Crime Trends Drop Across Major U. S. Cities in 2025

The new report pulls together information from 67 leading police departments, painting a picture that every major category—homicides, rapes, robberies, and aggravated assaults—has slipped.

Key Findings

• Homicides: Fell by 19%
• Rapes: Fell by 9%
• Robberies: Fell by 20%
• Assaults: Fell by nearly 10%

Regional Highlights

Sun Belt and Southern States

• Orlando and Tampa reported more than a half-century drop in killings.
• Western cities such as Seattle, Denver, Honolulu, and Albuquerque also saw significant reductions.

Midwest and Northeast

• Baltimore and Chicago each logged a roughly 30% decline in homicides last year.
• Memphis and Portland followed with a 25% cut.

Exceptions

• Boston, El Paso, Fort Worth, Milwaukee, Omaha, Wichita, and Mesa still see rising homicide rates.
• Suffolk and Nassau counties in New York also reported increases.

Policy Implications

• The Trump administration has used the report to highlight policy successes, pointing to a 125-year low in murder rates.
• Officials claim that federal aid helped curb crime in Washington, D.C., and other hotspots.
• However, independent studies suggest that the downward trend began during President Biden’s term, after a pandemic-related spike in 2020.
• One analysis links the initial surge to unemployed men and teenage boys who were out of school during lockdowns.

Expert Caution

• While the numbers point to a hopeful shift in urban safety, experts caution that the story is still unfolding.
• Understanding why some cities improve while others lag will be key to sustaining this progress.