Sexual abusers, offenders, predators, and pedophiles, all describe people no one would want to have around, or in close proximity to their home.
But the ugly truth is that according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the number of registered sex offenders in the US is 786,838, meaning there are around 264 sexual offenders per 100,000 people, with some states outnumbering others by far.
Read on for the data.
States With the Most Registered Sex Offenders
At present, Texas is the US state with the highest number of registered sex offenders at 100,989, followed by California, where there are 61,764. Bear in mind that these are also the second and third-largest states in the US.
New York ranks third with a total of 42,871 registered sex offenders.
Other states with a high number of registered sex offenders are:
- Michigan – 40,176
- Illinois – 33,269
- Oregon – 32,715
- Florida – 32,136
- North Carolina – 27,684
US States Ranked by the Number of Registered Sex Offenders
| State | Rank | Number of Registered Sex Offenders |
| Texas | 1 | 100,989 |
| California | 2 | 61,764 |
| New York | 3 | 42,871 |
| Michigan | 4 | 40,176 |
| Illinois | 5 | 33,269 |
| Oregon | 6 | 32,715 |
| Florida | 7 | 32,136 |
| North Carolina | 8 | 27,684 |
| Wisconsin | 9 | 26,353 |
| Pennsylvania | 10 | 25,639 |
| Georgia | 11 | 24,334 |
| Missouri | 12 | 23,291 |
| Tennessee | 13 | 22,168 |
| South Carolina | 14 | 20,923 |
| Ohio | 15 | 19,729 |
| Arkansas | 16 | 18,456 |
| Minnesota | 17 | 18,328 |
| Virginia | 18 | 15,162 |
| Indiana | 19 | 13,258 |
| Louisiana | 20 | 13,196 |
| Colorado | 21 | 12,323 |
| Kansas | 22 | 11,511 |
| Alabama | 23 | 11,157 |
| Arizona | 24 | 9,659 |
| Utah | 25 | 9,580 |
| Kentucky | 26 | 9,362 |
| Mississippi | 27 | 8,343 |
| Oklahoma | 28 | 7,856 |
| Nevada | 29 | 7,445 |
| Washington | 30 | 6,986 |
| Maryland | 31 | 6,560 |
| Iowa | 32 | 6,545 |
| West Virginia | 33 | 6,288 |
| Connecticut | 34 | 5,929 |
| Massachusetts | 35 | 5,665 |
| Nebraska | 36 | 5,333 |
| Idaho | 37 | 5,141 |
| New Jersey | 38 | 4,645 |
| Delaware | 39 | 4,253 |
| South Dakota | 40 | 4,080 |
| Alaska | 41 | 3,331 |
| Hawaii | 42 | 3,055 |
| Montana | 43 | 2,953 |
| Maine | 44 | 2,864 |
| New Mexico | 45 | 2,769 |
| New Hampshire | 46 | 2,576 |
| Wyoming | 47 | 2,497 |
| North Dakota | 48 | 2,005 |
| Rhode Island | 49 | 1,416 |
| Vermont | 50 | 1,256 |
| DC | 51 | 1,014 |
The Case of Texas
One might argue that the high number of sex offenders in the state is because Texas has stricter laws on sex offenders, but in essence, it all comes down to the crime committed and the registration requirement for the respective crime.
In Texas, depending on whether the defendant is considered low, moderate, high risk, or civil commitment, which is exclusively reserved for sexual predators, the registration period is from 10 years to a lifetime.
But, of course, the requirement to register as a sex offender in Texas involves other restrictions, including travel, residency, employment, community events, and even voting restrictions.
For instance, some sex offenders require special permission to travel, and most have limited housing options as they must not live (or loiter) within 1,000 feet of childcare facilities, schools, or the home of the victim.
Also, if their crime was in any way committed in the digital realm (such as downloading or sharing child pornography), they may be banned from using the internet or social media.
A convicted sex offender in Texas may also lose their voting rights until they have served their sentence and probation period.
According to Texas sex offender laws, crimes that typically require registration include:
- Aggravated sexual assault of a child or indecency with a child (exposure)
- Any indecency with a minor
- Possession and promotion of child pornography
- Sexual assault (minor included)
- Aggravated sexual assault (including on someone 65 or older)
- Aggravated kidnapping with the intent to sexually abuse or violate
- Compelling prostitution
- Prohibited sexual conduct (incest)
- Sexual performance of a child, induced or authorized
California
One could say that California has so many registered sex offenders because, until recently, all sex offenders were required to register for life, regardless of the crime. This made California one of the states with the strictest laws for sex offenders.
As of January 1st, 2022, a new law went into effect, allowing certain registered sex offenders to file a petition to be removed from the list as long as they meet certain eligibility criteria.
Moreover, California has a three-tier system for sex offenders requiring 10-year, 20-year, or life registration depending on the gravity of the crime.
States With the Most Sex Offenders Per Capita
Another way to answer the question of what state has the most sex offenders would be to look at the numbers per capita. Or, what is the number of registered sex offenders per 100,000 residents?
Looking at the numbers from this perspective, Oregon leads the pack with a staggering 772 sex offenders per 100,000 residents.
Arkansas and Alaska rank second and third, where the number of sex offenders per 100,000 residents is 606 and 454, respectively.
The list of states with the most sex offenders per 100,000 residents continues with:
- South Dakota – 448
- Wisconsin – 447
- Wyoming – 429
- Delaware – 418
- Michigan – 400
- South Carolina – 396
- Kansas – 392
Data also reveals that the number of registrations per year has been growing from 230 recorded in 2019 to 237 in 2023.
US States Ranked by the Number of Registered Sex Offenders per Capita
| State | Rank | Registered Sex Offenders per 100,000 Residents |
| Oregon | 1 | 772 |
| Arkansas | 2 | 606 |
| Alaska | 3 | 454 |
| South Dakota | 4 | 448 |
| Wisconsin | 5 | 447 |
| Wyoming | 6 | 429 |
| Delaware | 7 | 418 |
| Michigan | 8 | 400 |
| South Carolina | 9 | 396 |
| Kansas | 10 | 392 |
| Missouri | 11 | 377 |
| West Virginia | 12 | 354 |
| Texas | 13 | 336 |
| Minnesota | 14 | 321 |
| Tennessee | 15 | 314 |
| Louisiana | 16 | 287 |
| Mississippi | 17 | 284 |
| Utah | 18 | 283 |
| Nebraska | 19 | 271 |
| Montana | 20 | 267 |
| Idaho | 21 | 265 |
| Illinois | 22 | 264 |
| North Carolina | 23 | 259 |
| North Dakota | 24 | 257 |
| Nevada | 25 | 234 |
| Georgia | 26 | 223 |
| Alabama | 27 | 220 |
| New York | 28 | 218 |
| Hawaii | 29 | 212 |
| Colorado | 30 | 211 |
| Kentucky | 31 | 207 |
| Maine | 32 | 207 |
| Iowa | 33 | 204 |
| Pennsylvania | 34 | 198 |
| Oklahoma | 35 | 195 |
| Indiana | 36 | 194 |
| Vermont | 37 | 194 |
| New Hampshire | 38 | 185 |
| Virginia | 39 | 175 |
| Ohio | 40 | 168 |
| Connecticut | 41 | 164 |
| California | 42 | 158 |
| Florida | 43 | 144 |
| DC | 44 | 141 |
| Arizona | 45 | 131 |
| New Mexico | 46 | 131 |
| Rhode Island | 47 | 129 |
| Maryland | 48 | 106 |
| Washington | 49 | 90 |
| Massachusetts | 50 | 81 |
| New Jersey | 51 | 50 |
The Bottom Line
Staying informed about the crime rate in your area and knowing what state has the most sex offenders can mean all the difference. And given that classification and registration requirements vary across states, the number of sex offenders in your neighborhood can greatly influence any decision, whether you’re buying a home, planning on moving, or simply interested in the safety of your children.
