Claim Check · Crime
“California has lower homicide rates than Alabama, Arkansas and Oklahoma.”
Verdict: Mostly TrueFederal mortality data support the comparison: California's per-capita homicide rate is below those of Alabama, Arkansas and Oklahoma. The exact ranking can shift by year and dataset, but the core claim holds.
In posts on X on June 10, 2025, Gov. Gavin Newsom said California has lower homicide rates than Alabama, Arkansas and Oklahoma.
CDC mortality data show California's age-adjusted homicide rate is lower than those three states - the basis PolitiFact used in rating the claim Mostly True. Rankings can vary depending on the year and whether FBI or CDC figures are used, and a rate says nothing about total counts in a state as large as California. But measured per capita, Newsom's comparison is supported by the data.
Sources
- Fact-checking Gavin Newsom — PolitiFact
- Underlying Cause of Death — CDC WONDER
Share graphic