Shootings, homicides, and violent crime victimizations in Chicago over time and in comparison to other major cities.
Chicago Crime by Year
Multiple factors influence violence levels in any given year, from economic conditions to policing strategies to weather patterns.
Viewing each year’s data together shows how Chicago’s crime trends have evolved and can help policymakers assess which conditions or interventions may have contributed to changes in violence.
Comparing Chicago to Other Cities
Comparing Chicago to other large cities can reveal what is possible and help identify successful strategies that have worked elsewhere.
City size doesn’t determine safety. In 1990, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Philadelphia all ranked among America’s most violent large cities. Today, New York and Los Angeles have transformed into some of the nation’s safest cities, while Chicago and Philadelphia continue to face significant challenges.
Methodology
Definitions
- Shootings: Number of fatal and non-fatal shooting victims.
- Homicides: Number of incidents. Includes murder, negligent, and non-negligent manslaughter. Justifiable homicide is not included.
- Violent Crime Incidents: Number of incidents. Includes robbery, rape/criminal sexual assault, aggravated assault/battery, and homicide.
Sources
Our options for city comparisons are limited by a lack of publicly available data in peer cities. We believe transparency in crime data is vital to understanding and improving public safety.
- Chicago: Chicago Police Department through the Chicago Data Portal API (This site provides applications using data that has been modified for use from its original source, chicago.gov, the official website of the City of Chicago. The City of Chicago makes no claims as to the content, accuracy, timeliness, or completeness of any of the data provided at this site. The data provided at this site is subject to change at any time. It is understood that the data provided at this site is being used at one’s own risk.)
- New York City: New York Police Department through NYC Open Data API
- Philadelphia: Philadelphia Police Department through OpenDataPhilly
- Los Angeles: Los Angeles Police Department through LA Open Data Portal and Los Angeles Compstat reports
Limitations
There are limitations regarding the availability of data as well as the accuracy and completeness of data. Crime classifications are based on information provided by reporting agencies. Preliminary classifications may be changed later based on additional investigation by agencies. Many agencies do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or correct sequencing of their information.
In March 2024, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) began implementing an update to their crime reporting system. Because of issues with crime data availability, data were imputed for March through May of 2024. Violent crime data from June 2024 forward is manually pulled from LAPD Compstat reports.
Additional Notes
- Offense definitions come from the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) and are based on common-law definitions.
For questions about data and methodology, please email chipublicsafety@norc.org.