Crime Rates in the 10 Largest U.S. Cities, 2026
Crime Rates in the 10 Largest U.S. Cities: 2026 Snapshot from 2025 FBI Data
Among the 10 largest U.S. cities by July 1, 2025 Census population, Philadelphia has the highest calculated combined reported crime rate at 5,130.1 per 100,000, followed by Houston at 4,693.2 and San Antonio at 4,428.0.
This is an independent StatRanker calculation from official observed FBI Crime Data Explorer inputs. For each city, the metric adds the FBI 2025 violent-crime count and property-crime count, divides that sum by the population in the same FBI Table 8 city-agency row, and multiplies by 100,000. Higher calculated rates rank higher.
The comparison universe is independently defined by the U.S. Census Bureau's Vintage 2025 list of the most populous incorporated cities. Census population determines which 10 cities are included; it is not substituted into the FBI rate calculation because the FBI offense counts and FBI Table 8 population belong to the same reporting row.
The table is a compiled research dataset based on 5 sources, with row-level source and method notes shown in the ranking table. All 10 ranking values are calculated_value results derived from official observed 2025 inputs, not forecasts or projections.
Coverage: 10 of the 10 largest U.S. cities by Census Vintage 2025 population. Metric: combined reported violent + property crime rate. Unit: offenses per 100,000. Target year: 2025. Direction: descending. Status count: 10 calculated_value; 0 official_value; 0 official_forecast; 0 modeled_projection.
Philadelphia ranks first among the Census-defined 10 largest cities.
San Diego has the lowest calculated rate among the same 10 cities.
All cities in the Census Vintage 2025 Top 10 are represented by 2025 FBI Table 8 city-agency rows.
Median calculated from the 10 unrounded ranking values.
Every rate is calculated from official observed FBI inputs.
2026 publication snapshot based on FBI 2025 crime data and Census Vintage 2025 city population rankings.
What this crime-rate ranking measures
The metric is a StatRanker-calculated combined reported crime rate. It combines two official FBI Table 8 observed inputs: the violent-crime count and the property-crime count. The result is expressed per 100,000 people using the population listed in the same FBI city-agency row.
Combined rate
Violent crime count plus property crime count, divided by FBI Table 8 population and multiplied by 100,000.
Violent crime
The FBI grouping covers murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault.
Property-crime input
The calculation uses the property-crime total published in Table 8. The separate arson column is not added to the numerator.
How to read the rate
Philadelphia's 5,130.1 means that its 2025 FBI Table 8 violent and property offense counts, when combined and divided by the population in the same FBI row, equal approximately 5,130 reported offenses per 100,000 people.
Why Census and FBI population figures can differ
Census population is used only to define the 10-largest-city comparison universe. The crime-rate denominator comes from the FBI Table 8 row because the offense numerator and population denominator should refer to the same law-enforcement reporting context. Substituting a separate Census population into an FBI agency row would create a different calculation.
Top 5 crime rates among the 10 largest U.S. cities
Philadelphia ranks first in this defined comparison, followed by Houston and San Antonio. Dallas ranks fourth, while Chicago completes the Top 5.
Calculated combined reported crime rate per 100,000, FBI 2025 inputs
| Rank | City | Rate / 100K | Source / Method Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 5,130.1 | calculated_value; FBI 2025 inputs: population 1,562,379; violent 12,854; property 67,298. Formula: (V + P) / population × 100,000. |
| 2 | Houston, Texas | 4,693.2 | calculated_value; FBI 2025 inputs: population 2,413,559; violent 21,386; property 91,888. Formula: (V + P) / population × 100,000. |
| 3 | San Antonio, Texas | 4,428.0 | calculated_value; FBI 2025 inputs: population 1,549,306; violent 8,183; property 60,421. Formula: (V + P) / population × 100,000. |
| 4 | Dallas, Texas | 3,627.8 | calculated_value; FBI 2025 inputs: population 1,331,217; violent 7,650; property 40,644. Formula: (V + P) / population × 100,000. |
| 5 | Chicago, Illinois | 3,362.9 | calculated_value; FBI 2025 inputs: population 2,715,488; violent 11,417; property 79,901. Formula: (V + P) / population × 100,000. |
Ranking is calculated from the full-precision formula result before display rounding. Census Vintage 2025 population determines the comparison universe; FBI Table 8 population is the rate denominator.
Chart: Crime rates across the 10 largest U.S. cities
The bars use the same calculated raw values as the ranking table. Philadelphia is the 100% visual reference.
Unit: calculated reported violent + property offenses per 100,000 using official 2025 FBI Table 8 inputs.
Methodology
Comparison universe
The universe is the 10 most populous U.S. incorporated cities in the Census Bureau Vintage 2025 ranking for July 1, 2025.
Metric
Combined reported crime rate = FBI violent-crime count + FBI property-crime count, divided by the population in the same FBI Table 8 city-agency row.
Target year
All offense counts and FBI rate denominators are from 2025. The page is presented as a 2026 research snapshot because the detailed FBI 2025 annual data were released in 2026.
Value status
All 10 ranking values are calculated_value. The final rates are not directly published FBI rates and are not forecasts or projections.
Calculation formula
For every row, StatRanker calculates: (violent crime count + property crime count) / FBI Table 8 population × 100,000. The calculation uses full numeric inputs before the displayed rate is rounded to one decimal place.
Official observed inputs
The crime inputs come from the FBI Crime Data Explorer's 2025 City Agency CIUS Table 8. The FBI states that these tables contain agencies submitting 12 months of complete offense data for 2025. No secondary commercial crime ranking supplies the numeric ranking values on this page.
Why two population sources appear
Census Vintage 2025 population is used only to decide which cities belong in the comparison universe. The Census Top 10 is New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Diego, Dallas and Fort Worth.
The rate denominator is the population in each corresponding FBI Table 8 city-agency row. This keeps the offense numerator and population denominator aligned to the same FBI reporting context. Census and FBI population figures can differ slightly because they are produced for different statistical and reporting purposes.
Property crime and arson
The property-crime input is the property-crime total published in FBI Table 8. The table separately provides an arson column where available. StatRanker does not add that separate arson value to the property-crime total, so the calculation does not alter the FBI Table 8 property total.
Ranking, conflicts and missing values
Rank is descending from the raw calculated rate before display rounding. No conflicting secondary values are averaged. Official FBI inputs take priority for crime counts, while official Census data define the population-based inclusion universe and Census regions. No missing value is estimated, projected or modeled.
Assumptions and limits
The calculation assumes that the population published in each FBI Table 8 city-agency row is the appropriate denominator for the offense counts in that same row. The metric covers reported violent and property crime and does not measure unreported crime, neighborhood-level variation, personal victimization risk, police effectiveness or the causes of crime.
The FBI cautions against using UCR statistics as simplistic judgments about jurisdictions because population structure, commuting, economic conditions, reporting practices and other local factors differ. This ranking is therefore a reproducible statistical comparison within a clearly defined 10-city universe, not an official FBI ranking of city safety.
Main ranking: crime rates in the 10 largest U.S. cities
The ranking below is independently calculated from official 2025 FBI inputs. Use the controls to search, filter by Census region or change the display order. The original rank always remains the descending rank by raw calculated crime rate.
Combined reported violent + property crime rate per 100,000, calculated from FBI 2025 Table 8 inputs
| Rank | City | Rate / 100K | Source / Method Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 5,130.1 | calculated_value; FBI source year 2025, target 2025; inputs: population 1,562,379, violent 12,854, property 67,298; formula (12,854 + 67,298) / 1,562,379 × 100,000; Census 2025 city-population rank #6, population 1,574,281; Northeast. Assumption: FBI row population is the rate denominator; separate arson is not added. |
| 2 | Houston, Texas | 4,693.2 | calculated_value; FBI source year 2025, target 2025; inputs: population 2,413,559, violent 21,386, property 91,888; formula (21,386 + 91,888) / 2,413,559 × 100,000; Census 2025 city-population rank #4, population 2,397,315; South. Assumption: FBI row population is the rate denominator; separate arson is not added. |
| 3 | San Antonio, Texas | 4,428.0 | calculated_value; FBI source year 2025, target 2025; inputs: population 1,549,306, violent 8,183, property 60,421; formula (8,183 + 60,421) / 1,549,306 × 100,000; Census 2025 city-population rank #7, population 1,548,422; South. Assumption: FBI row population is the rate denominator; separate arson is not added. |
| 4 | Dallas, Texas | 3,627.8 | calculated_value; FBI source year 2025, target 2025; inputs: population 1,331,217, violent 7,650, property 40,644; formula (7,650 + 40,644) / 1,331,217 × 100,000; Census 2025 city-population rank #9, population 1,329,491; South. Assumption: FBI row population is the rate denominator; separate arson is not added. |
| 5 | Chicago, Illinois | 3,362.9 | calculated_value; FBI source year 2025, target 2025; inputs: population 2,715,488, violent 11,417, property 79,901; formula (11,417 + 79,901) / 2,715,488 × 100,000; Census 2025 city-population rank #3, population 2,731,585; Midwest. Assumption: FBI row population is the rate denominator; separate arson is not added. |
| 6 | New York, New York | 2,929.4 | calculated_value; FBI source year 2025, target 2025; inputs: population 8,496,850, violent 55,782, property 193,128; formula (55,782 + 193,128) / 8,496,850 × 100,000; Census 2025 city-population rank #1, population 8,584,629; Northeast. Assumption: FBI row population is the rate denominator; separate arson is not added. |
| 7 | Los Angeles, California | 2,903.2 | calculated_value; FBI source year 2025, target 2025; inputs: population 3,874,484, violent 25,870, property 86,613; formula (25,870 + 86,613) / 3,874,484 × 100,000; Census 2025 city-population rank #2, population 3,869,089; West. Assumption: FBI row population is the rate denominator; separate arson is not added. |
| 8 | Phoenix, Arizona | 2,724.1 | calculated_value; FBI source year 2025, target 2025; inputs: population 1,688,662, violent 11,727, property 34,274; formula (11,727 + 34,274) / 1,688,662 × 100,000; Census 2025 city-population rank #5, population 1,665,481; West. Assumption: FBI row population is the rate denominator; separate arson is not added. |
| 9 | Fort Worth, Texas | 2,568.9 | calculated_value; FBI source year 2025, target 2025; inputs: population 1,030,410, violent 3,827, property 22,643; formula (3,827 + 22,643) / 1,030,410 × 100,000; Census 2025 city-population rank #10, population 1,028,117; South. Assumption: FBI row population is the rate denominator; separate arson is not added. |
| 10 | San Diego, California | 1,911.3 | calculated_value; FBI source year 2025, target 2025; inputs: population 1,409,432, violent 5,247, property 21,691; formula (5,247 + 21,691) / 1,409,432 × 100,000; Census 2025 city-population rank #8, population 1,406,106; West. Assumption: FBI row population is the rate denominator; separate arson is not added. |
Every ranking row is independently calculated from official FBI 2025 observed inputs. Census Vintage 2025 is used to define the Top 10 city universe, not as a replacement denominator for FBI offense counts.
What stands out in the ranking
Key Insight
Philadelphia ranks first at 5,130.1 per 100,000, 436.9 points above Houston in second place.
Notable Pattern
Four Texas cities are in the Census Top 10 universe: Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Fort Worth. Their calculated rates range from 2,568.9 to 4,693.2.
Regional Concentration
The 10-city universe contains four Southern cities, three Western cities, two Northeastern cities and one Midwestern city. This describes the selected population universe, not regional crime prevalence.
Range
San Diego is the lowest-rate city in this comparison at 1,911.3. The difference between Philadelphia and San Diego is 3,218.9 offenses per 100,000.
What the ranking means
A higher position means a city has a higher combined rate of reported violent and property offenses within this defined comparison. The ranking does not say that the city has more total offenses than every city below it; the metric adjusts offense counts for the FBI population denominator.
Why city crime rates differ
Reported rates can vary with the offense mix, jurisdiction boundaries, population denominators, commuting and visitor patterns, reporting practices and many local social and economic conditions. These factors affect interpretation but do not establish a cause for any individual city's rate.
Why this is not a “most dangerous cities” list
The ranking measures reported violent and property crime in a specific Census-defined set of 10 large cities. It does not measure an individual's probability of being harmed, neighborhood-level safety, unreported crime or every condition relevant to quality of life.
The FBI specifically cautions against simplistic jurisdiction rankings based on UCR data alone. The table is best used as a transparent statistical comparison with a reproducible universe, official inputs and disclosed calculation method.
FAQ
Which of the 10 largest U.S. cities has the highest calculated crime rate?
Philadelphia ranks first at 5,130.1 reported violent-plus-property offenses per 100,000 using 2025 FBI Table 8 inputs.
Are these official FBI-published crime rates?
No. The FBI publishes the observed population and offense counts used as inputs. StatRanker calculates the combined rate from those official values, so every ranking row is classified as calculated_value.
What is the calculation formula?
The formula is (FBI violent crime count + FBI property crime count) / FBI Table 8 population × 100,000. Rank is based on the full-precision result before display rounding.
Why use Census data if the rate denominator comes from the FBI?
Census Vintage 2025 provides an objective universe: the 10 largest U.S. cities by July 1, 2025 population. The FBI population remains the denominator because it belongs to the same Table 8 reporting row as the offense counts.
Why can Census population and FBI population differ for the same city?
The two systems serve different statistical purposes and can use different population assignments or timing conventions. Using the FBI row population with FBI offense counts avoids combining a numerator from one reporting context with a denominator from another.
Is arson included in the calculation?
StatRanker uses the property-crime total exactly as published in FBI Table 8. The table's separate arson column is not added again to the numerator.
Why are only 10 cities included?
The page deliberately uses the Census Bureau's 10 most populous U.S. cities as a reproducible comparison universe. This avoids selecting cities because of their crime results and avoids mixing city, county and metropolitan-area rankings.
Why is this called a 2026 snapshot if the crime data are from 2025?
The observed crime year is 2025. The detailed FBI 2025 annual statistics were released in 2026, so the page is labeled as a 2026 research snapshot based on 2025 observed data.
Is this the same as a ranking of the most dangerous cities in America?
No. It ranks one disclosed statistical metric within the 10 largest Census cities. It does not evaluate all U.S. cities and should not be interpreted as a complete measure of personal safety or danger.
Sources
FBI Crime Data Explorer — 2025 City Agency CIUS Table 8
Primary official row-level source for 2025 city-agency population, violent-crime counts and property-crime counts used in every calculated_value row.
https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/
https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/s3/signedurl?key=cius%2F2025%2Foffenses-known-to-le-2025.zip
FBI — 2025 Reported Crimes in the Nation Statistics
Official release confirming the detailed 2025 annual crime-data publication in 2026 and providing national UCR release context.
https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/fbi-releases-2025-reported-crimes-in-the-nation-statistics
U.S. Census Bureau — Vintage 2025 City and Town Population Estimates
Official source used to define the comparison universe. Census Table 5 identifies the 10 most populous U.S. cities on July 1, 2025.
https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/vintage-2025-city-town-pop-estimates.html
U.S. Census Bureau — Census Regions and Divisions
Official geographic reference for Northeast, Midwest, South and West labels used in the ranking table and filter.
https://www2.census.gov/geo/pdfs/maps-data/maps/reference/us_regdiv.pdf
FBI — UCR Statistics: Their Proper Use
Official interpretive guidance used for the limitations section and the caution against treating crime statistics as simplistic judgments of jurisdictions.
