Skip directly to search Skip directly to A to Z list Skip directly to site content
CDC Home

Persons using assistive technology might not be able to fully access information in this file. For assistance, please send e-mail to: mmwrq@cdc.gov. Type 508 Accommodation and the title of the report in the subject line of e-mail.

QuickStats: Age-Adjusted Homicide Rates,* by Sex and Type of Locality† — United States, 2007–2009

The figure indicates that during 2007–2009 the homicide rate in the United States was highest in large central metropolitan counties. For males, the age-adjusted homicide rate in large central metropolitan counties was 76% higher than the rate in medium metropolitan counties (14.4 versus 8.2 per 100,000 population) and more than double (122%–129% higher) the rates in other types of localities. In each type of locality, the homicide rate was much higher for males than females.

* Per 100,000 standard population. Deaths from homicide are those coded *U01–*U02, X85–Y09, and Y87.1 in the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision.

Counties were classified into urbanization levels based on a classification scheme that considers metropolitan/nonmetropolitan status, population, and other factors.

Among males and females, the homicide rate during 2007–2009 was highest in large central metropolitan counties. For males, the age-adjusted homicide rate in large central metropolitan counties was 76% higher than the rate in medium metropolitan counties (14.4 versus 8.2 per 100,000 population) and more than double (122%–129% higher) the rates in other types of localities. For females, the homicide rates ranged from a high of 2.9 in large central metropolitan counties to 1.9 in large fringe metropolitan counties. In each type of locality, the homicide rate was much higher for males than females. Overall, the homicide rate was 9.1 per 100,000 population for males and 2.5 for females.

Sources: National Vital Statistics System. County-level mortality file. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/deaths.htm and http://wonder.cdc.gov/mortsql.html.

Ingram DD, Franco SJ. NCHS urban-rural classification scheme for counties. Vital Health Stat 2012;2(154).

Reported by: Deborah D. Ingram, PhD, ddingram@cdc.gov, 301-458-4733; Sheila J. Franco.

Alternate Text: The figure above indicates that during 2007–2009 the homicide rate in the United States was highest in large central metropolitan counties. For males, the age-adjusted homicide rate in large central metropolitan counties was 76% higher than the rate in medium metropolitan counties (14.4 versus 8.2 per 100,000 population) and more than double (122%–129% higher) the rates in other types of localities. In each type of locality, the homicide rate was much higher for males than females.


Use of trade names and commercial sources is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

References to non-CDC sites on the Internet are provided as a service to MMWR readers and do not constitute or imply endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. CDC is not responsible for the content of pages found at these sites. URL addresses listed in MMWR were current as of the date of publication.


All MMWR HTML versions of articles are electronic conversions from typeset documents. This conversion might result in character translation or format errors in the HTML version. Users are referred to the electronic PDF version (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr) and/or the original MMWR paper copy for printable versions of official text, figures, and tables. An original paper copy of this issue can be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), Washington, DC 20402-9371; telephone: (202) 512-1800. Contact GPO for current prices.

**Questions or messages regarding errors in formatting should be addressed to mmwrq@cdc.gov.

 
USA.gov: The U.S. Government's Official Web PortalDepartment of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention   1600 Clifton Road Atlanta, GA 30329-4027, USA
800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) TTY: (888) 232-6348 - Contact CDC–INFO
A-Z Index
  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. D
  5. E
  6. F
  7. G
  8. H
  9. I
  10. J
  11. K
  12. L
  13. M
  14. N
  15. O
  16. P
  17. Q
  18. R
  19. S
  20. T
  21. U
  22. V
  23. W
  24. X
  25. Y
  26. Z
  27. #