What is the crime rate in Wisconsin?
Updated annually
In 2024, for every 100,000 people, 279 violent crimes and 1,154 property crimes. Simply speaking, violent crimes are committed against people, property crimes are not. These crime rates do not include every violent and property crime, but rather four violent offenses and three property offenses that have been tracked since 1929.
278
violent crimes per 100K people (2024)
1,154
property crimes per 100K people (2024)
Compared to the US average, the violent crime rate in 2024 in Wisconsin was 22.4% lower, and its rate of property crime was 34.4% lower.
In 2024, both the violent and property crime rates in Wisconsin were lower than the US average.
Property and violent crimes per 100,000 people
Violent crimes involve force or the threat of force, and include:
- Murder and non-negligent manslaughter
- Rape
- Robbery (the FBI defines this as “... taking or attempting to take something of value from a victim ... by the use of force or threat of force ...”; the victim must be present).
- Aggravated assault
In 2024 in Wisconsin, 71.8% of all violent crimes were aggravated assaults; 14.2%, robberies; 12.5%, rapes; and 1.5%, murders.
Wisconsin ranked 30th among states for high violent crime rates (279 offenses per 100,000 people). The rate was highest in Alaska (724 offenses per 100,000 people) and lowest in Maine (100).
The violent crime rate in Wisconsin was 61.5% lower than in Alaska, which had the highest rate.
Violent crimes per 100,000 people, 2024
Property crimes involve the taking of money or property without force or the threat of it, and include:
- Burglary (the FBI defines this as “the unlawful entry into a building or some other structure to commit a felony or a theft”).
- Larceny-theft, often called stealing (the FBI defines this as “the unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another person”).
- Motor vehicle theft (not included in larceny-theft)
In 2024 in Wisconsin, 75.9% of all property crimes were larceny-thefts; 14%, motor vehicle thefts; and 10.2%, burglaries.
Wisconsin ranked 45th among states for high property crime rates (1,154 offenses per 100,000 people). The rate was highest in New Mexico (2,751 offenses per 100,000 people) and lowest in Idaho (736).
The property crime rate in Wisconsin was 58.0% lower than in New Mexico, which had the highest rate.
Property crimes per 100,000 people, 2024
Adding together property and violent crime creates an overall crime rate that enables us to examine general crime trends. Between 2023 and 2024, the overall crime rate in Wisconsin decreased by 6.7%. State-level changes ranged from a 16.4% decrease in the overall crime rate in Nebraska to a 0.78% increase in Maine. Across all states, the average overall crime rate decreased by 8.4% from the previous year. Also factored into the state average rate is Washington, DC, where the rate decreased 13%.
Between 2023 and 2024, the overall crime rate increased in 2 states.
Change in total offenses per 100,000 people, 2023 vs. 2024
Examining the crimes that drive changes to the overall crime rate, the violent crime rate in 2024 in Wisconsin went down 6.5% (versus a 5.4% decrease in the 50-state average) and the property crime rate fell 6.7% (versus a 9% decrease in the 50-state average). All seven offenses that comprise violent and property crime went down in Wisconsin in 2024.
Change in 2024 crime rate from prior year
| 1. | Murder | -16% |
| 2. | Rape | -12.3% |
| 3. | Robbery | -0.51% |
| 4. | Assault | -6.4% |
| 5. | Burglary | -11.8% |
| 6. | Larceny-theft | -6.2% |
| 7. | Motor vehicle theft | -5.6% |
| 8. | All violent crime | -6.5% |
| 9. | All property crime | -6.7% |
| 10. | Overall crime rate | -6.7% |
The number of offenses per 100,000 people in 2024 also varies across the country.
Detailed 2024 crime rate comparison, offenses per 100,000
| 1. | Murder | 4 |
| 2. | Rape | 35 |
| 3. | Robbery | 39 |
| 4. | Assault | 200 |
| 5. | Burglary | 117 |
| 6. | Larceny-theft | 876 |
| 7. | Motor vehicle theft | 161 |
| 8. | All violent crime | 279 |
| 9. | All property crime | 1,154 |
| 10. | Overall crime rate | 1,433 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.