How does D.C.'s 2025 murder rate compare to other major U.S. cities in 2025?
Executive summary
Washington, D.C.’s homicide count and rate fell in 2025 compared with 2024: the Council on Criminal Justice reports D.C.’s homicide rate dropped 19% in Jan–June 2025 versus the same period in 2024, and local reporting showed 96 murders through July 2025, down 11% from a year earlier [1] [2]. At the same time, national and multi‑city data show homicide rates fell substantially across many major U.S. cities in 2025 — roughly a mid‑teens to near‑20% decline in several samples — so D.C.’s improvement tracks a broader national trend [3] [4] [5].
1. D.C.’s 2025 downward swing — measurable but not unique
D.C.’s homicide rate moved decisively lower in 2025: CCJ’s mid‑year analysis finds a 19% drop in D.C. homicides for January–June 2025 versus the same period in 2024, and crime analysts report 96 homicides through July (an 11% year‑over‑year drop) [1] [2]. Local open data are described as “preliminary” and subject to revision, so while declines are consistent across sources the exact final annual rate can shift as cases and classifications are updated [6].
2. How that compares to other big cities: similar declines, different baselines
Multiple national trackers and city reports show broad homicide declines in 2025: the Council on Criminal Justice and the Major Cities Chiefs Association summarize mid‑year and nine‑month samples where many large cities recorded double‑digit drops, with overall homicide declines around the mid‑teens to nearly 20% in some samples [3] [4]. Washington Post analysis of 52 major cities found homicides down nearly 20% through much of 2025; CCJ’s average change across 30 large cities was −17% for the same half‑year window [5] [1]. In other words, D.C.’s 19% mid‑year decline is roughly in line with the average improvement across several city samples [1] [3].
3. Absolute rates matter: D.C. started higher, so reductions still leave it comparatively elevated in some reports
Comparisons depend on metric and baseline. Some outlets emphasize that D.C. had among the higher homicide rates in recent federal data (for example, 2023–2024 comparisons cited elsewhere show much higher historical rates), and political commentators have contrasted D.C.’s levels with lower‑rate big cities [7] [8]. However, CCJ notes that D.C.’s first‑half‑2025 homicide rate was only 3% lower than the same half‑year in 2019 and that the city’s decline was similar or slightly stronger than the 30‑city average [1].
4. Different datasets, different city lists — watch the sample
Be careful: studies use different city sets and cutoffs. CCJ’s mid‑year figures cover 30–42 cities depending on offense type; Axios reviewed data from 67 agencies; the Washington Post used 52 cities [3] [4] [5]. That matters because a city’s rank or relative position changes when you compare only the largest 20 cities versus broader lists that include mid‑sized jurisdictions [3] [4].
5. Political narratives and fact checks — contested framing
D.C.’s crime trends became a political flashpoint in 2025. The White House and some commentators framed D.C. as having an exceptionally high homicide rate, while fact‑checking outlets and local analysts pointed to falling counts in 2025 and cautioned against using older 2023 figures to characterize the current year [7] [9]. PBS noted that as of August 2025 there were 99 homicides versus 112 a year earlier and that a chart cited by political actors reflected 2023 rates, not the improved 2024–2025 picture [9].
6. What the numbers do and don’t tell you
Available sources document clear year‑over‑year declines in D.C. and many U.S. cities in 2025, but they also stress limits: city tallies are preliminary and can be revised, different studies use different city groups and time windows, and absolute ranking depends on whether you use per‑capita rates, raw counts, or selected comparison sets [6] [3] [1]. Reporting that portrays D.C. as uniquely the worst or unchanged since prior peaks does not match mid‑2025 data showing a sizable drop in homicides [9] [1].
7. Bottom line — D.C. improved, and so did much of the country
D.C.’s homicide rate fell in 2025 (about a 19% drop in the first half of the year; 96 homicides through July), and that improvement mirrors broad declines across many major U.S. cities where homicide counts and rates also fell by mid‑teens to nearly 20% in 2025 samples [1] [2] [4]. Whether D.C. still ranks among the highest depends on which year and dataset you use; mid‑year 2025 evidence indicates meaningful progress but not a clear reversal of all historical disparities [1] [9].
Limitations: this analysis relies only on the supplied sources; final 2025 year‑end tallies and FBI annual summaries are not in the provided set and could alter rankings (available sources do not mention final 2025 year‑end FBI numbers).