Crime & Safety in Memphis, TN
Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data
Crime Overview
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)Violent Crime Rate
25.08
per 1,000 residents
+460% vs national
Property Crime Rate
68.99
per 1,000 residents
+218% vs national
Total Crimes
57,684
2024
Violent Clearance
19%
cases solved
-54% vs national
Property Clearance
9%
cases solved
vs Similar Cities
+188%
vs 500K-1M avg
+188% vs 500K-1M
YoY Change
-4.2%
violent crime rate
improving vs 2023
How Memphis Compares
Source: FBI (2024)Memphis vs Similar Cities
Source: FBI (2024)Compared to cities with 500,000 - 1,000,000 residents. Memphis 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)Memphis police solve 32% of murder cases but only 7% 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 | 249 | 0.41 | 31.7% |
| Rape | Violent | 429 | 0.70 | 8.9% |
| Robbery | Violent | 2,138 | 3.49 | 14.0% |
| Aggravated Assault | Violent | 12,522 | 20.42 | 20.4% |
| Burglary | Property | 5,616 | 9.16 | 7.6% |
| Larceny/Theft | Property | 26,978 | 43.99 | 10.7% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | Property | 9,711 | 15.84 | 6.7% |
Memphis, TN reported 15,379 violent crimes and 42,305 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 25.08 per 1,000 residents is 459.7% above the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 19% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 26,978 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 81.4% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (500,000 - 1,000,000 population), Memphis's violent crime rate is 188% higher. Violent crime has been trending downward.
Crime History
Source: FBI| Year | Violent | Property | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 15,379 | 42,305 | 25.08 | 68.99 |
| 2023 | 16,136 | 52,999 | 26.19 | 86.03 |
| 2022 | 15,105 | 44,962 | 24.17 | 71.95 |
| 2021 | 15,855 | 34,302 | 24.41 | 52.82 |
| 2020 | 15,436 | 36,450 | 23.71 | 56.00 |
| 2019 | 12,376 | 39,860 | 19.03 | 61.28 |
| 2018 | 12,762 | 41,888 | 19.57 | 64.22 |
| 2017 | 13,138 | 41,219 | 20.13 | 63.15 |
| 2016 | 11,991 | 37,023 | 18.27 | 56.40 |
| 2015 | 11,476 | 37,111 | 17.44 | 56.41 |
School Shootings
Source: The Washington PostTotal Incidents
5
Total Killed
0
Total Injured
4
| Date | School | Killed | Injured | Type | Weapon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16, 2024 | Cornerstone Prep School | 0 | 0 | targeted | nan |
| Dec 5, 2022 | Freedom Preparatory High School | 0 | 1 | accidental | nan |
| Sep 30, 2021 | Cummings K-8 Optional School | 0 | 1 | unclear | nan |
| Feb 11, 2008 | Mitchell High School | 0 | 1 | targeted | .22-caliber pistol |
| Feb 4, 2008 | Hamilton High School | 0 | 1 | targeted | 380-caliber handgun |
Data from The Washington Post, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.