Crime Rates Fell Across US Cities in 2025

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Crime continued to decline in 2025, with homicides down 21% from 2024 and 44% from a peak in 2021, according to a new analysis of crime trends in 40 large U.S. cities released by the nonpartisan think tank Council on Criminal Justice. The study found that 11 of the 13 offense types analyzed were lower in 2025 than in 2024, with nine dropping by 10% or more.

Why it matters

The downward trends extend beyond homicides, with reported incidents of aggravated assaults, gun assaults, robberies, burglaries, larcenies, and domestic violence all declining. If federal nationwide data reflects similar trends, the national homicide rate could fall to its lowest level in more than a century, signaling a potential shift in public safety across the country.

The details

The Council on Criminal Justice study analyzed 13 types of offenses in 40 large U.S. cities that have consistently published monthly data over the past eight years. Researchers found that drug offenses were the only category to rise, while sexual assaults remained unchanged. Carjackings and shoplifting also declined sharply, with reported carjackings falling 61% from 2023 and reported shoplifting dropping 10% from 2024.

• In 2025, reported incidents of aggravated assaults fell 9%, gun assaults 22%, robberies 23%, residential burglaries 17%, nonresidential burglaries 18%, larcenies 11%, and domestic violence 2%.
• Homicides were 25% lower than in 2019, with Baltimore seeing the largest drop at 60%. Milwaukee had the largest increase in homicides, at 42%.
• Compared to 2019 levels, burglaries fell 45%, larcenies 20%, drug offenses 19%, and shoplifting 4%.
• Homicides fell 44% from their 2021 peak, gun assaults fell 44%, aggravated assaults 19%, domestic violence 23%, robbery 39%, carjackings 61%, residential burglaries 51%, and motor vehicle thefts 43%.