Key Highlights
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New York is home to nearly 20 million people, the most diverse and densely populated corridors in the country, and yet it records fewer police killings per resident than almost any comparably sized state in America. That outcome is not accidental. It reflects decades of policy choices, oversight structures, and community accountability measures that other states have yet to match.
An analysis by Madia Law examined data from Mapping Police Violence covering all 50 states from 2023 to 2025, ranking states by average annual killings and per-capita rates to identify where the risk is greatest.
New York ranks 11th in the nation for total annual police killings across all 50 states
| Rank | State | Population (2023-2025) | Avg. People Killed Per Year | Rate Per Million |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 31,215,977 | 144.67 | 4.63 |
| 2 | California | 39,353,419 | 143.00 | 3.63 |
| 3 | Florida | 23,274,180 | 103.00 | 4.43 |
| 4 | Arizona | 7,568,489 | 56.00 | 7.40 |
| 5 | Georgia | 11,169,135 | 54.00 | 4.83 |
| 6 | North Carolina | 11,030,805 | 47.00 | 4.26 |
| 7 | Colorado | 5,949,584 | 43.33 | 7.28 |
| 8 | Tennessee | 7,220,480 | 41.00 | 5.68 |
| 9 | Ohio | 11,870,613 | 40.33 | 3.40 |
| 10 | Indiana | 6,918,298 | 38.00 | 5.49 |
| 11 | New York | 19,811,855 | 35.33 | 1.78 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | 13,060,078 | 34.00 | 2.60 |
New York averages 35.33 police killings per year, ranking 11th nationally despite being the 4th most populous state. Its per-capita rate of 1.78 per million is dramatically lower than fellow high-volume states Texas (4.63) and Florida (4.43).
Looking at the study, Ashwin Madia, Trial Lawyer from Madia Law, commented:
“These numbers demand accountability. When a state consistently leads the nation in police killings year after year, it signals systemic failures in training, oversight, and the use of force. Every family deserves to know that an encounter with law enforcement will not end in death. This data makes clear that some states have far more work to do than others.”
Among large states, New York records the lowest per-capita rate of police killings
| Rank | State | Population (2023-2025) | Avg. People Killed Per Year | Rate Per Million |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia | 11,169,135 | 54.00 | 4.83 |
| 2 | Texas | 31,215,977 | 144.67 | 4.63 |
| 3 | Florida | 23,274,180 | 103.00 | 4.43 |
| 4 | North Carolina | 11,030,805 | 47.00 | 4.26 |
| 5 | California | 39,353,419 | 143.00 | 3.63 |
| 6 | Ohio | 11,870,613 | 40.33 | 3.40 |
| 7 | Michigan | 10,125,107 | 28.67 | 2.83 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 13,060,078 | 34.00 | 2.60 |
| 9 | Illinois | 12,679,316 | 28.00 | 2.21 |
| 10 | New York | 19,811,855 | 35.33 | 1.78 |
Among the 10 most populous states, New York’s rate of 1.78 per million is the lowest, followed by Illinois (2.21) and Pennsylvania (2.60). Georgia leads large states at 4.83 per million, more than 2.7 times New York’s figure.
New York police killings show a modest net decline across the three-year study period
| Year | People Killed by Police | State Population | Rate Per Million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 38 | 19,571,216 | 1.94 |
| 2024 | 33 | 19,867,248 | 1.66 |
| 2025 | 35 | 19,997,100 | 1.75 |
| 3-Year Average | 35.33 | 19,811,855 | 1.78 |
New York declined from 38 killings in 2023 to 35 in 2025, a 7.9% reduction, with its per-capita rate falling from 1.94 to 1.75 per million. The state’s combination of high population and low kill rate makes it a national outlier among comparably sized states.
Rhode Island and Vermont record the fewest police killings nationally
| Rank | State | Population (2023-2025) | Avg. People Killed Per Year | Rate Per Million |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rhode Island | 1,109,820 | 2.00 | 1.80 |
| 2 | Vermont | 648,078 | 2.00 | 3.09 |
| 3 | Delaware | 1,050,406 | 3.33 | 3.17 |
| 4 | South Dakota | 925,007 | 3.67 | 3.96 |
| 5 | Wyoming | 587,281 | 4.33 | 7.38 |
| 6 | North Dakota | 794,861 | 4.67 | 5.87 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | 1,408,982 | 5.00 | 3.55 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 7,114,447 | 5.33 | 0.75 |
| 9 | Nebraska | 2,002,305 | 5.67 | 2.83 |
| 10 | Hawaii | 1,444,061 | 5.67 | 3.92 |
Rhode Island and Vermont each average just 2.00 police killings per year, the lowest in the nation. New York’s rate of 1.78 per million places it closer to the safest states than to most comparably sized states nationally.
Methodology
This analysis used Mapping Police Violence data, covering police killings in the U.S. from 2023 to 2025. Average annual killings per state were calculated, with per-capita rates based on U.S. Census population estimates to allow fair comparisons. States were ranked by total and per-capita killings, as well as by region for deeper analytical insights.
Data Sources
Mapping Police Violence: https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/
Research Dataset: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1m98pqcydbK-SS1aS0vzAZsYrWEUIPrkWlzaXsZXuArY/edit?gid=0#gid=0
Research by: https://madialaw.com/
About Madia Law
The study was conducted by Madia Law, a Minnesota-based trial law firm focused on employment litigation, civil rights claims, and catastrophic injury cases. The firm represents families impacted by police misconduct or medical malpractice, as well as high-earning professionals facing wrongful termination or workplace discrimination. Preparing every case for trial from day one, Madia Law advocates aggressively to secure meaningful results for its clients.
