Serial Killers By State

Last updated November 24, 2024

# of Known Serial Killers
Top
Last
# of Known Serial Killers
1.New YorkNew York18
2.CaliforniaCalifornia15
3.TexasTexas8
4.IllinoisIllinois7
5.OhioOhio7
6.IndianaIndiana
7.LouisianaLouisiana6
8.PennsylvaniaPennsylvania5
9.GeorgiaGeorgia4
10.KentuckyKentucky4
11.MassachusettsMassachusetts4
12.South CarolinaSouth Carolina4
13.WashingtonWashington4
14.AlabamaAlabama3
15.ConnecticutConnecticut3
16.IowaIowa3
17.MarylandMaryland3
18.MichiganMichigan3
19.MissouriMissouri3
20.OklahomaOklahoma3
21.WisconsinWisconsin3
22.ArkansasArkansas2
23.DelawareDelaware2
24.MinnesotaMinnesota2
25.New JerseyNew Jersey2
26.New MexicoNew Mexico2
27.North CarolinaNorth Carolina2
28.OregonOregon2
29.South DakotaSouth Dakota2
30.UtahUtah2
31.AlaskaAlaska1
32.ArizonaArizona1
33.ColoradoColorado1
34.District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia1
35.FloridaFlorida1
36.HawaiiHawaii1
37.IdahoIdaho1
38.KansasKansas1
39.MaineMaine1
40.MississippiMississippi1
41.MontanaMontana1
42.New HampshireNew Hampshire1
43.North DakotaNorth Dakota1
44.Rhode IslandRhode Island1
45.TennesseeTennessee1
46.VermontVermont1
47.VirginiaVirginia1
48.West VirginiaWest Virginia1

Serial Killers, State by State

The grim and chilling subject of Serial Killers tends to stir deep fascination coupled with a collective societal shudder. It's an underbelly of criminal activity that has been researched, analyzed, and profiled extensively, yielding intriguing insights and patterns. In the United States, a disproportionate number of the world's recorded serial killers have left their horrifying legacy, with the period between 1970 and 2000 marking the peak of such crimes. It's worth noting that while these crimes evoke shock and horror, they constitute less than 1% of total homicides.

Key findings from the data include:

  • New York tops the list with 18 recorded serial killers, followed by California, which recorded 15 known serial killers.
  • States like Texas, Illinois, and Ohio have seen relatively high numbers of serial killers as well, recording 8, 7, and 7, respectively.
  • At the other end of the spectrum, many states have had only one known serial killer.
  • A regional pattern is evident. The states with the largest populations are New York, California, Texas, and Illinois.

By Region

Alabama

See Less

Ranked in U.S.

#14

Alaska

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#31

Arizona

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#32

Arkansas

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#22

California

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#2

Colorado

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#33

Connecticut

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#15

Delaware

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#23

District of Columbia

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#34

Florida

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#35

Georgia

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#9

Hawaii

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#36

Idaho

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#37

Illinois

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#4

Indiana

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#6

Iowa

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#16

Kansas

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#38

Kentucky

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#10

Louisiana

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#7

Maine

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#39

Maryland

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#17

Massachusetts

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#11

Michigan

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#18

Minnesota

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#24

Mississippi

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#40

Missouri

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#19

Montana

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#41

New Hampshire

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#42

New Jersey

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#25

New Mexico

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#26

New York

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#1

North Carolina

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#27

North Dakota

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#43

Ohio

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#5

Oklahoma

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#20

Oregon

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#28

Pennsylvania

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#8

Rhode Island

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#44

South Carolina

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#12

South Dakota

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#29

Tennessee

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#45

Texas

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#3

Utah

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#30

Vermont

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#46

Virginia

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#47

Washington

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#13

West Virginia

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#48

Wisconsin

See More

Ranked in U.S.

#21

Table

Region ↕# of Known Serial Killers↕
Alabama iconAlabama3
Alaska iconAlaska1
Arizona iconArizona1
Arkansas iconArkansas2
California iconCalifornia15
Colorado iconColorado1
Connecticut iconConnecticut3
Delaware iconDelaware2
District of Columbia iconDistrict of Columbia1
Florida iconFlorida1
Georgia iconGeorgia4
Hawaii iconHawaii1
Idaho iconIdaho1
Illinois iconIllinois7
Indiana iconIndiana6
Iowa iconIowa3
Kansas iconKansas1
Kentucky iconKentucky4
Louisiana iconLouisiana6
Maine iconMaine1
Maryland iconMaryland3
Massachusetts iconMassachusetts4
Michigan iconMichigan3
Minnesota iconMinnesota2
Mississippi iconMississippi1
Missouri iconMissouri3
Montana iconMontana1
New Hampshire iconNew Hampshire1
New Jersey iconNew Jersey2
New Mexico iconNew Mexico2
New York iconNew York18
North Carolina iconNorth Carolina2
North Dakota iconNorth Dakota1
Ohio iconOhio7
Oklahoma iconOklahoma3
Oregon iconOregon2
Pennsylvania iconPennsylvania5
Rhode Island iconRhode Island1
South Carolina iconSouth Carolina4
South Dakota iconSouth Dakota2
Tennessee iconTennessee1
Texas iconTexas8
Utah iconUtah2
Vermont iconVermont1
Virginia iconVirginia1
Washington iconWashington4
West Virginia iconWest Virginia1
Wisconsin iconWisconsin3
Keep reading

Additional Crime Datasets

Stabbing Deaths by Country
Crime
World

Stabbing Deaths by Country

Violent Crime Rates By Country
Crime
World

Violent Crime Rates By Country

Cities with Most Murders
Crime
U.S. Cities

Cities with Most Murders

Crime Rate By State
Crime
U.S.

Crime Rate By State

Crime Rate by Country
Crime
World

Crime Rate by Country

Domestic Violence By State
Crime
U.S.

Domestic Violence By State