Updated April 2026 · FBI UCR 2023 data
Crime Data Blog
Contextual crime data analysis built on FBI Uniform Crime Reporting statistics. Per-capita rates, national-average comparisons, and multi-year trends — never raw incident counts and never sensational framing. Every article links to the underlying FBI source so readers can verify any figure.
What You'll Find Here
Most popular safest-cities lists rely on raw incident counts or proprietary scoring with undocumented weights. CrimeContext articles disclose the inputs explicitly: every rate is per 100,000 residents from FBI UCR data, every comparison anchors against the U.S. national average (363.8/100K violent, 1,832/100K property), and every long-form piece pairs the snapshot with a 5-year trend. We do not sensationalize, we do not imply causation between demographics and crime, and we do not rank cities on metrics we cannot show you the math behind.
The current archive focuses on national patterns, big-picture trend pieces, and structured rankings (safest cities, safest small towns, comparing crime types). Each article links back to the underlying city profiles, the relevant rankings page, and the methodology document for readers who want the full chain of evidence.
Recent Articles
The 10 Safest Cities in America (2026 FBI Data)
The 10 safest US cities ranked by Safety Context Score using per-capita FBI crime data, with violent and property crime rates for each city.
Are US Cities Getting Safer? What the Data Shows
National crime rate trends versus city-level FBI data. Per-capita violent and property crime rates analyzed over time, with cities getting safer and cities with rising crime.
Property Crime vs Violent Crime: What's the Difference?
Understanding the difference between property crime and violent crime using FBI data. Per-capita rates, city rankings by crime type, and what the categories mean.
Is Crime Actually Going Up? What the Data Shows
National crime trends from FBI data debunk popular myths. Per-capita violent and property crime rates analyzed with full context.
Safest Small Towns in America (Under 100K)
The safest small towns and cities with populations under 100,000, ranked by Safety Context Score from FBI crime data.
How to Read CrimeContext Coverage
Three habits make any crime-rate article more useful. First, look at the unit. Numbers expressed per 100,000 residents are population-adjusted; raw counts are not. Second, look at the trend. A high rate that's falling year-over-year is a different signal than a moderate rate that's climbing. Third, separate violent and property crime. They behave very differently, are reported at very different rates, and respond to very different interventions; conflating them obscures more than it reveals.
Each article in the archive applies these habits explicitly. For a primer on the conventions, the guides section covers per-capita rates, the FBI UCR program, and the difference between violent and property crime. For the formula behind any Safety Context Score quoted in articles, see the methodology page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does CrimeContext write about?
Articles cover FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data, per-capita crime rate analysis, city safety rankings, and how to read crime statistics correctly. Every piece is built from public-domain FBI and Census Bureau data, with the U.S. national rate (currently 363.8/100K for violent crime, 1,832/100K for property crime) used as the comparison anchor.
How is this blog different from other "safest cities" coverage?
Most popular safest-cities lists rely on raw incident counts, dated FBI numbers, or proprietary scores with undocumented weighting. CrimeContext articles disclose the inputs (FBI UCR via the Crime Data Explorer, Census population estimates), use per-capita rates throughout, and link to the underlying FBI source so readers can verify any figure. The Safety Context Score itself is documented on the methodology page.
How often are articles updated?
Articles are reviewed when CrimeContext ingests a new FBI UCR release. Historical pieces remain available with their original publication dates; key figures (national averages, latest year) are updated in place when a new release ships. The current dataset covers FBI UCR 2023 and was last refreshed April 2026.
Can I use these articles in my own work?
Yes — short quotes with attribution to CrimeContext are welcome. The underlying FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data is public domain and can be used freely. Our editorial framing, analysis, and the Safety Context Score itself are CrimeContext's own work; please cite as "CrimeContext, [year]" when using our composite scores or category rankings.
Where does the source data come from?
Every figure traces back to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program, primarily through the FBI Crime Data Explorer (cde.ucr.cjis.gov). Population denominators come from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program. For unreported-crime context, articles cite the Bureau of Justice Statistics National Crime Victimization Survey, which captures the share of crime that doesn't reach police.
Sources: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program (2023), accessed via the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Population denominators from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program. Reporting and victimization context from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Public domain.
Last refreshed 2026-04-06 · FBI UCR 2023.