Fact check: Which cities in the US had the highest murder rates in 2024?

1. Why private compilations point to hotspots and what they claim

Private compilations published in mid-to-late 2024 present lists of the U.S. cities with the highest homicide rates in 2024, and they commonly place Chicago, Memphis, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Cleveland, and Atlanta near the top of those lists, often with slight rank differences depending on methodology ^{[1] [2]}. These outlets explicitly provide city rankings and rate calculations for 2024 and note multi-year trends such as persistent high homicide rates in certain cities despite overall declines elsewhere; the lists are aimed at readers seeking city-level comparisons rather than national aggregates ^{[1] [2]}. Private lists fill a reporting gap the FBI dataset does not directly supply.

2. What the FBI’s 2024 national report actually says—and omits

The FBI’s Reported Crimes in the Nation for 2024, released in 2025, documents a 14.9% year‑over‑year decrease in murder and non‑negligent manslaughter rates and notes declines across violent crime categories, with coverage of submissions from more than 16,000 agencies representing roughly 95.6% of the U.S. population ^{[3] [4]}. The FBI’s public statements emphasize national-level trends and comparisons to historic baselines, noting crime at decades-low levels, but the bureau’s summary does not provide a ranked list of cities with the highest murder rates, leaving a gap that private compilers attempt to fill ^{[3] [5]}. This omission is critical for city-level comparisons.

3. How differences in methods produce different city rankings

Private lists and the FBI’s aggregate report diverge because they use different denominators, time windows, and inclusion criteria; private compilers typically calculate homicides per 100,000 residents for 2024 using municipal populations and reported counts, while the FBI focuses on nationwide totals and trend percentages across reporting agencies without publishing a comparable ranked city table ^{[1] [2] [3]}. Variations in whether suburbs, metro areas, or municipal boundaries are used, and differences in data cleaning and provisional counts, produce notable rank shifts between compilers. This methodological variance explains why multiple lists can all be “correct” within their frameworks ^{[1] [2]}.

4. Temporal tension: 2024 city lists vs. 2025 national numbers

Private sources published their city-level rankings in 2024, reflecting homicide counts during that calendar year, whereas the FBI’s 2024 summary was released in August 2025 and frames the year through a national lens showing declines; both are factual but address different questions—“Which cities had the highest per‑capita homicide rates in 2024?” versus “How did overall reported murders change nationwide in 2024?” ^{[1] [2] [4]}. Reconciling them requires accepting that city-level hotspots can exist even as the national murder rate falls, a nuance visible in the simultaneous reporting from private compilers and the FBI ^[4].

5. Assessing potential agendas and reliability in each source

Private lists aim to inform or attract readers with city rankings and may emphasize alarm or local comparisons to drive engagement; their selection of cities and ranking methods can reflect editorial choices ^{[1] [2]}. The FBI’s reporting emphasizes institutional completeness and national trends, which can downplay local variability and timing due to aggregation and reporting lags ^{[3] [5]}. Both perspectives are valuable: private lists provide granular local context while the FBI offers a broad, verified national trend; readers should weigh methodological notes when interpreting city rankings ^{[1] [3]}.

6. Practical takeaway for readers seeking “highest murder-rate cities in 2024”

For a concise answer focused on city-level extremes in 2024, rely on the private compilations published in 2024 which list Chicago, Memphis, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Cleveland, and Atlanta among the highest per‑capita homicide rates that year; cite the specific 2024 city lists when making city-to-city comparisons ^{[1] [2]}. For context on whether 2024 was an outlier or part of a national trend, reference the FBI’s 2024 national report released in 2025 documenting a significant nationwide decrease in murders, which does not negate city hotspots but shows a broader decline ^[4].

7. How to reconcile and next steps for verification

To reconcile these perspectives, use the private 2024 city lists for immediate city rankings and consult the FBI’s 2024 national statistics for trend context, paying close attention to methodology notes, population definitions, and reporting periods; where possible, cross‑check municipal police department tallies and state crime reports to confirm city counts. Recognize that private lists and the FBI’s national summary together provide a fuller picture: city-level risk can be concentrated even amid a national downturn, so combine both sources for balanced conclusions ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}.