Crime & Safety in Washington, DC
Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data
Crime Overview
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)Violent Crime Rate
9.26
per 1,000 residents
+107% vs national
Property Crime Rate
35.88
per 1,000 residents
+65% vs national
Total Crimes
31,699
2024
Violent Clearance
39%
cases solved
-7% vs national
Property Clearance
8%
cases solved
vs Similar Cities
+6%
vs 500K-1M avg
+6% vs 500K-1M
YoY Change
-11.6%
violent crime rate
improving vs 2023
How Washington Compares
Source: FBI (2024)Washington vs Similar Cities
Source: FBI (2024)Compared to cities with 500,000 - 1,000,000 residents. Washington is highlighted in green.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Property Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Murder Rate (per 1,000)
Violent Crime Clearance Rate
Crime Rate Trends
Source: FBICrime Composition
Source: FBI (2024)Violent Crime Breakdown
Property Crime Breakdown
Crime Clearance (Solve) Rates
Source: FBI (2024)Washington police solve 61% of rape cases but only 2% of motor vehicle theft cases. The national violent crime clearance rate is 42%.
Weapon Used in Violent Crime
Source: FBI (2024)Crime Breakdown
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)| Crime Type | Category | Count | Rate per 1K | Clearance % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murder | Violent | 179 | 0.25 | 44.1% |
| Rape | Violent | 239 | 0.34 | 60.7% |
| Robbery | Violent | 3,080 | 4.39 | 29.9% |
| Aggravated Assault | Violent | 3,004 | 4.28 | 46.9% |
| Burglary | Property | 1,671 | 2.38 | 21.5% |
| Larceny/Theft | Property | 18,220 | 25.95 | 8.8% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | Property | 5,306 | 7.56 | 1.8% |
Washington, DC reported 6,502 violent crimes and 25,197 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 9.26 per 1,000 residents is 106.6% above the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 39% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 18,220 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 31.3% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (500,000 - 1,000,000 population), Washington's violent crime rate is 6% higher. Violent crime has been trending downward.
Crime History
Source: FBI| Year | Violent | Property | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6,502 | 25,197 | 9.26 | 35.88 |
| 2023 | 7,112 | 28,229 | 10.47 | 41.58 |
| 2022 | 5,025 | 23,505 | 7.48 | 34.99 |
| 2021 | 2,489 | 11,411 | 3.71 | 17.03 |
| 2020 | 6,828 | 24,459 | 9.58 | 34.31 |
| 2019 | 6,896 | 29,965 | 9.77 | 42.46 |
| 2018 | 6,613 | 29,993 | 9.41 | 42.70 |
| 2017 | 6,584 | 28,843 | 9.49 | 41.56 |
| 2016 | 7,713 | 31,313 | 11.32 | 45.97 |
| 2015 | 8,085 | 30,359 | 12.03 | 45.16 |
School Shootings
Source: The Washington PostTotal Incidents
7
Total Killed
2
Total Injured
7
| Date | School | Killed | Injured | Type | Weapon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 3, 2024 | Dunbar High School | 0 | 1 | unclear | nan |
| May 17, 2023 | Roosevelt High School | 1 | 0 | unclear | nan |
| Apr 22, 2022 | Edmund Burke School | 0 | 4 | indiscriminate | sniper rifle |
| Sep 25, 2019 | Aiton Elementary School | 0 | 0 | targeted | nan |
| Jun 12, 2019 | Hendley Elementary School | 0 | 0 | unclear | nan |
| Feb 2, 2004 | Ballou High School | 1 | 1 | targeted | .380-caliber pistol |
| Apr 1, 2003 | Cardozo High School | 0 | 1 | targeted | handgun |
Data from The Washington Post, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.