12 Most Dangerous Cities in Mexico by Homicides per Capita

Violent incidents have landed Mexico in headlines over the last handful of years, but let's be clear: There are dangerous places in every country. cloudayraw / Getty Images

The nation of Mexico is home 130 million people across 31 states (Mexico City is a separate entity but not a state in itself, similar to Washington, D.C. in the United States). Unfortunately due to a variety of factors, Mexican cities are often host to a violent crimes including homicide. Here, we'll detail the most dangerous cities in Mexico and give some info about their history.

In the past 20 years, the Mexican economy has trended downward while organized crime has expanded to supply illicit drugs to the United States and other foreign markets, leading to gang violence and other violent crimes. Drug cartels tend to operate in cities where they can establish drug trafficking routes, meaning port cities along the coast and border towns neighboring the U.S.

While researching, we used a national heat map created by Mexican data scientist Diego Valle-Jones, which details the homicide rates of individual cities based on statistics compiled from the Mexican Justice System over the past twelve months.

We then filtered this data to only select for local populations over 100,000 because towns with small sample sizes over a short period of time can create statistical outliers.

1. Manzanillo, Colima (134)

Manzanillo is one of the most active shipping ports in Mexico as well as a hub for domestic air travel, making it a likely site for trafficking through local drug markets as well as internationally. This area is known frequently as the most dangerous city in Mexico, as well as one of the most dangerous cities in the world.

The current homicide rate stands at 134 for a population only hovering around 200,000. Manzanillo was previously known as a tourist destination thanks to its beaches and accessibility, but foreign governments have more recently warned travelers against visiting the state of Colima due to the severe violence present in the region.

2. San Luis, Sonora (128.5)

San Luis lies just south of Yuma, Arizona, separated by the Colorado River. Its proximity to the neighboring U.S. city makes it a prime operating base for local criminal enterprises.

Its violent crime rate is currently 128.5 with a population of 209,000, nearly matching Manzanillo.

3. Apatzingán, Michoacán (128.3)

Unlike many dangerous cities in Mexico, Apatzingán is located inland away from the sea or the northern border. The city is important historically, as it was where Mexican independence from Spain was officially declared in 1814.

Unfortunately, Apatzingán today is the home of competing drug cartels and a major producer of methamphetamine in the region. The current homicide rate 128.3 with 129,000 residents.

4. Temixco, Morelos (115)

Temixco is a local manufacturing hub with 126,000 people and was once the site of an internment camp for Japanese immigrants during World War II. The city is also near historical monuments including the architecture of local indigenous tribes.

It's also become a hotbed for drug-related violence with a homicide 115 per 100,000 residents.

5. Villa de Álvarez, Colima (114)

Villa de Álvarez neighbors the Colima capital (listed below) and faces many of the same problems with drug gangs as its sister city. This municipality is one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the region, with a homicide rate of 114 for a population of 158,000.

The local economy is primarily centered around growing and shipping of fruits.

6. Cuatla, Morelos (113.1)

Cuatla, Morelos, was a significant place during the Mexican revolution of the 1910's, as many battles were fought in the surrounding region between Emiliano Zapata's forces and the federal army. Zapata's body was also buried in the city after his assassination in 1919.

A hundred years later, Cuatla is again a host to violence, with a homicide rate 113.1 across a population of 192,000.

7. Yautepec de Zaragoza, Morelos (97.2)

In historic times, this former Aztec city was a common point of travel for Catholic missionaries. Yautepec also features some of the most moderate climates in Mexico, so it is a frequent site of local festivals and is popular destination for swimming.

Like much of Morelos, it is also unfortunately subject to crime. The rate of violence stands at 97.2 with a population of 108,000.

8. Tecate, Baja California (95.2)

Like Tijuana, Tecate is a popular entry point into Mexico from California and is host to a variety of manufacturing industries including textiles, metals and plastics. As you might have guessed, it's also where Tecate beer is brewed.

Like other large border towns, this city has issues with drug trafficking and violent crime. The current population is 112,000 with a homicide rate of 95.2.

9. Zamora, Michoacán (91.6)

Zamora is a popular stop for tourists and religious locals alike because it contains a lot of surviving Catholic architecture from the colonial period. Its economy is primarily centered around agriculture and cattle ranching, but its position between major Mexican cities like Morelia and Guadalajara also make it a frequent site of gang violence, with a homicide rate of 91.6 across a population of 108,000.

10. Tijuana, Baja California (80.8)

Tijuana is Mexico's second most populous area after Mexico City, with just over 2 million residents. Its placement near the border has also made it consistently one of the most violent cities in the country, with a homicide rate of 80.8.

However, jobs in industries like automotive manufacturing keep people flocking to Tijuana, and many Americans are likely to pass through the city if entering Mexico by land.

11. Acapulco de Juárez, Guerrero (74.7)

This beach town south of Mexico City was once ranked among the top tourist destinations in Mexico thanks to its lavish resorts and cruise ship docks. Its position on Mexico's Pacific coast has also made it a staple of the shipping industry.

Unfortunately, recent years have been hard on Acapulco, with cartels installing local criminal markets and would-be tourists warned away from visiting the port city. The homicide rate stands at 74.7 for a population of 789,000.

12. Colima City, Colima (72.7)

This capital of the state of Colima features shipping ports as well as nearby agricultural industry. These things make the city relevant economically but also make it an opportune place for criminal activity and drug cartel battles. The current homicide rate is 72.2 for a population of 163,000.

Violent Crime in General Terms

To track instances of homicide in certain locations, statisticians have come up with a standard known as the homicide rate, which is the number of homicides reported per 100,000 residents over a given period of time, usually one year.

On a national scale, Mexico's homicide rate has pinged up and down, falling throughout the 1990s to a rate roughly comparable to that of the United States.

Starting in 2007, reported homicides begin to spike, possibly coinciding with increases of opioid and methamphetamine use in the U.S. The rate reached its peak in 2018 with 29.58 homicide deaths per 100,000, and now appears to be slowly dropping once again over the past five years.

Violence against women is also a particular concern for the Mexican government, as female victims have proportionally increased 135 percent since 2015.

The most likely problems connected to these homicide trends are drug trafficking, money laundering operations and corrupt police forces which are alleged to be under control by organized crime groups.

Like many other countries, cities in Mexico are often witness to gang violence. Mexico also contains hundreds of more rural areas which are relatively free of local criminal gangs and drug cartel conflict.