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FBI UCR Data · 248+ Cities · 50 States
CrimeContext

Our Methodology

CrimeContext presents crime statistics with proper context — not fear-mongering. We believe raw crime counts without population context are misleading, which is why every number on this site is a per-capita rate compared against national averages.

Data Sources

Our primary data source is the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, accessed through the Crime Data Explorer API. The UCR Program collects crime statistics from more than 18,000 law enforcement agencies across the United States, covering both violent and property crimes.

We also use FBI estimated crime totals (which statistically account for non-reporting agencies) and Census population data for per-capita rate calculations.

Why Per-Capita Rates Only

We never display raw crime counts. A city of 2 million with 1,000 burglaries is fundamentally safer than a city of 50,000 with 500 burglaries — but raw counts suggest the opposite. Every rate on CrimeContext is expressed per 100,000 residents, which is the standard criminological unit that enables fair comparisons between cities of different sizes.

How We Calculate the Safety Context Score

Every city receives a Safety Context Score on a 0-100 scale (A-F) based on three components:

  • Per-Capita Violent Crime vs. National Average — 40% weight. Violent crime includes homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Cities below the national average score higher; those significantly above it score lower.
  • Per-Capita Property Crime vs. National Average — 30% weight. Property crime includes burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft. Same normalization against the national average.
  • 5-Year Trend Direction — 30% weight. A linear regression across 5 years of per-capita crime rates. Cities with declining crime rates receive a significant score boost, even if their current rate is above average. Conversely, worsening trends penalize otherwise safe cities.

Letter grades: A (80-100) indicates significantly safer than average with improving trends; F (0-34) indicates well above average crime rates with worsening trends.

Data Collection Process

We query the FBI Crime Data Explorer API for agency-level offense data, aggregate to the city level, and calculate per-capita rates using Census population estimates. Cities where law enforcement agencies did not report for the full year are flagged, and we use FBI estimated totals where available.

Update Frequency

The FBI publishes annual crime statistics each fall, typically with a 9-12 month lag. We update our dataset within two weeks of each FBI release. Quarterly estimates may be available earlier through the Crime Data Explorer.

Known Limitations

  • Not all law enforcement agencies report to the UCR Program consistently. The FBI's transition from the Summary Reporting System to NIBRS has caused temporary gaps in some agencies' data.
  • Crime statistics only reflect reported crimes. Unreported crimes (the "dark figure of crime") are not captured, and reporting rates vary by crime type and community.
  • City-level data may not reflect neighborhood-level variation. Crime is not evenly distributed within a city.
  • We compare cities against the national average, but regional cost-of-living and demographic factors also influence crime patterns.
  • The Safety Context Score is our own composite metric, not an FBI or DOJ designation.

How to Cite This Data

If you use data from CrimeContext, please cite:

CrimeContext. "[City Name] Crime Data." crimecontext.com, 2026. Accessed [date].

Underlying data is sourced from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program and is in the public domain.