Do you live in one of the murder capitals of Maryland?
We all watch the news with horror when we hear about a homicide that happens not that far away from us. While a murder just blocks or even a couple of towns away from your house would make anyone uneasy, in the long run, most likely, where you live is relatively safe.
To find the cities in Maryland with the most murders and the highest murder rates per capita, we used Saturday Night Science to compare the FBI crime data on murders for the 17 cities in the Old Line State with over 5,000 residents.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Cities With Highest Murder Rates In Maryland
What city has the highest murder rate in Maryland? The city with the highest murder rate in Maryland is Mount Rainier with 37.2 murders per 100,000 people.
What is the city in Maryland with highest number of murders? The city in Maryland with the highest number of murders is Baltimore with 197 murders.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town in Maryland ranked. There were ‘only’ 17 cities in Maryland where a city reported a murder to the FBI, meaning 23 places had no murder.
For more reading on the Old Line State check out:
The 10 Murder Capitals Of Maryland For 2026
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Population: 8,055
Murders: 3 (4th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 37.2 (Most)
More on Mount Rainier: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 566,632
Murders: 197 (Most)
Murders Per 100k: 34.8 (2nd Most)
More on Baltimore: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 18,635
Murders: 4 (2nd Most)
Murders Per 100k: 21.5 (3rd Most)
More on Aberdeen: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 5,769
Murders: 1 (13th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 17.3 (4th Most)
More on District Heights: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 5,987
Murders: 1 (13th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 16.7 (5th Most)
More on Fruitland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 7,109
Murders: 1 (13th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 14.1 (6th Most)
More on Riverdale Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 16,017
Murders: 2 (7th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 12.5 (7th Most)
More on Elkton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 8,488
Murders: 1 (13th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 11.8 (8th Most)
More on Brunswick: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 18,661
Murders: 2 (7th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 10.7 (9th Most)
More on Cumberland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
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Population: 9,382
Murders: 1 (13th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 10.7 (10th Most)
More on Bladensburg: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How we calculated the murder capitals of Maryland
While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in a state are the most dangerous, we wanted to rely on something other than speculation and opinion. Instead, we used Saturday Night Science to compare the hard numbers from the FBI’s last year of reporting. Specifically, we analyzed the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, which summarizes the number of murders in each city annually.
We only looked at every single city in Maryland for which FBI data was available for the most recent FBI Crime In The United States. That left us with 17 cities to rank.
We took the number of murders per capita as the ranking factor. The place with the most murders per capita based on the most recent data is Mount Rainier. It is our eleventh time ranking the places with the most murders per capita in Maryland. We updated the list for 2026.
Summary: The Places With The Most Murders In Maryland For 2026
If you’re looking at the places in Maryland with the most murders, and where residents have the highest chances of being killed themselves, this is an accurate list. Again, these statistics are an indication of where crimes occur, not a statement about the effectiveness of the law enforcement in the areas they serve.
The cities with the highest murder per capita in Maryland are Mount Rainier, Baltimore, Aberdeen, District Heights, Fruitland, Riverdale Park, Elkton, Brunswick, Cumberland, and Bladensburg.
For more Maryland reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Maryland
- Fastest Growing Cities In Maryland
- Safest Places In Maryland
- Best Cities For Singles In Maryland
- Worst Places To Live In Maryland
Murder Rates By City In Maryland
| Rank | City | Population | Murders | Murders/100K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount Rainier, MD | 8055 | 3 | 37.24 |
| 2 | Baltimore, MD | 566632 | 197 | 34.77 |
| 3 | Aberdeen, MD | 18635 | 4 | 21.46 |
| 4 | District Heights, MD | 5769 | 1 | 17.33 |
| 5 | Fruitland, MD | 5987 | 1 | 16.7 |
| 6 | Riverdale Park, MD | 7109 | 1 | 14.07 |
| 7 | Elkton, MD | 16017 | 2 | 12.49 |
| 8 | Brunswick, MD | 8488 | 1 | 11.78 |
| 9 | Cumberland, MD | 18661 | 2 | 10.72 |
| 10 | Bladensburg, MD | 9382 | 1 | 10.66 |
| 11 | Bel Air, MD | 10422 | 1 | 9.6 |
| 12 | Hagerstown, MD | 43563 | 4 | 9.18 |
| 13 | Annapolis, MD | 40446 | 3 | 7.42 |
| 14 | Laurel, MD | 29209 | 2 | 6.85 |
| 15 | Hyattsville, MD | 20506 | 1 | 4.88 |
| 16 | Frederick, MD | 88428 | 2 | 2.26 |
| 17 | Gaithersburg, MD | 69590 | 1 | 1.44 |