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Wild West not that wild

Which is safer, the Wild West or present-day New York City? A look at the murder statistics shows that you were less likely to be killed in the notorious cowboy towns of the 1870s and 80s than in NYC today.

In Abilene, Ellsworth, Wichita, Dodge City, and Caldwell, for the years from 1870 to 1885, there were only 45 total homicides. This equates to a rate of approximately 1 murder per 100,000 residents per year.

By contrast, the 2007 murder rate in NYC was 6 per 100,000 residents and Baltimore’s was 45 per 100,000 residents. (via david galbraith)