Homicide data for 2013

[baldeagle]

I've been playing around with the homicide data for 2013. There were a total of 14,196 homicides that year. 9,395 of those were in large metropolitan areas (what the government calls MSAs - Metropolitan Statistical Area.) That's 2/3rds of the total murders in the US. Nine of those MSAs account for 4,367 homicides. That's 1/3rd of the total murders. Those MSAs are in Chicago, Detroit, LA, New York City, Philly-Camden and Puerto Rico. Notice anything in common about those areas besides their large size? The US murder rate per 100,000 population in 2013 was 4.4. Without those top MSAs, the rate would be 3.0. Without all the large MSAs the rate would be 1.5. So outside the large MSAs you are living in some of the safest areas in the world.

[Beiruty]

If you are living 20 miles outside MSA, I guess no one knows about you but your wife, kids and papa and mam. Basically, your chance being in contact with a criminal element is virtually 0%