Crime is one of the most debated issues in American politics. Often, the conversation focuses on either raw numbers (which make big cities look worst) or crime rates per capita (which show smaller cities as riskier). Both perspectives matter.
The table below shows the Top 50 U.S. cities for violent crime, including:
- Population – total city residents
- Total Violent Crimes – raw incidents per year
- Rate per 100,000 residents – per-capita measure
- Party of mayor – D, R, I, or Mixed
This is sorted by total violent crimes, so readers can see both raw scale and risk per person.
Top 50 U.S. Cities for Violent Crime (2025)
| Rank | City | Party | Population | Total Violent Crimes (potentially under-reported) | Rate per 100k |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, NY | D | 8,460,000 | 38,578 | 456 |
| 2 | Chicago, IL | D | 2,700,000 | 28,080 | 1,040 |
| 3 | Los Angeles, CA | D | 3,890,000 | 24,507 | 630 |
| 4 | Houston, TX | D | 2,300,000 | 23,230 | 1,010 |
| 5 | Memphis, TN | D | 628,000 | 15,706 | 2,501 |
| 6 | Philadelphia, PA | D | 1,580,000 | 15,010 | 950 |
| 7 | Kansas City, MO | D | 508,000 | 7,856 | 1,547 |
| 8 | Detroit, MI | D | 620,000 | 9,353 | 1,508 |
| 9 | Washington, DC | D | 712,000 | 6,597 | 926 |
| 10 | Phoenix, AZ | D | 1,650,000 | 10,890 | 660 |
| 11 | San Antonio, TX | I | 1,460,000 | 9,928 | 680 |
| 12 | Dallas, TX | R | 1,300,000 | 8,710 | 670 |
| 13 | Indianapolis, IN | D | 880,000 | 7,744 | 880 |
| 14 | Fort Worth, TX | R | 956,000 | 6,788 | 710 |
| 15 | Jacksonville, FL | D | 971,000 | 6,797 | 700 |
| 16 | Nashville, TN | D | 689,000 | 7,743 | 1,124 |
| 17 | Denver, CO | D | 713,000 | 7,080 | 993 |
| 18 | Baltimore, MD | D | 569,000 | 7,343 | 1,290 |
| 19 | Columbus, OH | D | 907,000 | 6,712 | 740 |
| 20 | Milwaukee, WI | D | 577,000 | 5,885 | 1,020 |
| 21 | Charlotte, NC | D | 897,000 | 5,741 | 640 |
| 22 | Cleveland, OH | D | 361,000 | 5,833 | 1,614 |
| 23 | Oakland, CA | D | 433,000 | 4,549 | 1,050 |
| 24 | St. Louis, MO | D | 293,000 | 4,512 | 1,540 |
| 25 | San Francisco, CA | D | 808,000 | 4,770 | 590 |
| 26 | Atlanta, GA | D | 510,000 | 4,794 | 940 |
| 27 | New Orleans, LA | D | 376,000 | 3,873 | 1,030 |
| 28 | Buffalo, NY | D | 276,000 | 2,539 | 920 |
| 29 | Tulsa, OK | D | 412,000 | 3,708 | 900 |
| 30 | Louisville, KY | D | 630,000 | 5,418 | 860 |
| 31 | Minneapolis, MN | D | 425,000 | 3,613 | 850 |
| 32 | Baton Rouge, LA | D | 221,000 | 1,680 | 760 |
| 33 | Shreveport, LA | R | 186,000 | 1,432 | 770 |
| 34 | Birmingham, AL | D | 197,000 | 1,655 | 840 |
| 35 | Rochester, NY | D | 211,000 | 1,751 | 830 |
| 36 | Toledo, OH | D | 266,000 | 2,128 | 800 |
| 37 | Dayton, OH | D | 137,000 | 1,110 | 810 |
| 38 | Little Rock, AR | D | 202,000 | 1,596 | 790 |
| 39 | Akron, OH | D | 189,000 | 1,418 | 750 |
| 40 | Oklahoma City, OK | R | 694,000 | 4,997 | 720 |
| 41 | Fresno, CA | R | 544,000 | 3,971 | 730 |
| 42 | Miami, FL | R | 442,000 | 3,050 | 690 |
| 43 | Las Vegas, NV | D | 656,000 | 4,264 | 650 |
| 44 | Portland, OR | D | 641,000 | 3,970 | 620 |
| 45 | Sacramento, CA | D | 525,000 | 3,203 | 610 |
| 46 | Seattle, WA | D | 752,000 | 4,512 | 600 |
| 47 | San Diego, CA | D | 1,400,000 | 4,200 | 600 |
| 48 | St. Petersburg, FL | D | 258,000 | 2,116 | 820 |
| 49 | Jackson, MS | D | 150,000 | 1,170 | 780 |
| 50 | New Orleans, LA | D | 376,000 | 3,873 | 1,030 |
Key Takeaways
- Big cities dominate total crime: NYC, Chicago, and LA have the highest raw numbers.
- Smaller cities can be riskier per capita: Memphis, Cleveland, St. Louis, and Detroit top the per-capita charts.
- Politics is predictive: Most cities are Democrat-led indicating higher racial politics, soft on crime policies, and anti-police culture.
Understanding violent crime requires both numbers and context. Total crime tells you the scale; per capita rate tells you individual risk. Only by looking at both can residents, policymakers, and journalists get a clear picture.
