Why It Matters
Crime rates across the United States dropped significantly in 2024, marking a continued retreat from pandemic-era highs. The decline affects public safety conditions nationwide, though some states still report violent and property crime rates well above the national average. Policymakers and law enforcement agencies use these figures to allocate resources and evaluate the effectiveness of criminal justice strategies.
What Happened
Two new reports from the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics document broad reductions in crime during 2024. Violent offenses reported to police fell 5.8 percent, dropping from 393.9 incidents per 100,000 people in 2023 to 370.8 in 2024. Property crime rates declined 9 percent over the same period, moving from 2,019.7 to 1,835.1 per 100,000 people.
Homicides saw one of the sharpest decreases among violent offenses. The homicide rate dropped 16 percent, from 6.1 per 100,000 people in 2023 to 5.1 in 2024. Rape, robbery, and aggravated assault rates also fell during the year.
Property offenses declined across multiple categories. Motor vehicle theft recorded the largest drop, falling 18 percent from 2023 to 2024. Burglary and larceny-theft rates also decreased.
By the Numbers
Violent crime rate declined 5.8% nationally in 2024. Property crime rate fell 9% over the same period. Homicide rate dropped 16%, from 6.1 to 5.1 per 100,000 people. Motor vehicle theft declined 18% from 2023 to 2024. Fourteen states recorded violent crime rates above the national average in 2024.
Regional Variations
Despite the nationwide decline, some states continue to experience higher-than-average crime rates. In 2024, fourteen states had violent crime rates above the national figure. New Mexico led the nation, followed by Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, and California.
Sixteen states reported property crime rates above the national average. New Mexico again topped the list, with Colorado, Washington, Louisiana, and Oregon rounding out the top five.
Data Collection
Crime data typically lags by months or years at both national and state levels. The two reports drew from the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System, which compiles law enforcement data, and the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Crime Victimization Survey, which captures both reported and unreported nonfatal offenses.
A second report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics examined crime trends over a ten-year period using both law enforcement records and victim survey data. Because many crimes go unreported to police, the victimization survey provides a broader picture of criminal activity by including incidents that never resulted in police reports.
What’s Next
Updated national data for 2025 is expected later this year from the FBI’s reporting system and the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ victimization survey. Those reports will show whether the downward trend in crime rates continued into the current year or if conditions have changed.