Historical data
Pick an indicator to see its long-run evolution.
Violent crime rate
1985–2023FBI Uniform Crime Reports; lowest in the U.S. for most of the period.
Crime Rate
Maine's total crime rate was about 1,268 incidents per 100,000 residents in 2023, one of the lowest overall crime rates in the nation per FBI UCR data.
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 | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Total crime rate per 100k | 1268 | 2360 |
- •Maine consistently ranks as one of the safest states in FBI crime statistics.
Violent Crime
Maine recorded a violent crime rate of just 102 incidents per 100,000 residents in 2023, the lowest in the United States according to FBI data.
Violent crime rate, Maine
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 | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime rate per 100k | 102 | 363.8 |
- •Maine has held the title of lowest violent crime rate in the U.S. for multiple consecutive years.
Property Crime
Maine's property crime rate was about 1,166 incidents per 100,000 residents in 2023, well below the national average per FBI data.
Property crime rate, Maine
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 | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Property crime rate per 100k | 1166 | 1954.4 |
- •Motor vehicle theft in Maine is among the lowest of any state.
Homicides
Maine recorded 22 homicides in 2023, a rate of about 1.6 per 100,000 residents, well under the U.S. average per FBI UCR data.
Homicide rate, Maine
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 | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate per 100k | 1.6 | 5.7 |
- •Maine's homicide rate is roughly a third of the U.S. national average.
Police Officers
Maine employs about 2,300 full-time sworn law enforcement officers statewide, roughly 164 per 100,000 residents, per FBI UCR 2023 data.
| Indicator | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Officers per 100k | 164 | 216 |
- •Many rural Maine towns rely on county sheriffs or state police rather than local departments.
Public Safety Indicators
Maine's overall public safety ranking remains strong, with fire death rates and traffic fatality rates near national averages despite very low violent crime, per NFPA and NHTSA 2023 data.
| Indicator | Maine | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic fatalities per 100k | 11.2 | 12.8 |
- •Maine's harsh winters contribute to a higher-than-average residential fire death rate.