| America’s big crime decline |
Data: Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA). Chart: Russell Contreras/AxiosViolent crime kept falling across many of the nation’s largest cities through June, with homicides down 17.2% from the first half of 2025, Axios’ Russell Contreras writes from a Major Cities Chiefs Association report. Why it matters: The decline now spans two presidencies — falling under President Biden after the pandemic-era surge and continuing to drop under President Trump. By the numbers: An Axios analysis of the organization’s survey of 66 large U.S. communities found drops in violent crime in the first six months of 2026 compared to the same period last year.Homicides fell 17.2%. Robberies dropped 16.6%. Rapes declined 6.2%. Aggravated assaults fell 5.7%. Taken together, the four categories were down about 8.3%, for roughly 14,200 fewer reported violent crimes, according to the Axios review. Zoom in: The homicide drops are striking in several cities that have struggled with high levels of violence.D.C. reported 46 homicides, down 43.9% from 82 in the first half of 2025. Homicides in Memphis fell 43.7%, from 119 to 67, and 38.3% in Houston, from 154 to 95. Philadelphia recorded 83 homicides, down 27.2% from 114. Trump often takes credit for the decline and links it to his deployment of the National Guard in cities such as D.C. and Memphis. Share this story … Explore the data. |
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By the numbers: An Axios analysis of the organization’s survey of 66 large U.S. communities found drops in violent crime in the first six months of 2026 compared to the same period last year.
Zoom in: The homicide drops are striking in several cities that have struggled with high levels of violence.