental Health Correlates in a National Sample of Young Adults.” Journal of Traumatic Stress 22, no. 1 (February 2009): 20–27. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.20377.
America’s Health Rankings builds on the work of the United Health Foundation to draw attention to public health and better understand the health of various populations. Our platform provides relevant information that policymakers, public health officials, advocates and leaders can use to effect change in their communities.
We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.
