In 2024, for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate was 1,006 and the property crime rate was 3,693. Simply speaking, violent crimes are committed against people, property crimes are not. These crime rates do not include every violent and property crime, but rather four violent offenses and three property offenses that have been tracked since 1929.
1,006
violent crimes per 100K people (2024)
3,693
property crimes per 100K people (2024)
Compared to the US average, the violent crime rate in 2024 in Washington, DC was 180% higher, and its rate of property crime was 109.8% higher.
In 2024, both the violent and property crime rates in Washington, DC were higher than the US average.
Property and violent crimes per 100,000 people
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- Murder and non-negligent manslaughter
- Rape
- Robbery (the FBI defines this as “… taking or attempting to take something of value from a victim … by the use of force or threat of force …”; the victim must be present).
- Aggravated assault
- Burglary (the FBI defines this as “the unlawful entry into a building or some other structure to commit a felony or a theft”).
- Larceny-theft, often called stealing (the FBI defines this as “the unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another person”).
- Motor vehicle theft (not included in larceny-theft)
How high is violent crime in Washington, DC compared to other states?
Among states, the violent crime rate was highest in Alaska (724 offenses per 100,000 people) and lowest in Maine (100). Washington, DC (1,006 offenses per 100,000 people) would rank first among all states in terms of highest violent crime rates.
The violent crime rate in Washington, DC was 1,006 per 100,000 people.
Violent crimes per 100,000 people, 2024
In 2024 in Washington, DC, 47.9% of all violent crimes were robberies; 46.1%, aggravated assaults; 3.4%, rapes; and 2.5%, murders.
How high is property crime in Washington, DC compared to other states?
Among states, the property crime rate was highest in New Mexico (2,751 offenses per 100,000 people) and lowest in Idaho (736). Washington, DC (3,693 offenses per 100,000 people) would rank first among all states in terms of highest property crime rates.
The property crime rate in Washington, DC was 3,693 per 100,000 people.
Property crimes per 100,000 people, 2024
In 2024 in Washington, DC, 72.2% of all property crimes were larceny-thefts; 21.3%, motor vehicle thefts; and 6.5%, burglaries.
Has the crime rate in Washington, DC gone up or down?
Adding the property and violent crime rates together creates an overall crime rate that enables us to examine general crime trends. Between 2022 and 2023, the overall crime rate in California decreased by 3.7%. State-level changes ranged from a 32.7% increase in the overall crime rate in Nevada to a 16.8% decrease in Oregon. Across all states and Washington, DC, the average overall crime rate decreased by 3.0% from the previous year.
Between 2023 and 2024, the overall crime rate increased in 2 states.
Change in total offenses per 100,000 people, 2023 vs. 2024
Examining the crimes that drive changes to the overall crime rate, the violent crime rate in 2024 in Washington, DC went down 11.9% (versus a 5.4% decrease in the 50-state average) and the property crime rate grew 13.3% (versus a 9% decrease in the 50-state average). Of the seven offenses that comprise violent and property crime, assault rates in Washington, DC went up, while the incidence of the other offenses went down.
Change in 2024 crime rate from prior year
| 1. |
Change from prior year |
-34.1% |
| 2. |
Change from prior year |
-15% |
| 3. |
Change from prior year |
-20.7% |
| 4. |
Change from prior year |
+2% |
| 5. |
Change from prior year |
-2% |
| 6. |
Change from prior year |
-9.8% |
| 7. |
Change from prior year |
-25.8% |
| 8. |
Change from prior year |
-11.9% |
| 9. |
Change from prior year |
-13.3% |
| 10. |
Change from prior year |
-13% |
The number of offenses per 100,000 people in 2024 also varies across the country.
Detailed 2024 crime rate comparison, offenses per 100,000
| 1. |
Offenses per 100K |
26 |
| 2. |
Offenses per 100K |
35 |
| 3. |
Offenses per 100K |
482 |
| 4. |
Offenses per 100K |
464 |
| 5. |
Offenses per 100K |
238 |
| 6. |
Offenses per 100K |
2,668 |
| 7. |
Offenses per 100K |
787 |
| 8. |
Offenses per 100K |
1,006 |
| 9. |
Offenses per 100K |
3,693 |
| 10. |
Offenses per 100K |
4,699 |
