General Discussion

The CDC tracks the causes of death in each state.

The most recent data released by the CDC is from 2022.

It showed Arkansas with a rate of 11.8 homicides per 100,000 people. California's rate was half that, at 5.9 homicides per 100,000 people.

The FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting System has agency-by-agency data for 2023.

Arkansas law enforcement agencies reported 289 homicides. With a population of 3,045,637, this means the state had a rate of 9.5 homicides per 100,000 people that year.

California agencies reported 1,929 homicides in 2023, with a population of 38.9 million. Its homicide rate was 5.0 homicides per 100,000 people.

The CDC data shows Arkansas does have a homicide rate that is double California's. The FBI data shows a smaller gap between the two states, indicating that Arkansas' homicide rate is 90% higher than California's.