Historical data
Pick an indicator to see its long-run evolution.
Violent crime rate
1990–2023FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
Crime Rate
Kentucky's overall crime rate is below the national average, though drug-related offenses linked to the opioid crisis remain a significant challenge (2023 figures).
Violent + property crime rate
1985–2025FBI Crime Data Explorer, violent and property offenses per 100,000 residents, sum of monthly rates from reporting agencies.
| Indicator | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime rate (per 100k) | 225 | 364 |
Violent Crime
Kentucky's violent crime rate is 225 per 100,000, well below the national average.
Violent crime rate, Kentucky
1985–2025FBI Crime Data Explorer, violent offenses per 100,000 residents, sum of monthly rates from reporting agencies.
Violent crime rate, U.S.
1985–2025FBI Crime Data Explorer, violent offenses per 100,000 residents, sum of monthly rates from reporting agencies.
| Indicator | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime rate (per 100k) | 225 | 364 |
Property Crime
Kentucky's property crime rate is 1,730 per 100,000, below the national average.
Property crime rate, Kentucky
1985–2025FBI Crime Data Explorer, property offenses per 100,000 residents, sum of monthly rates from reporting agencies.
Property crime rate, U.S.
1985–2025FBI Crime Data Explorer, property offenses per 100,000 residents, sum of monthly rates from reporting agencies.
| Indicator | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Property crime rate (per 100k) | 1730 | 1954 |
Homicides
Kentucky's homicide rate is 6.8 per 100,000, close to the national average.
Homicide rate, Kentucky
1985–2025FBI Crime Data Explorer, murder and nonnegligent manslaughter per 100,000 residents, sum of monthly rates from reporting agencies.
Homicide rate, U.S.
1985–2025FBI Crime Data Explorer, murder and nonnegligent manslaughter per 100,000 residents, sum of monthly rates from reporting agencies.
| Indicator | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate (per 100k) | 6.8 | 6.8 |
Police Officers
Kentucky maintains police staffing near the national average per capita, with major departments in Louisville Metro and Lexington.
| Indicator | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Officers per 1,000 | 2.2 | 2.4 |
Public Safety Indicators
Public safety in Kentucky faces its biggest challenge from the opioid crisis, with an overdose death rate of about 45 per 100,000, among the highest in the U.S.
| Indicator | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Overdose death rate (per 100k) | 45 | 32 |
- •Eastern Kentucky's Appalachian counties have been among the hardest hit by the opioid epidemic nationally.