JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Jackson maintained its position as the deadliest city in the nation per capita for the fifth year running, despite recording a more than 30 percent drop in killings in 2025 compared to the previous year.
The capital city’s homicide rate remains the highest nationwide among more than 50 cities analyzed, according to data compiled by 3 On Your Side. The findings come days after reports showed a 32 percent decrease in killings last year versus 2024.
Jackson’s highest homicide rate in history occurred in 2021, when the city had its deadliest year on record with 160 killings. Each year since then, the city’s number of killings has dropped, but the homicide rate itself has still managed to edge out every other major city in our study.
Other cities saw larger decreases
Most major cities nationwide experienced double-digit drops in homicides, but Jackson’s rate did not decline as rapidly as other cities. Birmingham, Alabama, recorded 151 homicides in 2024 but dropped to 91 last year, representing a 40 percent decrease…