The Death Penalty Information Center is pleased to offer a new page illustrating the geography of the death penalty—Executions by County. This page shows the top 15 counties in the U.S. measured by the number of executions since 1976 that emanated from these counties. As revealed on the map, a small number of counties are responsible for a disproportionate number of executions. (Click on the map at left to enlarge.) The information contrasts with the counties that have had the most murders, which is also provided.

The top 15 counties accounted for 32% of the executions (402) in the U.S. since 1976, even though they represent less than 1% of the total number of counties in the country. Counties in Texas accounted for 9 out of the top 15 jurisdictions by executions since 1976. The page also lists the top counties by execution outside of Texas. DPIC’s newly revised Execution Database enables you to sort executions by county and by state for further analysis.

(Executions by County, DPIC Posted, October 7, 2011). See Executions and Arbitrariness.