Fact check: In how many of the past 20 years has chicago had the highest per capita murder rate in the country

1. Summary of the results

Based on the available analyses, Chicago has not consistently held the highest per capita murder rate in the country over the past 20 years. However, the city has maintained troubling distinctions in violent crime statistics:

• Chicago has had the most total murders of any US city for 13 consecutive years ^{[1] [2]}
• For seven straight years, Chicago has had the highest murder rate among U.S. cities with more than 1 million people ^{[1] [2]}
• Cook County, which includes Chicago, had the most homicides in the nation with 805 in 2023 ^[3]

The distinction between total murders and per capita murder rates is crucial here. While Chicago leads in absolute numbers due to its large population, the analyses do not provide evidence that Chicago consistently ranked #1 nationally in per capita murder rates over the past two decades ^{[4] [5] [3]}.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual factors are absent from the original question:

• Recent crime trends show significant improvement: Chicago experienced a 33% reduction in homicides and 38% reduction in shootings under Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration ^[6]
• Chicago's homicide rate was 33% lower in the first half of 2025 compared to 2024, and 25% lower than 2019 ^[7]
• The city saw homicides drop in 2024 to nearly the 20-year average ^[4]
• Chicago's 2024 homicide rate was 21.1 per 100,000 residents ^[5]

The question focuses on historical rankings without acknowledging that other cities may have had higher per capita rates during various years within the 20-year timeframe. The analyses suggest that while Chicago has serious violence issues, the city's reputation may overshadow the fact that smaller cities often have higher per capita murder rates ^[8].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question contains an implicit assumption that Chicago has frequently or consistently held the highest per capita murder rate nationally, which the available evidence does not support. This framing could perpetuate misconceptions about Chicago's relative standing compared to other cities.

Political figures and media outlets benefit from emphasizing Chicago's violence statistics for various reasons - whether to criticize urban Democratic leadership or to advocate for specific policy positions. The question's framing aligns with narratives that focus on absolute numbers rather than per capita rates, which can be misleading when comparing cities of vastly different sizes.

The analyses reveal that Chicago's reputation for violence is "well-earned" ^[4], but the specific claim about consistently ranking #1 in per capita murder rates over 20 years lacks supporting evidence in the provided sources.