Crime Trends in U.S. Cities: Year-End 2025 Update – Council on Criminal Justice

Crime Trends in U.S. Cities: Year-End 2025 Update

Overview and Scope of the Report

This report provides an update on crime trends in larger American cities, extending previous analyses conducted by the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) through December 2025. The study encompasses 40 cities selected based on the availability of crime data as of early January 2026. These cities vary in population size, from Cary, NC (approximately 180,000 residents) to New York City (around 8.3 million residents), with an average population of about 890,000 and a median of roughly 540,000.

Focus on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The analysis aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly:

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – by monitoring urban crime trends to promote safe and inclusive cities.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions – through the assessment of crime data to enhance justice systems and reduce violence.

Crimes Analyzed and Data Sources

The report examines changes in 13 crime categories between 2018 and 2025:

1. Homicide
2. Aggravated assault
3. Gun assault
4. Sexual assault/rape
5. Domestic violence
6. Robbery
7. Carjacking
8. Residential burglary
9. Nonresidential burglary
10. Larceny
11. Shoplifting
12. Motor vehicle theft
13. Drug offenses

Special emphasis is placed on homicide trends, reflecting their critical impact on community safety and justice (SDG 16). Trends in sexual assault have been newly incorporated into this series.

Crime data were sourced from city police department online portals providing monthly incident-level data from January 2018 through December 2025. Offense counts were standardized to monthly crime rates per 100,000 residents for comprehensive trend analysis.

Data Limitations and Considerations

• Variations exist in offense classifications across cities, and not all cities reported data for every crime category.
• The number of reporting cities ranges from 35 for homicide to 9 for carjacking; caution is advised when interpreting data with fewer reporting jurisdictions.
• Data were collected shortly after the study period ended to provide timely insights but may differ from later official police or FBI reports.
• Transition to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) may have influenced preliminary data accuracy.
• CCJ excludes offenses with significant discrepancies between collected and published data to maintain reliability.
• The sample may not fully represent all large U.S. cities or national crime trends.
• Underreporting of crimes to law enforcement means actual crime volumes may be higher than reported figures.

Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

By providing detailed, timely crime data, this report supports efforts to achieve SDG 11 and SDG 16 by:

• Informing policymakers and stakeholders to develop targeted interventions that enhance urban safety and justice.
• Enabling data-driven strategies to reduce violence and crime, thereby promoting peaceful and inclusive societies.
• Supporting transparency and accountability in criminal justice systems through accessible crime statistics.

Additional Resources

• Longer-term crime trends and fact sheets are available here.
• National historical crime and victimization data can be accessed via The Footprint: Tracking the Size of America’s Criminal Justice System.
• For detailed city and offense-specific data, refer to the Appendix.

1. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed or Connected

1. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • The article focuses on crime trends, including homicide, assault, robbery, and other offenses, which directly relate to promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, providing access to justice, and building effective institutions.
2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • Crime, especially violent crime such as homicide and assault, impacts the health and well-being of individuals and communities.

2. Specific Targets Under Those SDGs

1. SDG 16 Targets
   • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.
   • Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all.
   • Target 16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.
2. SDG 3 Targets
   • Target 3.4: Reduce by one third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases and promote mental health and well-being, which can be impacted by crime and violence.

3. Indicators Mentioned or Implied in the Article

1. Indicators for SDG 16
   • Number of homicides per 100,000 population (Indicator 16.1.1).
   • Number of victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population, by sex and age (Indicator 16.1.1 disaggregated).
   • Rates of other crimes such as aggravated assault, gun assault, sexual assault/rape, domestic violence, robbery, carjacking, burglary, larceny, shoplifting, motor vehicle theft, and drug offenses as measures of violence and crime prevalence.
   • Availability and quality of crime data from police departments and law enforcement agencies.
2. Indicators for SDG 3
   • Mortality rates due to violence and injuries related to crime.
   • Incidence of mental health issues related to exposure to crime and violence (implied).

4. Table of SDGs, Targets and Indicators

Source: counciloncj.org