How does the 2025 D.C. homicide count compare to other major U.S. cities in per-capita terms?
Executive summary
Washington, D.C.’s homicide count in 2025 is down from the 2023 peak and trending lower year‑to‑date (MPD’s dashboard and multiple fact checks show roughly 99–126 reported homicides at various mid‑2025 checkpoints and 103 by one August tally), and several analyses say D.C. remains above many large cities on a per‑capita basis because of its small population—for example, 2024’s rate was 27.3 per 100,000, down from 39.4 in 2023 [1] [2]. National coverage shows homicides fell in many large cities in 2025, with a near‑20% drop across 52 cities in The Washington Post’s analysis [3].
1. D.C.’s headline numbers: falling counts but high rates
Washington, D.C.’s reported homicide counts for 2025 show a clear decline from the spike in 2023: reporting in mid‑2025 put year‑to‑date homicides in the high‑90s to low‑100s (examples include “99 homicides” as of August and other MPD tallies showing 103 by another count), and authorities and fact‑checkers cite a fall from 274 homicides in 2023 to 187 in 2024 [1] [4] [5]. Because D.C.’s resident population is relatively small, those counts translate to rates that have been notable in national comparisons—2024’s homicide rate of 27.3 per 100,000 was widely cited as substantially higher than many big cities’ rates even while declining from 2023’s 39.4 per 100,000 [1] [2].
2. How per‑capita comparisons work — and why D.C. looks worse
Per‑capita homicide comparisons use the number of killings divided by population; a small jurisdiction with dozens of murders can produce a high rate that exceeds much larger cities with higher raw counts. Several outlets and the White House fact sheet point out that D.C.’s rate in 2024 ranked among the highest in the country and was described as multiple times higher than New York City’s rate in some comparisons [6] [7]. Fact‑checkers cautioned that using older peak years [8] or comparing city rates to international cities without consistent population definitions can exaggerate impressions [5] [9].
3. The national picture: most big cities are down in 2025
Independent analyses show homicide declines across many large U.S. cities in 2025. The Washington Post’s analysis of 52 major departments found homicides down nearly 20% year‑to‑date in 2025, describing broad declines across red and blue cities and citing examples like Los Angeles moving toward its lowest totals since the pandemic [3]. The Council on Criminal Justice’s mid‑year reporting also shows the average change across many large cities was negative and flags that DC’s recent 12‑month patterns differ from peers [10].
4. Conflicting narratives and political framing
Political actors have used D.C. figures to make opposing claims: the White House and some officials have described D.C. as among the nation’s worst homicide rates and compared it starkly to large cities, while fact‑checkers and independent analysts emphasize the post‑2023 decline and warn against cherry‑picking older peak rates [6] [9] [5]. FactCheck.org and PBS found statements invoking 2023’s peak rate without acknowledging 2024–2025 declines to be misleading [9] [2].
5. Short‑term snapshots vs. longer trends
Analysts note the difference between short run year‑to‑date counts and rolling annual rates: some mid‑2025 snapshots (e.g., “96 through July,” “99 by August”) show declines versus the same periods in 2023–2024, but 12‑month rolling measures and comparisons with pre‑pandemic baselines produce mixed results—CCJ reports, for example, that D.C.’s homicide rate in July 2024–June 2025 was about 10% higher than July 2018–June 2019, while other half‑year measures show reductions compared with 2019 [10]. That means per‑capita ranking depends on the exact window chosen [10].
6. What the available sources do not settle
Available sources do not provide a single, up‑to‑date ranked list of 2025 per‑capita homicide rates for all major U.S. cities using the same methodology that would let us definitively state where D.C. ranks today versus peers; outlets instead offer partial snapshots, rolling windows, or different baselines [3] [10] [1]. To place D.C. precisely among peers in per‑capita terms for a specific date would require harmonized city counts and population denominators for that exact reporting window—data not consolidated in the materials provided here (not found in current reporting).
7. Bottom line for readers
D.C.’s homicide counts declined markedly from the 2023 peak into 2024 and through 2025, but because the District’s population is small those counts have produced per‑capita rates that have been higher than many larger cities; interpretations differ depending on whether you cite 2023 peaks, 2024 annual rates (27.3 per 100,000), or mid‑2025 year‑to‑date snapshots [1] [4] [5]. Journalistic and fact‑checking sources agree on the decline in 2025 even while they disagree about the best way to compare D.C. to other cities, so caution is required in using any single number to declare D.C. uniquely “worst” or “safe” [2] [9] [3].