“Homicide” is a word too many Americans hear when turning on the news each day. Recent Google Trends data reveals interesting information about homicide internet searches by state.
Highest Homicide Search
Between the one-year period of September 2022 and September 2023, the week of November 13th – 19th had the highest search interest for the word “homicide” on Google Trends across the U.S.
Homicide Searches by State
Some states have significantly higher search interest for the term “homicide” than others. These are the states with the least to most homicide Google search interest.
1: West Virginia
West Virginia has the lowest search interest in the U.S. (12) for the word “homicide.” However, it ranks as the 27th-most homicide-prone state, with 4.7 homicides per 100,000 residents.
2: New York
New York has a low 13 for search interest in Google Trends for the word “homicide.” Thirteen states rank better than New York for low homicide rates, with the Empire State having 2.8 homicide incidents per 100,000 people.
3: New Jersey
New Jersey is one of three states that ranks as 14 for “homicide” search interest. It ranks six spots worse than New York for homicide rates, with 3.6 homicides per 100,000 residents.
4: Hawaii
Hawaii ranks one spot higher than New York from a homicide search interest perspective and one spot lower on actual homicide rates. The Aloha State has a relatively low national homicide rate of 2.7 homicides per 100,000 residents.
5: Texas
Needing to search for the word “homicide” isn’t common in Texas, with a Google Trends interest score of 14. It ranks in the middle on a scale of states with the most to least homicides, with a rate of 5.0 per 100,000 people.
6: Michigan
Michigan is one of three states ranking in Google Trends with a low homicide search interest of 15. It comes in 21st place as a state with the most homicides, averaging 5.7 per 100,000 residents.
7: South Carolina
“Homicide” is a term many South Carolinians don’t appear to need to look up, according to Google Trends data. Perhaps that’s because residents are all too familiar with the word, given that 7.8 homicides happen per 100,000 residents, ranking it the 10th-worst state in the U.S. for homicides.
8: Florida
Google Trends shows that Floridians have a low interest in searching for the word “homicide.” With 5.0 homicides per 100,000 residents, the Sunshine State ranks smack dab in the middle of average homicide rates for the U.S.
9: Virginia
Virginia marks the first of four states to rank as 16 in homicide Google Trends search interest. It lands number 24 in the nation for homicide rates, with 5.3 per 100,000 people.
10: Vermont
Vermont’s low homicide search interest of 16 may have something to do with it being the seventh safest state for homicide rates; it has only 2.2 homicides per 100,000 residents.
11: Tennessee
Tennessee also has a Google Trends search interest of 16. It’s the eleventh-worst state in the country for homicides, with a rate of 7.8 per 100,000 people.
12: Kentucky
With a search interest of 16 for homicides, Kentuckians don’t turn to the internet often to search the topic. Kentucky has a homicide rate of 5.9 per 100,000 residents, landing it in 18th place for homicides across the U.S.
13: North Carolina
North Carolina has a Google Trends search interest of 17. Its homicide rate nearly matches Kentucky, with a rate of 5.8 per 100,000 residents, landing it as the 19th-most homicide-prone state.
14: Illinois
Illinois also has a homicide search interest of 17 on Google Trends. However, its homicide rate of 7.8 per 100,000 people is much higher than North Carolina’s, making it the ninth worst state in the nation for homicide rates.
15: Connecticut
Connecticut’s homicide Google search interest is 17. Contrary to Illinois, it has a low 2.8 homicides per 100,000 residents, ranking it 36th in the nation for homicide rates.
16: New Hampshire
New Hampshire has the lowest homicide rates in the nation, at just 1.0 homicides per 100,000 residents. Perhaps the reason residents search Google for the word “homicide” more often than other states is because they don’t hear it as much?
17: Rhode Island
Rhode Island is the first of several states with a search interest of 18. That’s still extremely low, which is also the case of its homicide rate, which averages 1.9 homicides per 100,000 people.
18: Iowa
The Hawkeye State ranks number 18 in the nation for homicide search interest and 17 for the state with the least homicides. Iowa has a homicide rate of 3.3 per 100,000 residents.
19: Maine
Maine shares Iowa’s Google Trends homicide search interest of 18, but it sits significantly better in the homicide rate department. The Pine Tree State has a homicide rate of 1.7 per 100,000 people.
20: Ohio
Ohio is proof that Google Trends search interest for the word “homicide” doesn’t correspond with greater or fewer state homicide rates; it has a high 6.1 homicides per 100,000 residents, making it the 15th-most homicide-prone state.
21: Utah
Utah also has a homicide search interest of 18. However, the Beehive State has the ninth lowest homicide rate in the nation, at 2.4 per 100,000 people.
22: North Dakota
North Dakotans aren’t particularly keen on Googling “homicide,” with a search interest of 18. The Flickertail State has only 1.3 homicides per 100,000 residents, the second lowest in the U.S.
23: Indiana
Indiana ranks 16th for high homicide rates, with an average of 6.0 per 100,000 residents despite a Google Trends search interest of 18.
24: Mississippi
Mississippi makes Indiana look ultra-safe on the homicide front and shares its 18 Google Trends search interest. The Magnolia State has a homicide rate of 8.2 per 100,000 people.
25: Missouri
Close your eyes, Missourians. Missouri only has an 18 Google Trends search interest for the word “homicide,” it has a massive 9.8 homicide rate per 100,000 residents. That makes it the second-worst state in the U.S. for homicides.
26: Delaware
Search interest for Delaware is a slightly higher 19 in Google Trends. The First State ranks 22nd in the nation for its homicide rate, with 5.6 homicides per 100,000 people.
27: Massachusetts
Massachusetts has a Google Trends search interest of 19. Luckily for locals, the state is the 11th-best in the nation for homicide rates, with a relatively low 2.5 homicides per 100,000 residents.
28: Oklahoma
Oh, Oklahoma, where the homicide search interest is 19 and the homicide rate is 6.2 per 100,000 people. That makes the Sooner State the 14th worst state for homicides.
29: Alabama
Alabama has a Google Trends search interest of 19 for the word “homicide.” Unfortunately, it doesn’t rank well on the homicide front, with 8.3 per 100,000 residents, the seventh-worst in the U.S.
30: Georgia
Georgia also has a homicide search interest of 19. The Peach State’s poor 6.7 homicides per 100,000 people puts Georgia in 13th place for the most homicides in America.
31: California
California has a Google Trends homicide search interest of 19. The Golden State ranks in 28th place for states with the most homicides, at a rate of 4.6 per 100,000 residents.
32: Colorado
Colorado joins California with a 19 Google Trends search interest for homicides. It also comes in 29th place for states with the most homicides, having a significantly fewer 3.9 homicides per 100,000 people.
33: Oregon
Oregon is the last state to have a 19 homicide search interest and the tenth-best state for homicide rates, at 2.5 per 100,000 residents.
34: Kansas
Kansans are slightly more interested in searching for the term “homicide” than the states before it, with a Google Trends search interest of 20. The Sunflower State ranks 23rd in the nation for homicide rates, at 5.5 per 100,000 people.
35: Nevada
Nevada also has a 20 homicide Google search interest. Unfortunately, the Silver State has the third highest homicide rate in the nation, at 9.1 per 100,000 residents.
36: Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has both a 20 for homicide search interest and ranks in 20th place for U.S. homicide rates. The Keystone State averages 5.8 homicides per 100,000 people.
37: Nebraska
Homicides aren’t a big threat in Nebraska, as it has the eighth lowest homicide fatalities at 2.2 per 100,000 residents. It also has a Google Trends homicide search interest of 20.
38: Louisiana
Louisiana is the last state to have a homicide search interest of 20. Unfortunately, it’s the first state for the worst homicide rate in the nation. The Pelican State has a cringe-worthy 12.4 homicides per 100,000 residents.
39: Arizona
Arizona’s Google Trends homicide search interest is 21. The Grand Canyon State sits a lot better than Louisiana in terms of homicides, with 5.9 per 100,000 residents.
40: South Dakota
South Dakota also has a homicide search interest of 21. Luckily for its residents, the Mount Rushmore State has a lower homicide rate of 2.9 homicides per 100,000 people, ranking it 35th in the nation for homicides.
41: Alaska
Alaska’s homicide search interest is 22, and The Last Frontier is the 6th-worst in the country for homicide rates. It has 8.4 homicides per 100,000 residents.
42: Maryland
Maryland also has a Google Trends homicide search interest of 22. It makes Alaska’s homicide rate look relatively good, with 9.0 homicides per 100,000 people, placing it as the fourth worst state for homicide rates.
43: Arkansas
Arkansas jumps up to a homicide search interest of 24. The Natural State would undoubtedly prefer to be higher among the safest states for homicides, for it ranks number five in the country for the worst rate, at 8.6 homicides per 100,000 residents.
44: New Mexico
New Mexico’s Google Trends homicide search interest is 25. It has a higher-than-average homicide rate, at 7.1 per 100,000 people. That places it as the twelfth-highest state in the U.S. for homicide rates.
45: Minnesota
Minnesotans have a higher-than-average Google search interest for the word “homicide,” at 26. However, the North Star State is the sixth-best in the nation for low homicide rates, at 2.0 per 100,000 residents.
46: Wyoming
Wyoming also has a Google Trends homicide search interest of 26. Although Wyoming’s 2.6 homicide rate per 100,000 people doesn’t put it in the single digits at a national level like Minnesota, its 39th rating for homicide rates is better than average.
47: Wisconsin
Wisconsin has a 27 homicide Google search interest. The Badger State ranks 33rd in the nation for homicide rates, with 3.2 homicides per 100,000 residents.
48: Washington
Washington jumps up to a Google search interest of 30, and it sits just below Wisconsin for nationwide homicide rates, ranking number 34. The Evergreen State has an average of 3.1 homicides per 100,000 residents.
49: Montana
Montana’s Google Trends homicide search interest is a high 34, which it shares with the District of Columbia. The Treasure State has a lower-than-average homicide rate compared to the national average, at 3.9 homicides per 100,000 residents. That places it in spot number 30 for states with the most homicides.
50: Idaho
Idaho has the highest Google Trends search interest for the word “homicides,” at 100. That may surprise some, given that only 1.9 homicides per 100,000 people occur in the Gem State. That makes it the fifth-best state for low homicide rates.
Analyzing Trends
Google Trends is a tool to see patterns among states, but it doesn’t offer the full picture. There are many reasons people in any given state may search for the word “homicide,” including wanting the definition, students doing research, and residents wanting to look up a homicide in their state or elsewhere.
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