US homicide rates drop 18% in early 2026, near historic low

Homicide rates in major U.S. cities fell sharply in the first half of 2026, continuing a multi-year decline that could push the national rate to its lowest level in over a century, according to a new analysis released on July 23. The midyear report from the Council on Criminal Justice found homicides in a sample of 30 cities dropped 18 percent compared to the first six months of 2025, following a 10 percent decline the previous year.

The report, which tracks 13 crime categories, found that nine showed decreases. Carjacking saw the steepest drop at 47 percent, while residential burglaries fell 13 percent year-over-year and are now 50 percent lower than pre-pandemic levels from 2019. However, not all trends were positive; drug offenses rose 12 percent, and smaller increases were noted in shoplifting, domestic violence incidents, and sexual assaults.

Researchers emphasized that the decline is widespread but not uniform. Two-thirds of the cities sampled saw their homicide rates improve. Lincoln, Nebraska, recorded a 100 percent decrease in homicides compared to the first half of 2019, and Rochester, New York, saw a 76 percent drop. Yet about one-third of cities defied the trend,...