Fact check: What red cities have higher murder rates than washington d.c.?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, several red cities (cities in Republican-led states) have higher murder rates than Washington, D.C. The most comprehensive data comes from a CNN review of FBI statistics showing that at least ten cities in states whose Republican governors are deploying National Guard troops to Washington, DC, had higher rates of violent crime or homicide than DC ^[1].

Specific cities identified include:

• Jackson, Mississippi - which had the nation's highest homicide rate in 2024 for cities with at least 100,000 people, with approximately 77 homicides per 100,000 residents compared to DC's 27 per 100,000 residents ^[1]
• Cleveland ^[1]
• Nashville ^[1]
• Shreveport, Louisiana ^[2]
• Memphis, Tennessee ^[3]
• Kansas City, Missouri ^[3]

The data shows that Washington, D.C.'s homicide rate in 2024 was approximately 25-27 per 100,000 residents ^{[1] [3]}, which is still lower than other cities of similar size in red states ^[3].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks important contextual information that emerges from the analyses:

• Broader pattern analysis: One source indicates that red states generally have higher murder rates than blue states as an overall trend ^[2], suggesting this isn't just about individual cities but reflects systemic differences.
• Demographic considerations: Research shows that adjusting for demographic differences makes the red-blue difference in homicide rates much smaller ^[4], indicating that raw comparisons may not tell the complete story.
• Research methodology limitations: The analyses reveal that different research decisions can drastically change results when comparing crime rates between red and blue areas ^[4], highlighting the complexity of making definitive claims.
• Political timing: The CNN data specifically focused on cities in states whose Republican governors were deploying National Guard troops to Washington, DC ^[1], which provides political context often missing from crime rate discussions.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question appears neutral but could potentially be used to support misleading narratives:

• Cherry-picking concern: By asking specifically about "red cities," the question could be framed to either support or undermine political narratives about crime and governance, depending on how the answer is used.
• Missing complexity: The question doesn't acknowledge that empirical social science research has limitations in determining whether red or blue America has a worse crime problem ^[4], which could lead to oversimplified conclusions.
• Context manipulation: Political figures and media outlets could benefit from selectively using this data - Republican leaders might downplay these statistics while Democratic politicians and progressive organizations could use them to counter narratives about crime in blue cities.
• Temporal factors: The analyses show that crime rates fluctuate over time, and the question doesn't specify timeframes, which could allow for misleading comparisons using data from different periods.