Updated April 2026 · FBI UCR 2023
Cities Getting Safer
Cities where total crime rates have decreased more than 3% over the past 5 years
124 cities · FBI UCR 2023 with 5-year lookback
124 U.S. cities are classified as "cities getting safer" based on a 5-year change in total per-capita crime from FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data. The cohort averages a -9.6% change over the window with 383.4/100K average violent crime — above the U.S. national rate of 363.8/100K.
What This Trend Cohort Means
Cities classified as "improving" have seen total per-capita crime drop more than 3% over the past five years — meaningful change above ordinary year-to-year noise. The 124 improving cities tracked here average a -9.6% multi-year decline. Two structural patterns dominate the improvers nationally: large metros recovering from 2020-2021 violent-crime spikes, and smaller cities riding the long-running national decline in burglary and larceny-theft. Improvement of a few percentage points per year is the modal pattern in FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data when read across the full multi-decade window.
For relocation decisions, an improving trend is one of the most useful signals — it suggests that whatever combination of policing strategy, demographics, and economic conditions is driving the change is sustained rather than a single-year fluke. Pair the trend with the current rate: a city with a high rate that's falling is on a different trajectory than one with a low rate that's flat.
For broader context, the FBI Crime Data Explorer publishes the same underlying year-by-year data and lets you see how each city has moved across the full UCR window. The Bureau of Justice Statistics publishes the National Crime Victimization Survey, which captures the share of crime that goes unreported to police — useful supplementary context when reading reported-crime trends.
Cohort Cities (Sorted by Trend Magnitude)
| # | City | Population | 5-Year Trend | Violent/100K | Property/100K | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pueblo, CO | 112K | -15.0% | 172.8 | 1,219 | A |
| 2 | Modesto, CA | 218K | -15.0% | 191 | 1,347 | A |
| 3 | Pasadena, CA | 139K | -15.0% | 172.8 | 1,567 | A |
| 4 | Birmingham, AL | 201K | -15.0% | 191 | 1,732 | A |
| 5 | Vallejo, CA | 122K | -15.0% | 172.8 | 1,915 | A |
| 6 | Visalia, CA | 141K | -15.0% | 172.8 | 1,915 | A |
| 7 | Portland, OR | 653K | -15.0% | 209.2 | 1,896 | B |
| 8 | Omaha, NE | 486K | -15.0% | 191 | 2,116 | B |
| 9 | Pasadena, TX | 152K | -15.0% | 432 | 1,741 | B |
| 10 | Chula Vista, CA | 275K | -15.0% | 477.5 | 1,924 | B |
| 11 | Glendale, AZ | 248K | -15.0% | 477.5 | 1,924 | B |
| 12 | Beaumont, TX | 115K | -15.0% | 432 | 2,089 | B |
| 13 | Columbus, OH | 906K | -15.0% | 523 | 2,107 | B |
| 14 | Virginia Beach, VA | 459K | -15.0% | 620.7 | 2,405 | C |
| 15 | Houston, TX | 2.3M | -14.0% | 215.5 | 1,918 | B |
| 16 | Orlando, FL | 308K | -14.0% | 340 | 1,847 | B |
| 17 | Pomona, CA | 151K | -14.0% | 437.2 | 1,410 | B |
| 18 | Chicago, IL | 2.7M | -14.0% | 372.3 | 2,023 | B |
| 19 | Denton, TX | 148K | -14.0% | 437.2 | 2,106 | B |
| 20 | Aurora, CO | 386K | -14.0% | 483.2 | 2,328 | B |
| 21 | Bridgeport, CT | 149K | -14.0% | 566.8 | 1,845 | B |
| 22 | Fishers, IN | 101K | -14.0% | 566.8 | 1,845 | B |
| 23 | San Bernardino, CA | 222K | -14.0% | 626.5 | 2,424 | C |
| 24 | Wilmington, NC | 115K | -13.0% | 183.2 | 1,253 | A |
| 25 | Waco, TX | 138K | -13.0% | 312.8 | 1,340 | B |
| 26 | Hialeah, FL | 223K | -13.0% | 345.7 | 1,481 | B |
| 27 | Naperville, IL | 150K | -13.0% | 442.4 | 1,427 | B |
| 28 | Palm Bay, FL | 120K | -13.0% | 442.4 | 1,427 | B |
| 29 | Billings, MT | 117K | -13.0% | 442.4 | 1,427 | B |
| 30 | Baton Rouge, LA | 228K | -13.0% | 345.7 | 2,251 | B |
| 31 | Meridian, ID | 118K | -13.0% | 572 | 1,514 | B |
| 32 | Lubbock, TX | 264K | -13.0% | 632.2 | 1,674 | C |
| 33 | Anchorage, AK | 291K | -12.0% | 208.2 | 1,405 | B |
| 34 | Des Moines, IA | 214K | -12.0% | 208.2 | 1,405 | B |
| 35 | Rochester, NY | 211K | -12.0% | 208.2 | 1,405 | B |
| 36 | Bakersfield, CA | 403K | -12.0% | 494.7 | 1,597 | B |
| 37 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 178K | -12.0% | 447.6 | 2,141 | B |
| 38 | Warwick, RI | 83K | -12.0% | 516.4 | 1,682 | B |
| 39 | Philadelphia, PA | 1.6M | -12.0% | 541.8 | 1,749 | B |
| 40 | Tallahassee, FL | 196K | -12.0% | 577.2 | 1,880 | C |
| 41 | Jackson, MS | 154K | -11.0% | 193.5 | 1,636 | B |
| 42 | Peoria, IL | 113K | -11.0% | 193.5 | 1,636 | B |
| 43 | Hartford, CT | 121K | -11.0% | 193.5 | 1,984 | B |
| 44 | League City, TX | 115K | -11.0% | 193.5 | 1,984 | B |
| 45 | Scottsdale, AZ | 241K | -11.0% | 213.9 | 2,193 | B |
| 46 | West Palm Beach, FL | 117K | -11.0% | 323.1 | 1,375 | B |
| 47 | Nashville, TN | 689K | -11.0% | 391.2 | 2,086 | B |
| 48 | Charlotte, NC | 875K | -11.0% | 548.1 | 2,191 | C |
| 49 | Providence, RI | 191K | -11.0% | 582.4 | 1,897 | C |
| 50 | Evansville, IN | 117K | -11.0% | 582.4 | 2,246 | C |
| 51 | Nampa, ID | 100K | -10.0% | 198.7 | 1,306 | B |
| 52 | Green Bay, WI | 107K | -10.0% | 198.7 | 1,654 | B |
| 53 | Milwaukee, WI | 577K | -10.0% | 240.6 | 1,580 | B |
| 54 | El Paso, TX | 679K | -10.0% | 397.5 | 2,107 | B |
| 55 | Cincinnati, OH | 309K | -10.0% | 362.9 | 2,309 | B |
| 56 | Akron, OH | 190K | -10.0% | 457.9 | 1,828 | B |
| 57 | Garden Grove, CA | 173K | -10.0% | 587.5 | 1,219 | B |
| 58 | San Antonio, TX | 1.5M | -10.0% | 397.5 | 2,529 | C |
| 59 | Norman, OK | 128K | -10.0% | 587.5 | 1,915 | C |
| 60 | Stockton, CA | 321K | -9.0% | 225.4 | 1,462 | B |
| 61 | Fayetteville, NC | 209K | -9.0% | 225.4 | 1,462 | B |
| 62 | Lancaster, CA | 174K | -9.0% | 203.9 | 1,671 | B |
| 63 | Sterling Heights, MI | 134K | -9.0% | 203.9 | 2,019 | B |
| 64 | Miami, FL | 442K | -9.0% | 225.4 | 2,232 | B |
| 65 | Henderson, NV | 320K | -9.0% | 368.6 | 1,558 | B |
| 66 | Topeka, KS | 127K | -9.0% | 333.5 | 1,758 | B |
| 67 | Knoxville, TN | 191K | -9.0% | 333.5 | 2,106 | B |
| 68 | Arvada, CO | 124K | -9.0% | 463.1 | 1,497 | B |
| 69 | Boulder, CO | 106K | -9.0% | 463.1 | 1,497 | B |
| 70 | Murfreesboro, TN | 153K | -9.0% | 463.1 | 1,845 | B |
| 71 | Miramar, FL | 135K | -9.0% | 463.1 | 2,193 | C |
| 72 | Kansas City, MO | 508K | -9.0% | 560.6 | 2,655 | C |
| 73 | Burlington, VT | 45K | -8.0% | 187.1 | 1,199 | B |
| 74 | Tempe, AZ | 181K | -8.0% | 209.1 | 1,340 | B |
| 75 | Coral Springs, FL | 134K | -8.0% | 209.1 | 1,340 | B |
| 76 | Port St. Lucie, FL | 205K | -8.0% | 231.1 | 1,481 | B |
| 77 | College Station, TX | 121K | -8.0% | 209.1 | 1,689 | B |
| 78 | Killeen, TX | 153K | -8.0% | 209.1 | 2,037 | B |
| 79 | San Jose, CA | 1.0M | -8.0% | 253.1 | 2,044 | B |
| 80 | Tulsa, OK | 413K | -8.0% | 374.4 | 1,578 | B |
| 81 | Escondido, CA | 151K | -8.0% | 468.3 | 1,514 | B |
| 82 | Elk Grove, CA | 176K | -8.0% | 468.3 | 1,863 | C |
| 83 | Springfield, MO | 169K | -8.0% | 597.9 | 1,253 | C |
| 84 | Oceanside, CA | 176K | -8.0% | 597.9 | 1,601 | C |
| 85 | Amarillo, TX | 200K | -8.0% | 660.8 | 1,385 | C |
| 86 | Fargo, ND | 126K | -7.0% | 214.3 | 2,054 | B |
| 87 | Riverside, CA | 315K | -7.0% | 236.8 | 2,270 | B |
| 88 | Irvine, CA | 308K | -7.0% | 236.8 | 2,270 | B |
| 89 | Lakeland, FL | 113K | -7.0% | 343.9 | 2,141 | B |
| 90 | Tyler, TX | 106K | -7.0% | 603.1 | 1,271 | C |
| 91 | Gainesville, FL | 141K | -7.0% | 473.5 | 2,228 | C |
| 92 | Tampa, FL | 400K | -7.0% | 523.3 | 2,078 | C |
| 93 | Ann Arbor, MI | 124K | -7.0% | 603.1 | 1,619 | C |
| 94 | Lakewood, NJ | 135K | -7.0% | 603.1 | 1,619 | C |
| 95 | Indianapolis, IN | 888K | -7.0% | 730.1 | 1,538 | C |
| 96 | Springfield, IL | 114K | -6.0% | 219.5 | 1,375 | B |
| 97 | Minneapolis, MN | 430K | -6.0% | 242.6 | 1,520 | B |
| 98 | Worcester, MA | 207K | -6.0% | 242.6 | 1,520 | B |
| 99 | Savannah, GA | 148K | -6.0% | 219.5 | 1,723 | B |
| 100 | Surprise, AZ | 142K | -6.0% | 219.5 | 1,723 | B |
| 101 | Cary, NC | 175K | -6.0% | 219.5 | 2,071 | B |
| 102 | Tucson, AZ | 543K | -6.0% | 422.6 | 1,770 | B |
| 103 | Carrollton, TX | 133K | -6.0% | 478.7 | 1,549 | C |
| 104 | Boise, ID | 236K | -6.0% | 385.8 | 2,386 | C |
| 105 | Plano, TX | 285K | -6.0% | 529.1 | 1,712 | C |
| 106 | St. Petersburg, FL | 258K | -6.0% | 672.3 | 1,424 | C |
| 107 | San Diego, CA | 1.4M | -6.0% | 736.3 | 2,402 | C |
| 108 | Mobile, AL | 187K | -5.0% | 224.6 | 1,741 | B |
| 109 | Laredo, TX | 255K | -5.0% | 248.3 | 1,924 | B |
| 110 | Dayton, OH | 138K | -5.0% | 354.3 | 1,480 | B |
| 111 | Huntsville, AL | 215K | -5.0% | 248.3 | 2,309 | B |
| 112 | Arlington, TX | 394K | -5.0% | 391.5 | 1,635 | B |
| 113 | Las Vegas, NV | 647K | -5.0% | 271.9 | 2,529 | B |
| 114 | Pearland, TX | 126K | -5.0% | 483.9 | 1,219 | B |
| 115 | Santa Rosa, CA | 178K | -5.0% | 483.9 | 1,219 | B |
| 116 | Clearwater, FL | 117K | -5.0% | 354.3 | 2,176 | C |
| 117 | Honolulu, HI | 351K | -5.0% | 534.8 | 1,347 | C |
| 118 | Spokane, WA | 229K | -5.0% | 534.8 | 1,732 | C |
| 119 | Newport News, VA | 186K | -5.0% | 613.5 | 1,306 | C |
| 120 | Bismarck, ND | 74K | -4.0% | 205.6 | 1,262 | B |
| 121 | Richmond, VA | 227K | -4.0% | 397.3 | 1,655 | B |
| 122 | San Francisco, CA | 874K | -4.0% | 435.1 | 1,812 | C |
| 123 | Cheyenne, WY | 65K | -4.0% | 553.5 | 1,495 | C |
| 124 | Baltimore, MD | 586K | -4.0% | 592 | 1,918 | C |
All rates per 100,000 residents. Source: FBI UCR 2023, accessed via the FBI Crime Data Explorer.
How the 5-Year Trend Is Calculated
For each city, CrimeContext computes the percent change in total per-capita crime rate (violent + property combined) over the most recent five FBI UCR years. The window dampens single-year noise — important during the FBI's ongoing transition from the Summary Reporting System to NIBRS, which can introduce small year-to-year discontinuities at the agency level. Trend direction contributes 30% to the Safety Context Score on every city profile. Read the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is "cities getting safer" in CrimeContext data?
A city is classified as "improving" if total per-capita crime has dropped more than 3% over the past five years — meaningful movement above ordinary year-to-year noise in FBI UCR data. The 5-year window dampens single-year spikes and gives a more reliable read than year-over-year change.
How is the trend calculated?
For each city, we compute the percent change in total per-capita crime rate (violent + property combined) over the most recent five FBI UCR years. Cities are bucketed into Improving (≤ -3%), Stable (between -3% and +3%), and Worsening (≥ +3%). The 5-year window dampens single-year noise that's common in UCR data, especially during the FBI's ongoing transition from the Summary Reporting System to NIBRS.
Does a improving trend mean a city is safe?
Improving trends are a positive signal but not the whole story. A city moving from 800/100K to 700/100K violent crime is improving but still well above the national average. The Safety Context Score weights the level (40% violent + 30% property) and the direction (30%) so both signals show up in the grade.
How does this trend feed into the Safety Context Score?
The 5-year trend direction contributes 30% of the Safety Context Score, alongside per-capita violent crime (40%) and per-capita property crime (30%). Cities with negative trends (improving) get a score boost; cities with positive trends (worsening) get a penalty. The trend component is capped between -20% (max boost) and +20% (max penalty) so a single very large move can't dominate the composite.
Where does this data come from?
Every figure traces back to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program, accessed through the FBI Crime Data Explorer at cde.ucr.cjis.gov. Population denominators come from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (bjs.ojp.gov) publishes complementary information on unreported crime. The data is public domain.
Source: 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 context from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Public domain.
Last refreshed 2026-04-06 · All rates per 100,000 residents.