States with the most hate crimes
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States with the most hate crimes
Yellow law enforcement tape with a police car and lights in the background.
In 2009, President Barack Obama signed into law the “Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.” Named for two victims of hate crimes, the act bolstered and expanded the criteria upon which violent crimes could be prosecuted as hate crimes. In addition to crimes motivated by a victim’s race, ethnicity, national origin, or religion, the act further stipulated “actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.” It also provided state and local governments and law enforcement agencies with funding to aid hate crime investigations.
The federal Hate Crimes Prevention Act grew out of legislation first proposed in Texas, during George W. Bush’s term as state governor. While Bush had opposed the measure, his successor, Rick Perry, signed it into law in 2001. To date, nearly every state in the U.S. has enacted some form of hate crime legislation, though these laws differ from state to state in terms of what each considers to be worthy of enhanced penalties and what such penalties should be.
A nationwide analysis of hate crime laws performed by researchers from Florida Atlantic University pointed out that most state legislation is “vague and inconsistent.” While protection against hate crimes targeting the LGBTQ+ community is growing, several states do not adequately or accurately define who the members of this group are. Most states have some protection for people based on sexual orientation, but only a few have protections based on gender identity.
Protections for religious groups are also inconsistent. Although many states have statues protecting houses of worship, most “do not mention mosques and/or synagogues among the protected institutions,” the study found.
California holds the most comprehensive law, “as it clearly delineates protected classes and locations, while conceptualizing both.” Researchers suggest California’s statute should serve as an example for other states as they advance towards bolstering or correcting laws that remain unclear or incomplete.
Stacker investigated the states in which the most hate crimes take place using the FBI’s 2019 Hate Crime Statistics. States are ranked by hate crimes per capita in 2019. No data was available for Alabama.
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#50. Arkansas
A scenic suburb in Ozark.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 3.0
— Total hate crimes: 9
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 8
— Religion: 0
— Sexual orientation: 1
— Disability: 0
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 0
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson approved the state’s first hate crime law in April 2021. Critics have labeled the bill unsubstantial because it does not specify acts against victims based on race, gender identity, or sexual orientation. The Anti-Defamation League vowed to promote the enforcement of stronger local ordinances, such as the one passed in Little Rock in 2020.
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#49. Maryland
Pedestrians strolling on a boardwalk in Ocean City.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 3.1
— Total hate crimes: 19
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 7
— Religion: 4
— Sexual orientation: 7
— Disability: 1
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 0
Blacks are the most targeted victims of hate crimes in Maryland, according to the state’s police. In 2021, the number of bias-motivated crimes against Black citizens increased by 20% from the prior year, exceeding the number of attacks against all other groups combined.
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#48. Iowa
An aerial view of Iowa City on a sunny day.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 3.2
— Total hate crimes: 10
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 6
— Religion: 0
— Sexual orientation: 4
— Disability: 0
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 0
Iowa hate crime laws protect citizens against assault, arson, criminal mischief, and trespass committed against a person or their property. It is one of several states that criminalize bias crimes motivated by a victim’s political affiliation.
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#47. Pennsylvania
The Pittsburgh skyline as viewed from the hills.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 3.2
— Total hate crimes: 41
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 28
— Religion: 9
— Sexual orientation: 4
— Disability: 0
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 0
In February 2023, a woman was convicted of aggravated assault and conspiracy against a Black trans woman. She was also charged with hate-motivated crimes, which are considered a “summary offense,” less than a minor felony in Pennsylvania. According to the state’s district attorney, the law does not provide members of the LGBTQ+ community protection from bias crimes.
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#46. Mississippi
A parking garage and buildings in downtown Jackson.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 4.7
— Total hate crimes: 14
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 6
— Religion: 1
— Sexual orientation: 1
— Disability: 6
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 0
A 24-year-old man was sentenced to 42 months in prison for using racist, derogatory language while he burnt a cross in his front yard in December 2020. His intention, according to his own testimony, was to frighten a Black family, ultimately forcing them to leave the neighborhood.
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#45. Florida
An aerial view of Boca Raton’s coastline.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 5.2
— Total hate crimes: 111
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 48
— Religion: 36
— Sexual orientation: 27
— Disability: 0
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 0
In late April 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill against religion-based attacks. The legislation, motivated by several anti-Semitic attacks, covers all religious beliefs and ethnicities. One of the bill’s sponsors, Republican State Rep. Mike Caruso, said of the bill, “We’re called to stand up for the 672,000 Jews that call Florida home.”
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#44. Illinois
Skyscrapers in Chicago on Lake Michigan.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 5.2
— Total hate crimes: 66
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 34
— Religion: 9
— Sexual orientation: 17
— Disability: 0
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 6
Using the authority bestowed upon him by a recent expansion of Illinois’ hate crime law, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul brought charges against a mother and son, both white, who allegedly burned an effigy representing a Black neighbor and displayed a Confederate flag facing his window after a series of neighbor disputes.
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#43. Louisiana
New Orleans near the water at dusk.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 5.6
— Total hate crimes: 26
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 9
— Religion: 8
— Sexual orientation: 7
— Disability: 2
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 0
Since 2016, Louisiana’s hate crime law protects police officers and first responders from attacks motivated by their job as law enforcement officers. The statute includes protection for firefighters and emergency medical personnel.
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#42. Utah
Downtown Ogden as seen at night.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 5.6
— Total hate crimes: 18
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 12
— Religion: 3
— Sexual orientation: 3
— Disability: 0
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 0
Several teenagers were charged with bias crimes in Utah in August 2022 after attacking members of the LGBTQ+ community. Hate attacks against citizens of Asian origin have increased in recent years as well, prompting the Council of Islamic-American Relations to demand the investigation and prosecution of such incidents.
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#41. Oklahoma
Buildings along US Route 66 in Oklahoma.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 7.1
— Total hate crimes: 28
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 14
— Religion: 5
— Sexual orientation: 8
— Disability: 1
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 0
Over the past year, Oklahoma has reckoned with hate crimes targeting both whites and Blacks. In September 2022, two white men pled guilty to hate crimes for insulting, hitting, and injuring a Black man. It marked the first time in a decade that a federal court has prosecuted anyone in the state for a bias crime. More recently, a Black man shot and killed two white men on the same day in separate racially motivated incidents.
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#40. Wyoming
Buildings in Casper as seen at night.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 8.6
— Total hate crimes: 5
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 4
— Religion: 0
— Sexual orientation: 1
— Disability: 0
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 0
Since 1998, when Matthew Shepard, a gay college student, was beaten to death, activists have repeatedly tried to pressure Wyoming authorities to adopt a hate crime statute. Shepard’s case motivated law reforms in other states—as well as at the federal level—but it hasn’t been enough for Wyoming legislators to pass their own crime bill.
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#39. Georgia
A view of Atlanta’s skyline from Lake Meer in Piedmont Park.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 9.6
— Total hate crimes: 102
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 77
— Religion: 9
— Sexual orientation: 6
— Disability: 4
— Gender: 3
— Gender identity: 3
According to the FBI, in 2021, hate crime numbers in Georgia were the highest they had been in 30 years. Georgia’s legislature approved a hate crime law for the first time in 2021, after Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was chased down and killed by two white men while jogging through a neighborhood in northwestern Atlanta.
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#38. Indiana
Soybean fields in Indiana at sunset.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 11.3
— Total hate crimes: 76
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 47
— Religion: 13
— Sexual orientation: 14
— Disability: 0
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 2
Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a bill in May 2023 prohibiting minors from receiving gender-affirming health care in the state. The law takes effect on July 1, while children and teenagers already receiving medication must end treatments by the end of the year. Opponents consider it a violation of trans youths’ “right to health,” as stipulated by the U.N. since 1966.
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#37. New Hampshire
The skyline in downtown Manchester at dusk.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 11.8
— Total hate crimes: 16
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 8
— Religion: 5
— Sexual orientation: 3
— Disability: 0
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 0
The New Hampshire attorney general’s office provides training for prosecutors and law enforcement officers on which criminal actions are considered hate crimes. According to state law, a crime can be considered for enhanced penalties if the accused is found to be “substantially motivated to commit the crime because of hostility towards the victim’s religion, race, creed, sexual orientation . . ., national origin, or sex.”
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#36. Wisconsin
Madison as viewed from across the water on a bright, sunny day.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 12.7
— Total hate crimes: 74
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 39
— Religion: 18
— Sexual orientation: 5
— Disability: 4
— Gender: 2
— Gender identity: 6
Wisconsin recently commemorated the 30-year anniversary of a historic Supreme Court verdict that reinforced the constitutionality of hate crime penalty enhancement laws. In 1993, a Black man who led a group of several Black males to violently beat a white teenager was convicted of aggravated assault and committing a hate crime. The defendant appealed his conviction on First Amendment grounds and won his appeal at the Wisconsin Supreme Court. However, when the case was elevated to the U.S. Supreme Court, the state’s ruling was overturned, with the Court declaring that the enhanced sentence did not violate the appealer’s First Amendment rights as he claimed.
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#35. South Carolina
The scenic river view and waterfront houses in North Myrtle Beach.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 13.2
— Total hate crimes: 68
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 36
— Religion: 20
— Sexual orientation: 7
— Disability: 1
— Gender: 3
— Gender identity: 1
Almost seven years after the murder of nine Black Americans in a church in Charleston, the South Carolina House passed the “Clementa C. Pinckney Hate Crimes Act,” named after one of the victims of the shooting who was also a state senator. However, the state Senate has refused to put the bill up for debate or a vote.
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#34. Idaho
Cars driving down Capitol Boulevard in Boise.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 13.4
— Total hate crimes: 24
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 18
— Religion: 1
— Sexual orientation: 4
— Disability: 1
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 0
Idaho was one of the first states to approve a hate crime law, referred to as “malicious harassment.” According to the state’s yearly crime data, dozens of cases are reported yearly as hate crimes, yet not many of the perpetrators face related charges in court. Several incidents of anti-Semitism have been reported in recent years.
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#33. Missouri
The St. Louis Gateway Arch in Missouri.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 13.5
— Total hate crimes: 83
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 52
— Religion: 13
— Sexual orientation: 16
— Disability: 1
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 1
A Missouri court recently sentenced a 25-year-old man to 22 years in prison for shooting a gay teenage boy. According to court documents, he convinced the teenager to leave the library where they met to go engage in sexual acts. Legal records also showed that prior to the meeting he had googled “how to get away with murder in real life,” and he had messaged two contacts about shooting the victim both before and after the murder attempt.
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#32. Maine
The waterfront with ferry’s docked in Portland.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 14.1
— Total hate crimes: 19
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 10
— Religion: 2
— Sexual orientation: 7
— Disability: 0
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 0
The number of reported hate crimes in Maine quadrupled from 2019 to 2020, and while numbers decreased slightly in 2021, attacks specifically against the LGBTQ+ community in the state surpassed the national average. The state’s attorney general, Darcie McElwee, interpreted the data as a “call for action” telling Maine Public Radio that “[unless] we can understand and continue to do work with marginalized communities where we educate them on what is required to prosecute a hate crime, then I can see that they may not understand that we are taking it seriously.”
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#31. Nevada
An aerial View of Carson City.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 14.3
— Total hate crimes: 44
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 27
— Religion: 10
— Sexual orientation: 4
— Disability: 1
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 2
Nevada’s Senate Bill 171 intertwines hate crime law and gun control measures. The legislation proposes that people who have committed violent bias crimes should not be allowed to buy or bear a weapon for 10 years. Organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League, the Nevada LGBTQ+ Civil Rights Organization, and Nevada Moms Demand Action have voiced support for the bill. On the other side, Republican legislators and anti-gun control groups are against the motion. At present, Democrats hold the majority in both state chambers, though the state’s governor, Joe Lombardo, is a Republican.
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#30. Alaska
Boats and buildings in Sitka.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 15.0
— Total hate crimes: 11
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 7
— Religion: 0
— Sexual orientation: 4
— Disability: 0
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 0
An Alaskan children’s book illustrator awaits trial after he was accused of terroristic threatening. The artist, who was dropped by his publisher a few days after the incident, allegedly started posting notes with anti-transgender messages in several public places around Juneau on the International Day of Transgender Visibility. The state is one of many with lax laws regarding gun ownership for persons convicted of hate crimes.
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#29. Texas
An aerial view of Austin and Lady Bird Lake.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 15.8
— Total hate crimes: 459
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 300
— Religion: 44
— Sexual orientation: 71
— Disability: 19
— Gender: 7
— Gender identity: 18
Texas law differentiates hate crimes from hate incidents. The First Amendment protects expressions of disagreement or dislike toward a person or group under the right of freedom of speech, press, and assembly. Therefore, according to state law, if a person distributes printed material with offensive slander about a group’s ethnic origin, religion, or sexual orientation, the “act is considered a hate incident (rather than a crime) because there is no criminal activity involved.”
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#28. Rhode Island
Building, boats, and docks at old harbor in Newport.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 16.0
— Total hate crimes: 17
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 4
— Religion: 5
— Sexual orientation: 8
— Disability: 0
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 0
Several Jewish defense groups have expressed concern over the growing number of attacks targeting their community in Rhode Island. One particular case prompted several rallies demanding the attention of the attorney general’s office: a woman of Hispanic ancestry left a violent note in a Jewish center at Brown University, which included the phrase: “Hail Hitler. Gas the [expletive] Jews and hope you die.” Yet, she was only charged with disorderly conduct.
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#27. Tennessee
Cars parked along the street in Johnson City.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 17.1
— Total hate crimes: 117
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 91
— Religion: 12
— Sexual orientation: 10
— Disability: 1
— Gender: 2
— Gender identity: 1
The latest report about hate crimes in Tennessee showed that while hate crimes have risen steadily over the last several years, most such cases go unsolved. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation reported that in 2021, 40 hate crimes led to an arrest, while 83 cases were never cleared. Many victims refuse to press charges against the perpetrators or are unwilling to cooperate with prosecutors. Most mate crimes in Tennessee are race-related and most crime victims are white.
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#26. West Virginia
An aerial view of downtown Charleston at sunset.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 17.3
— Total hate crimes: 31
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 18
— Religion: 6
— Sexual orientation: 3
— Disability: 2
— Gender: 1
— Gender identity: 1
The Department of Justice announced that a new prosecutor was hired by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in West Virginia in January 2023 to “lead civil rights investigations, to include hate crimes, disability and housing rights violations, and infractions of laws that prohibit discrimination based upon race, color, national origin, sex, and religion.” Unfortunately, left off that list of criteria are sexual orientation and gender identity, as the state’s Supreme Court ruled that LGBTQ+ individuals are not protected under the state’s hate crime laws.
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#25. Minnesota
The downtown Minneapolis skyline as seen at night.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 18.4
— Total hate crimes: 104
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 59
— Religion: 20
— Sexual orientation: 17
— Disability: 1
— Gender: 3
— Gender identity: 4
As hate crime numbers have risen in Minnesota, advocacy groups have denounced the difficulty of proving bias in state courts, as the state does not have a hate crime law, though it does cover sentence amplification when crimes are bias-motivated. The activists say minority groups do not trust law enforcement officers and many times refuse to report hate crimes for fear of retaliation.
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#24. Virginia
The skyline of Richmond at sunset.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 19.1
— Total hate crimes: 163
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 102
— Religion: 27
— Sexual orientation: 27
— Disability: 3
— Gender: 1
— Gender identity: 3
Virginia leaders created an Anti-Semitism Task Force in February 2023. Attorney General Jason Miyares said the commission was formed in response to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s request on his first day in office. The goal of the task force, said Miyares, is to “monitor, combat, and educate Virginians about hate against Jewish people.”
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#23. North Carolina
An aerial view of Charlotte on a sunny day.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 20.1
— Total hate crimes: 211
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 132
— Religion: 42
— Sexual orientation: 30
— Disability: 7
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 0
Four state House members, one of them the only Muslim representative in the legislature, recently introduced the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. If passed, the statute would increase penalties, order the creation of a hate crime database, and increase training of law enforcement officers and prosecutors about bias-motivated offenses.
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#22. Connecticut
Hartford’s skyline as seen from a distance.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 21.3
— Total hate crimes: 76
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 48
— Religion: 16
— Sexual orientation: 11
— Disability: 0
— Gender: 1
— Gender identity: 0
According to Connecticut authorities, there is no general understanding in the state of what constitutes a bias crime. They describe the language in existing state law as “ambiguous” and serving only to complicate the investigation and prosecution of hate-motivated incidents. Racial and ethnic minority advocacy groups have expressed their concerns as no charges have been filed in relation to several recent attacks ascribed to white supremacists.
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#21. Delaware
Wilmington as seen during late afternoon.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 22.6
— Total hate crimes: 22
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 10
— Religion: 4
— Sexual orientation: 7
— Disability: 0
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 1
In Delaware, a 27-year-old white man called a Black female employee in the governor’s office 160 times (in a period of three weeks) to harass and threaten her with racist and sexist slurs. For his actions, Matthew Gregg was sentenced to four months in prison and probation to be followed by community service, mental health and substance abuse counseling, and anger management. Gregg is the first person ever convicted of a hate crime in the state.
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#20. South Dakota
The western suburbs of Rapid City.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 22.6
— Total hate crimes: 20
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 13
— Religion: 3
— Sexual orientation: 4
— Disability: 0
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 0
After three vandalism and burglary attacks in an eight-month period targeted a store in Sioux Falls owned by Iraqi immigrants, the Council on American-Islamic Relations requested a deeper investigation to determine if the incidents were motivated by hate. During the same time—March to December 2022—the owners received intimidating notes demanding they remain quiet and not reopen the store.
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#19. North Dakota
Buildings in Fargo as seen at night.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 23.6
— Total hate crimes: 18
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 14
— Religion: 1
— Sexual orientation: 3
— Disability: 0
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 0
The Human Rights Campaign condemned the North Dakota House of Representatives after it passed seven different bills in January and February 2023 prohibiting transgender children and teenagers from identifying as such in public and legal documents. This “Slate of Hate” also restricts the use of an array of facilities, such as gym showers and restrooms, compatible with a trans person’s gender identity. One of the bills forbids “doctors from providing gender-affirming care to transgender youth.”
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#18. Nebraska
Train tracks as seen outside Omaha at night.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 23.8
— Total hate crimes: 46
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 38
— Religion: 3
— Sexual orientation: 3
— Disability: 2
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 0
This past January, Nebraska legislators proposed the creation of an Asian American commission for the second time in two years. Proponents of the measure cited “the rise of instances of anti-Asian hate crimes across the nation” as one of the reasons to create the commission. It would represent and protect 3.5% of the state’s population that is of Asian descent by providing adequate “housing, education, welfare, medical and dental care, employment, and other programs” for the Asian American community.
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#17. New Mexico
Residential suburbs in Albuquerque.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 23.8
— Total hate crimes: 50
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 30
— Religion: 8
— Sexual orientation: 8
— Disability: 1
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 3
The murder of four Muslim men in 2022 in Albuquerque spread fear among the Islamic community of the state and beyond. The common element between the victims was their religion and ethnicity. President Joe Biden addressed the killings via his Twitter account, expressing his solidarity with Muslims nationwide.
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#16. California
A road leading into Silicon Valley.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 25.7
— Total hate crimes: 1,017
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 524
— Religion: 208
— Sexual orientation: 235
— Disability: 10
— Gender: 7
— Gender identity: 33
The Department of Justice announced a 33% increase in the reporting of bias-motivated crimes in California from 2020 to 2021. State authorities expect the number to increase further in 2023 after launching a hate crime hotline and website for victims and witnesses to report crimes anonymously. Trained, multilingual personnel will respond and then connect the caller to mental health, legal, or financial service providers.
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#15. Kansas
A night view of buildings along a river in Wichita.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 26.8
— Total hate crimes: 78
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 38
— Religion: 27
— Sexual orientation: 7
— Disability: 3
— Gender: 1
— Gender identity: 2
Kansas State University students, faculty, and staff run a program to protect each other from hate attacks on campus. The SAFE Zone is a network of volunteers called allies trained to adequately handle discriminatory offenses and guide victims to getting the help they may need. Many racially motivated crimes in the state involve firearms, the regulations for which are lax.
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#14. Hawaii
The coastline and luxury hotels and apartments in Honolulu.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 29.0
— Total hate crimes: 41
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 30
— Religion: 2
— Sexual orientation: 9
— Disability: 0
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 0
Two Native Hawaiian men were convicted in late 2022 of hate crimes for beating a white man in 2014. Local lawyers said it might be the first time islanders have been prosecuted for a racist offense. However, authorities recognize there is a tense relationship between Native Hawaiians, who wish to preserve their identity and traditions, and people from other races who move to the islands unaware of cultural differences.
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#13. Arizona
A highway leading into downtown Phoenix.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 29.8
— Total hate crimes: 217
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 143
— Religion: 36
— Sexual orientation: 30
— Disability: 3
— Gender: 2
— Gender identity: 3
In February 2023, a group of Native American dancers was subjected to racist insults by a local gallery owner in Scottsdale as they performed for a local TV station. The attacker was charged with disorderly conduct, but not with a hate crime. Local Indigenous groups have now called on the FBI to investigate the incident. The agency’s Pheonix office, as well as the state’s attorney’s office, have held several events calling for increased hate crime reportage.
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#12. Montana
Buildings in Billings with scenic hills in the background.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 29.9
— Total hate crimes: 32
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 16
— Religion: 9
— Sexual orientation: 2
— Disability: 1
— Gender: 1
— Gender identity: 3
Montana was the first state to hold a “United Against Hate” meeting between law enforcement officials and faith leaders to discuss hate crimes. The Department of Justice’s initiative aims to strengthen partnerships between local community leaders, citizens, and authorities in order to increase the understanding, reporting, and prevention of bias crimes.
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#11. New York
A cityscape view of Lower Manhattan in New York CIty.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 31.4
— Total hate crimes: 611
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 164
— Religion: 357
— Sexual orientation: 73
— Disability: 1
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 16
In New York City, graffiti is a crime, especially if it contains hate messages or symbols; however, distributing pamphlets or fliers with derogatory wording is protected by the First Amendment. The Office for the Prevention of Hate Crimes was created in 2019 to spread information on how to identify, report, and prevent hate crimes. It provides grants to community projects that focus on addressing bias and hate.
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#10. Ohio
The river leading into Columbus at night.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 33.4
— Total hate crimes: 391
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 216
— Religion: 30
— Sexual orientation: 60
— Disability: 55
— Gender: 7
— Gender identity: 23
A 22-year-old man self-described as an “incel” (involuntary celibate) was intercepted by police before he carried out a plan to shoot thousands of women at an Ohio university. In the man’s home, police found weapons, ammunition, incriminating internet searches, written documents describing his plans, and expressing hatred toward women, among other evidence. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
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#9. Kentucky
Downtown Louisville as seen at night.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 34.0
— Total hate crimes: 152
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 114
— Religion: 12
— Sexual orientation: 19
— Disability: 1
— Gender: 2
— Gender identity: 4
A Black transgender immigrant woman from Rwanda was killed in Louisville in February 2023. She was shot in the parking lot of her workplace by a co-worker who turned himself in several days after the murder. According to the Human Rights Campaign, 29% of transgender and gender non-conforming victims are attacked by “an acquaintance, friend, family member, or intimate partner.”
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#8. Colorado
An aerial view of downtown Denver on a sunny day.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 36.8
— Total hate crimes: 212
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 117
— Religion: 36
— Sexual orientation: 47
— Disability: 7
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 5
In early May of this year, a 22-year-old man pleaded guilty to burning a church in Colorado with Molotov cocktails. The attacker, who could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison, admitted he wanted to destroy the church because he disagreed with its religious character. Colorado has also been the setting of hate-motivated mass shootings, including one in November 2022 that targeted an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs.
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#7. Oregon
Portland at sunset with Mt. Hood in the background.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 43.2
— Total hate crimes: 182
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 116
— Religion: 29
— Sexual orientation: 27
— Disability: 2
— Gender: 2
— Gender identity: 6
In the spring of 2022, a 35-year-old former journalist was charged with violent hate crimes for setting a mosque on fire and vandalizing two synagogues and a Black-owned restaurant. Local media reported the man had “expressed increasingly racist views online in the months leading up to the attacks.” From 2020 to 2021, Oregon registered a 53% rise in bias crime reports to its Department of Justice’s hotline.
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#6. Michigan
An aerial view of downtown Detroit at dusk.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 43.5
— Total hate crimes: 434
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 313
— Religion: 51
— Sexual orientation: 44
— Disability: 9
— Gender: 15
— Gender identity: 2
Lawmakers in Michigan proposed a four-bill update to the state’s 40-year-old hate crime law. The reforms would provide prosecutors with better tools to address and effectively punish bias crimes. It also incorporates protection for people based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, and disabilities, which hadn’t been included before.
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#5. Vermont
Buildings lining a street in downtown Burlington.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 52.9
— Total hate crimes: 33
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 18
— Religion: 4
— Sexual orientation: 9
— Disability: 1
— Gender: 0
— Gender identity: 1
High school students in Vermont are being educated about hate crimes. The presentations, conducted by the state’s U.S. Attorney’s Office, are part of a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of what constitutes a bias-motivated crime and the importance of reporting it. The program is part of a national push by the Department of Justice.
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#4. Massachusetts
An aerial view of downtown Boston at dusk.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 60.4
— Total hate crimes: 416
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 213
— Religion: 101
— Sexual orientation: 92
— Disability: 1
— Gender: 2
— Gender identity: 7
In April 2023, two young adults and two teenagers, all males, were accused of hate crimes and charged with “assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault to intimidate, and a civil rights violation” for an incident that took place at a fast-food restaurant in Salem. They targeted the victims because of their perceived sexual orientation. Massachusetts law considers crimes to be hate crimes if the victim is shown to have been targeted due to “race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other protected characteristic.”
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#3. New Jersey
An aerial view of Jersey City at sunset.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 65.4
— Total hate crimes: 581
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 252
— Religion: 250
— Sexual orientation: 65
— Disability: 1
— Gender: 5
— Gender identity: 8
The New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice runs a hotline to collect and process information about alleged hate crimes. Instructions on how to report the offenses are available in several languages. Rewards of up to $25,000 are offered to those who provide accurate information that can lead to the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators.
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#2. Washington
An aerial view of Seattle with the Space Needle in the foreground.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 73.0
— Total hate crimes: 556
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 331
— Religion: 76
— Sexual orientation: 116
— Disability: 8
— Gender: 8
— Gender identity: 17
Last summer, Alaska Airlines, a company based in Seattle, Washington, was sued for wrongfully deplaning two Muslim American men for sending text messages in the Arabic language. According to the plaintiffs’ lawyers, the incident caused the men “serious long-lasting emotional distress” and forced them to “conceal their ethnic and religious identities when flying.”
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#1. District Of Columbia
The Washington Monument and Reflecting Pool.
– Hate crimes per million people, 2019: 314.6
— Total hate crimes: 222
– Number of hate crimes per bias motivation
— Race, ethnicity, or ancestry: 119
— Religion: 8
— Sexual orientation: 65
— Disability: 1
— Gender: 2
— Gender identity: 27
In May, Washington D.C.’s police department launched a Focused Patrol and Community Engagement Policing Strategy, an institutional effort to adequately address and process hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community. Bias attacks toward queer and transgender people rose considerably in the last five years in the nation’s capital, though attacks motivated by race remain the highest. One of the main reasons Washington D.C. tops this list is that, despite its relatively small population, it is a commuter-dense area, with literally thousands of people who reside in surrounding states coming into and out of the city each day.
Data reporting by Emilia Ruzicka. Story editing by Brian Budzynski. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire.
