When it comes to the murder rate in the United States, the good news is that homicides overall went down last decade. The bad news, however, is that more murders have been happening in the suburbs, which used to be considered a safe haven from urban crime.

From 2001 to 2010, the murder total dropped in the U.S., including a 16.7% decline in the largest cities, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Unfortunately, homicides increased by almost the same percentage, 16.9%, in suburban communities during the same period. Suburban murders now comprise about 25% of all homicides in the U.S., up from 20.7% in 2001.

The suburbs of Houston, Pittsburgh and Atlanta have been three of the worst affected areas in terms of sharp increases in violent crime.

In Atlanta, suburban violent crime rose 23% between 2000 and 2008, while the city’s violent-crime rate dropped 49%, according to data compiled by the Brookings Institution in 2011.

The reason for the increase in suburban murder? Public officials theorize that criminals have found a lower law enforcement presence in the suburbs than in the big cities, and have therefore re-targeted their efforts to the areas of least resistance.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn More:

Crime Migrates to Suburbs (by Cameron McWhirter and Gary Fields, Wall Street Journal)

Murder Rate Down, but Random Mass Shootings up (by Matt Bewig, AllGov)

Murder Drops out of Top 15 Causes of Death in U.S. for First Time Since 1965 (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)