This won't surprise you: Florida's a violent place, and so is Miami-Dade.
In fact, you're probably getting whacked with a machete while you read this: while violence and its aftermath costs our nation's economy approximately $460 billion in 2011, Florida accounted for a whopping $34.28 billion all by itself, paying heavily for everything from medical care for victimes to less direct costs like productivity.
That statistic is according to the Institute for Economics and Peace's 2nd annual United States Peace Index, which was issued Tuesday. The USPI takes into account five factors when judging 50 states and 61 metro areas-- homicide rates, the number of violent crimes, incarceration rates, the number of police employees, and availability of small arms -- and then ranks them according to their peacefulness.
Though the study claims the U.S. is at its most peaceful time in 20 years, the Sunshine State isn't going following quietly: for the second year in a row, Florida is the fourth most violent state, and all 6 major metro Florida areas -- Miami-Dade, West Palm Beach-Boca-Boynton, Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, Orlando-Kissimmee, and Fort Lauderdale-Pompano -- made the bottom 50 percent, with Miami-Dade coming in a sad 4th behind Detroit, New Orleans, and Nashville.
Perhaps its time to reconsider that rehab bill? Just sayin'.
Check out what violence costs the ten most peaceful and ten most violent U.S. states in 2012:
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