Historical data
Pick an indicator to see its long-run evolution.
Violent crime rate
1990–2023FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
Crime Rate
North Dakota's overall crime rates remain below national averages, with a violent crime rate of 292 per 100,000 residents.
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 | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (per 100k) | 292 | 364 |
| Property crime (per 100k) | 2060 | 1916 |
- •North Dakota's energy boom towns like Williston saw temporary crime spikes during peak Bakken oil drilling years.
Violent Crime
North Dakota's violent crime rate of 292 per 100,000 residents is significantly lower than the national rate of 364.
Violent crime rate, North Dakota
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 | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime rate (per 100k) | 292 | 364 |
- •Aggravated assault makes up the largest share of North Dakota's violent crime, at 202 incidents per 100,000 residents.
Property Crime
North Dakota's property crime rate of 2,060 per 100,000 residents is slightly above the national average of 1,916.
Property crime rate, North Dakota
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 | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Property crime rate (per 100k) | 2060 | 1916 |
- •Motor vehicle theft rose in western North Dakota during periods of rapid oil-field population growth.
Homicides
North Dakota's homicide rate stands at 3.1 per 100,000 residents, close to a third of the national rate, though the state's small population causes year-to-year variability.
Homicide rate, North Dakota
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 | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate (per 100k) | 3.1 | 6.5 |
- •Because North Dakota has a small population, a handful of homicides can significantly shift its annual rate.
Police Officers
North Dakota law enforcement agencies are spread across a large, sparsely populated territory, relying heavily on county sheriffs and the state highway patrol.
| Indicator | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Officers per 1,000 residents | 2 | 2.3 |
- •The North Dakota Highway Patrol covers over 87,000 miles of public roadways across the state.
Public Safety Indicators
Overall, North Dakota ranks among the safer U.S. states, benefiting from low population density and strong community ties, though energy-boom regions have faced periodic strain.
| Indicator | North Dakota | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (per 100k) | 292 | 364 |
- •Rapid population growth during the Bakken oil boom temporarily strained public safety resources in western North Dakota.