Which cities have the highest and lowest crime rates?

From 2021 to 2022, the national violent crime rate dropped for the second consecutive year, while the national property crime rate rose for the first time in two decades.

What is the violent crime rate?

The FBI divides violent crime into four categories: homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Aggravated assaults are the most prevalent, accounting for over 70% of all violent crime reported in the US. Homicides are the least common, making up about 1.7% of total reported violent crime.

The FBI estimated that there were about 381 reported violent crimes per 100,000 people in 2022, marking a 1.6% decrease from 2021. The drop in violent crime was driven by reductions in all types of crime except for robberies, which rose by 0.9%.

The violent crime rate has remained relatively steady since 2011, following a nearly 50% decline from 1991 to 2011. Violent crime rates peaked in 1991, with 758 offenses reported per 100,000 people.

How does violent crime compare between cities?

The FBI releases the latest crime data by city each quarter. Although complete data is unavailable for all cities, the FBI released reported violent crime rates for 2023^[1] in 236 US cities with populations over 100,000. The largest cities on the list include New York, Houston, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Philadelphia.

In 2023, Memphis, Tennessee, had the highest violent crime rate among the cities listed, with 2,572 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. Detroit, Michigan, and Little Rock, Arkansas, followed with rates of 2,005 and 1,815, respectively. Carmel, Indiana, had the lowest rate at 59.

What is the property crime rate?

In 2022, the national property crime rate ticked up 6.7%, the first time it has increased year-over-year since 2001. Like violent crime, property crime peaked in 1991 but has steadily decreased over the past three decades. Larceny, or theft, is the most common type, accounting for about 60% of all reported crime — property or violent — in 2022.

In 2022, there were an estimated 1,954 reported property crimes per 100,000 people.

How does property crime compare between cities?

The FBI published property crime data for 2023 in 236 US cities with populations over 100,000. As was the case with violent crime, Memphis also led in property crime with 8,463 incidents crimes per 100,000 people, followed by St. Louis (6,234) and Denver (5,783). Meridian, Idaho, had the lowest rate at 494 per 100,000.

Where is there missing crime rate data?

As of May 2024, the law enforcement agencies that report data to the FBI represent about 82% of the population. The states with the lowest coverage rates were Florida (42%) and Pennsylvania (43%). Additionally, some large cities, including Los Angeles and Chicago, did not submit data in 2023.

For more on crime data, check out our article on which states have the least and most crime and get the facts every week by signing up for our newsletter.