US Crime Rate 2024
Key Insights
- →America's violent crime rate of 359.1 per 100K is the lowest since the early 1970s — before the crack epidemic, before mass incarceration.
- →The murder rate peaked at 10.2 per 100K in 1980 and again at 9.8 in 1991. Today it's 5.0 — a 51% drop.
- →Property crime has fallen even more dramatically — down 60%+ from the 1991 peak — though motor vehicle theft bucked the trend with a post-COVID surge.
- →Despite the data, 78% of Americans consistently tell Gallup they believe crime is rising — one of the largest perception gaps in public opinion.
National Crime Statistics at a Glance
In 2024, the United States recorded 1,221,345 violent crimes — a rate of 359.1 per 100,000 residents. This represents a 5.4% decline from 2023 and continues the long-term downward trend in American crime.
The murder rate fell to 5.0 per 100,000 — a 15.7% drop from the previous year and the lowest rate in over a decade. The US population was 340,110,988.
2024 Crime Breakdown
| Crime Type | Total | Rate per 100K |
|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime (Total) | 1,221,345 | 359.1 |
| Murder | 16,935 | 5.0 |
| Rape | 127,527 | 37.5 |
| Robbery | 205,952 | 60.6 |
| Aggravated Assault | 870,931 | 256.1 |
| Property Crime (Total) | 5,986,400 | 1760.1 |
| Burglary | 779,542 | 229.2 |
| Larceny-Theft | 4,326,531 | 1272.1 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 880,327 | 258.8 |
Historical Context
US violent crime peaked in 1991 at 758.2 per 100,000, with a murder rate of 9.8. Since then, violent crime has fallen by more than half. The 2024 rate of 359.1 is roughly comparable to rates last seen in the late 1960s.
There was a notable spike in 2020-2021, widely attributed to pandemic-related disruptions, but rates have since fallen below pre-pandemic levels and continue to decline.
Historical Crime Rates 2005–2024 (CIUS Data)
The following table shows crime rates per 100,000 population from the FBI's Crime in the United States (CIUS) reports, covering 2005 through 2024. This provides a granular view of how each crime type has trended over two decades.
| Year | Violent | Murder | Robbery | Assault | Property |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 487.6 | 5.9 | 30.6 | 150.4 | 300.7 |
| 2006 | 477.5 | 5.7 | 29.8 | 150.1 | 291.9 |
| 2007 | 472.7 | 5.7 | 28.8 | 149.3 | 288.8 |
| 2008 | 456.2 | 5.4 | 27.9 | 145.9 | 277.0 |
| 2009 | 430.5 | 5.0 | 27.8 | 133.3 | 264.4 |
| 2010 | 404.9 | 4.8 | 27.9 | 119.2 | 253.1 |
| 2011 | 387.3 | 4.7 | 27.0 | 113.9 | 241.7 |
| 2012 | 387.3 | 4.8 | 27.0 | 113.0 | 242.6 |
| 2013 | 380.1 | 4.5 | 25.4 | 108.9 | 229.3 |
| 2014 | 372.4 | 4.4 | 25.7 | 101.2 | 229.7 |
| 2015 | 382.8 | 4.9 | 26.6 | 101.3 | 237.6 |
| 2016 | 397.8 | 5.4 | 28.3 | 102.9 | 248.9 |
| 2017 | 388.9 | 5.6 | 29.1 | 95.4 | 245.9 |
| 2018 | 380.2 | 5.1 | 31.6 | 84.9 | 245.7 |
| 2019 | 375.5 | 5.1 | 31.0 | 79.7 | 246.5 |
| 2020 | 392.3 | 6.7 | 28.2 | 71.6 | 273.8 |
| 2022 | 389.6 | 6.6 | 30.9 | 67.2 | 273.0 |
| 2023 | 379.5 | 5.9 | 28.7 | 67.1 | 266.6 |
| 2024 | 359.1 | 5.0 | 27.0 | 60.6 | 256.1 |
Source: FBI Crime in the United States (CIUS) Table 1. Rates per 100,000 population.
Who Gets Arrested? Demographics by Race
The FBI tracks the race and ethnicity of individuals arrested nationwide. These figures reflect arrest patterns — not conviction rates or the true distribution of criminal behavior. Policing intensity, socioeconomic factors, and systemic inequities all influence who gets arrested.
| Race | Arrests | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 4,225,897 | 65.5% |
| Black or African American | 1,965,911 | 30.5% |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 134,688 | 2.1% |
| Asian | 103,274 | 1.6% |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 25,119 | 0.4% |
| Total | 6,454,889 | 100% |
Crime Rate by State
Crime rates vary enormously by state. The top 5 states by violent crime rate in 2024:
| Rank | State | Violent Rate | Murder Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 1005.5 | 25.5 |
| 2 | Alaska | 724.1 | 6.9 |
| 3 | New Mexico | 717.1 | 10.5 |
| 4 | Tennessee | 592.3 | 7.9 |
| 5 | Arkansas | 579.4 | 7.3 |
| 6 | Louisiana | 519.8 | 10.8 |
| 7 | California | 486.0 | 4.5 |
| 8 | Colorado | 476.3 | 4.5 |
| 9 | Missouri | 462.0 | 7.8 |
| 10 | Kansas | 438.7 | 3.8 |
Explore More
- Interactive Crime Dashboard — 45 years of trends with charts
- Safest Cities in America — Complete safety rankings
- Most Dangerous Cities — Highest crime rate cities
- Compare Cities — Side-by-side comparison tool
- City Safety Score — Get a safety grade for any city
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer, SRS Estimated Crimes. Last updated August 2025.
Data last updated: March 2026 · Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer