Download Crime Data

Original Data Sources

Our processed data is derived from these FBI sources:

• FBI Crime Data Explorer — Primary source for all crime statistics
• SRS Estimated Crimes 1979-2024 — National and state estimates
• Table 8: Offenses Known to Law Enforcement — City-level data by state
• Expanded Homicide Data — Victim/offender demographics, weapons, circumstances
• Persons Arrested — Arrest data by offense, demographics, state
• Hate Crime Statistics — Bias-motivated incidents

Data Format

All files are in JSON format for easy parsing in any programming language. Each dataset includes:

• metadata: Dataset name, version, last updated date, source
• data: Array of records with consistent field names
• fields: Data dictionary explaining each field

Example city record structure:

{
  "slug": "los-angeles-ca",
  "name": "Los Angeles",
  "state": "California",
  "stateAbbr": "CA",
  "population": 3898747,
  "violentCrimeRate": 732.4,
  "propertyCrimeRate": 2847.3,
  "murderRate": 6.7,
  "yoyChange": -8.2,
  "rank": 142
}

Usage Examples

Here are some common uses for these datasets:

• Research: Academic studies on crime trends, correlations, policy impacts
• Journalism: Data-driven reporting on local/national crime patterns
• Data visualization: Build interactive maps, charts, dashboards
• Machine learning: Train models to predict crime, identify patterns
• Policy analysis: Compare jurisdictions, evaluate interventions
• App development: Build safety apps, neighborhood guides, research tools

Data Updates

The FBI releases annual crime data each fall. We update all datasets as soon as new data is available. Current data reflects the 2024 reporting year, released August 5, 2025.

Update frequency: Annually (typically September/October)
Last update: August 5, 2025
Data through: December 31, 2024

Historical files from previous years are available upon request. Email us at info@thedataproject.ai.

Technical Notes

• Character encoding: UTF-8
• Line endings: LF (Unix-style)
• Compression: Files are served gzipped when requested with Accept-Encoding
• CORS: Enabled for browser-based requests
• Caching: Files are cached for 24 hours
• API: No API currently, but datasets are effectively a static API

Data Quality & Caveats

While we strive for accuracy, be aware of these limitations:

• Reporting gaps: Not all agencies report every year; missing data is noted
• Definition changes: FBI revised rape definition in 2013; historical comparisons affected
• NIBRS transition: 2017-2020 gap in national estimates due to methodology change
• Population estimates: Based on Census Bureau data; may not reflect seasonal variation
• Rounding: Rates are rounded to 1 decimal place for readability

For detailed methodology, see our Methodology page.

License

FBI data is in the public domain. Our processed JSON files are released under CC0 (public domain) — use them for any purpose without restriction. Attribution to OpenCrime and the FBI Crime Data Explorer is appreciated but not required.

Suggested citation:

OpenCrime. (2025). Processed FBI Crime Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.opencrime.us/downloads
Data source: Federal Bureau of Investigation. Crime Data Explorer. https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/

Questions or Bulk Access?

Need a different format? Want historical data? Building something cool? Let us know at info@thedataproject.ai. We're happy to help researchers, journalists, and developers working with crime data.