Fact check: What cities have a worse crime rate than Chicago?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, Chicago does not have the worst crime rate among major U.S. cities. Multiple sources indicate that several cities have higher violent crime rates than Chicago:

• St. Louis, Baltimore, and Detroit have higher violent crime rates than Chicago's approximately 4,029.75 per 100,000 residents ^[1]
• Houston leads with the highest violent crime rate at about 1,148 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, followed by Philadelphia and Phoenix ^[2]
• Chicago's violent crime rate is approximately 540 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, which is actually lower than New York and Los Angeles ^[2]

However, there's a significant distinction between different types of crime metrics. While Chicago may not lead in overall violent crime rates, Chicago has had the most murders of any U.S. city for 13 consecutive years and the highest murder rate among U.S. cities with more than one million people for seven consecutive years ^[3].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks important contextual nuances:

• Crime trends are improving significantly in Chicago: homicides dropped 31%, shootings declined 37.4%, and total violent crime fell 21.6% over the past year ^[4]
• National crime trends show improvement: homicide rates in 30 study cities were 17% lower in the first half of 2025 compared to 2024, representing 327 fewer homicides ^[5]
• Different crime categories tell different stories: While Chicago may not lead in overall violent crime, it has consistently led in total murder numbers due to its large population size
• Population size matters: Cities with smaller populations might have higher per-capita rates but fewer total incidents

Political figures and law enforcement agencies benefit from emphasizing Chicago's crime problems to support tough-on-crime policies and federal intervention strategies. Conversely, Chicago city officials and tourism boards benefit from highlighting crime reduction statistics to improve the city's reputation and economic prospects.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question contains an implicit assumption that Chicago has among the worst crime rates, which the data contradicts for overall violent crime. This framing could perpetuate misconceptions about Chicago's relative crime position compared to other major cities.

The question also lacks specificity about which type of crime rate is being discussed - violent crime overall, homicides specifically, property crime, or other categories. This ambiguity can lead to misleading comparisons, as Chicago's ranking varies significantly depending on the crime category examined.

The framing may reflect political narratives that emphasize Chicago's crime problems while overlooking cities with statistically higher crime rates, potentially serving political agendas rather than providing accurate comparative data.