Coverage
50 states + DC
Full national footprint
Chicago, IL has a F safety grade (0/100) with a violent crime rate of 540 per 100,000 — 665% above the national average.
2026 data Free + no signup Authoritative source
Chicago, IL Crime Rate & Safety
Free public-data reference page. Cross-checked against the upstream agency, refreshed as new data lands. Cite PlainCrime when you reuse this analysis.
Crime data sourced from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program, covering violent crime, property crime, and individual offense categories. Safety grades reflect a composite analysis of violent and property crime rates benchmarked against national averages. For context on how crime statistics are collected and what they mean for community safety, read our guide to understanding FBI crime data.
Is Chicago, IL safe? Chicago has a violent crime rate of 539.8 per 100,000 residents in 2024, according to FBI Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data — 665% higher than the national average and 95% above the Illinois average. The city receives a safety grade of F (High Risk). Property crime rate: 3472.4/100K. Population: 2,638,698.
FBI UCR Data Snapshot: Chicago, IL
Chicago, IL — reporting population 2,638,698 in 2024 — recorded 14,245 violent crimes and 91,626 property crimes in the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program's Table 8 city-level submissions. The city's violent crime rate works out to 539.8 per 100,000 residents, while the property crime rate reaches 3472.4 per 100,000. Combining those two rates against national benchmarks yields a composite safety grade of F (High Risk), scoring 0 out of 100.
Within the violent crime count, aggravated assault accounted for 3,386 incidents, robbery 8,847, murder 461, and rape 1,551 in 2024. Property crime splits into larceny-theft (61,185), burglary (7,778), motor vehicle theft (22,663), and arson (462). Larceny-theft and other property offenses typically dominate city crime counts, and larceny-theft leads Chicago's mix at 57.8% of all Part I offenses.
Against the national violent crime average, Chicago runs 665% above the US benchmark, and 95% above the Illinois statewide rate. Translated to per-capita risk, the 2024 figures imply roughly a 1 in 25 statistical chance of being named in a crime report that year, narrowing to 1 in 185 for a violent offense. UCR figures reflect offenses reported to and submitted by local law enforcement and may undercount unreported crime.
Is Chicago, IL Safe? Safety Assessment
Based on 2024 FBI crime data, Chicago, IL receives a safety grade of F (High Risk) with a composite safety score of 0/100. Violent crime is 665% above the national average, indicating substantially higher risk than most US cities.
Your statistical chance of being a crime victim in Chicago is approximately 1 in 25 , with a 1 in 185 chance of being a violent crime victim. The most common crime type is larceny-theft, accounting for 58% of all reported offenses.
Safety assessments are based on FBI UCR reported crime statistics. Actual safety varies by neighborhood, time of day, and individual circumstances. Crime reporting rates differ across jurisdictions.
Safety Overview
Safety Grade
F
High Risk
Score: 0/100
Violent Crime Rate
539.8/100K
violent crimes per 100K residents
+665% vs US
Property Crime Rate
3472.4/100K
property crimes per 100K residents
+911% vs US
Total Crimes
105,871
reported in 2024
Population
2,638,698
2024 Census-based estimate
Crime Breakdown (2024)
| Category | Count | Rate /100K |
|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime | 14,245 | 539.8 |
| Murder | 461 | 17.5 |
| Rape | 1,551 | 58.8 |
| Robbery | 8,847 | 335.3 |
| Aggravated Assault | 3,386 | 128.3 |
| Property Crime | 91,626 | 3472.4 |
| Burglary | 7,778 | 294.8 |
| Larceny-Theft | 61,185 | 2318.8 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 22,663 | 858.9 |
| Arson | 462 | 17.5 |
Per-Capita Risk Assessment
Overall Crime Risk
1 in 25
Statistical chance of being a crime victim based on 2024 data
Violent Crime Risk
1 in 185
Statistical chance of being a violent crime victim
These are statistical averages based on reported crimes. Actual risk varies significantly by neighborhood, time of day, and individual circumstances.
Crime Type Distribution (2024)
Larceny-Theft 61,185 (57.8%)
Motor Vehicle Theft 22,663 (21.4%)
Robbery 8,847 (8.4%)
Burglary 7,778 (7.3%)
Aggravated Assault 3,386 (3.2%)
Rape 1,551 (1.5%)
Arson 462 (0.4%)
Murder 461 (0.4%)
Chicago vs Illinois vs National Average
Chicago
Violent539.8/100K
Property3472.4/100K
GradeF
Illinois
Violent277.5/100K
Property1664.8/100K
National Average
Violent70.6/100K
Property343.3/100K
Nearby Cities in Illinois
Compare Chicago against neighboring cities in the same state, or use our side-by-side compare tool to benchmark two cities directly.
Aurora
F Pop: 176,688
Violent: 266/100K
Property: 1251.9/100K
Joliet
F Pop: 150,569
Violent: 350/100K
Property: 1244.6/100K
Naperville
D Pop: 150,521
Violent: 83.7/100K
Property: 883.6/100K
Rockford
F Pop: 145,280
Violent: 1080/100K
Property: 2517.2/100K
Elgin
F Pop: 112,879
Violent: 266.7/100K
Property: 1102.1/100K
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the crime rate in Chicago, IL? ▼
Chicago has a violent crime rate of 539.8 per 100,000 residents and a property crime rate of 3472.4 per 100,000, based on 2024 FBI UCR data.
Is Chicago, IL safe? ▼
Chicago receives a safety grade of F (High Risk), with a safety score of 0/100. The violent crime rate is 665% above the national average and 95% above the Illinois average.
What is the population of Chicago, IL? ▼
The reporting population for Chicago is 2,638,698 as of 2024.
How many crimes were reported in Chicago? ▼
In 2024, Chicago reported 14,245 violent crimes and 91,626 property crimes, for a total of 105,871 reported offenses.
What are the odds of being a crime victim in Chicago? ▼
Based on 2024 data, the statistical chance of being a crime victim in Chicago is approximately 1 in 25, with a 1 in 185 chance of being a violent crime victim. These are statistical averages and actual risk varies by neighborhood and circumstance.
What is the most common crime in Chicago? ▼
The most common crime type in Chicago is larceny-theft, accounting for 57.8% of all reported crimes (61,185 incidents in 2024).
Understanding Crime Data
► ► ► ►
Understanding Crime Rates
How per-capita rates are calculated and what they mean
Violent vs Property Crime
Key differences between crime categories
FBI Crime Stats Explained
How the FBI collects and reports UCR data
Crime, Housing & Schools
How safety connects to housing costs and school quality
Explore More Data for IL
🏠 🎓 💰 🌿 🏥 ⚠️ 📊 🛡️
Rent Prices in IL →
HUD fair market rents & housing costs
Schools in Chicago →
School ratings, test scores & demographics
Cost of Living →
Compare cost of living across metro areas
EPA Data for IL →
Toxic releases & environmental quality
Hospitals in IL →
Hospital quality ratings & patient safety
Natural Hazards in IL →
FEMA disasters & NOAA storm events
Compare IL Metros →
Cross-data metro comparison tool
Road Safety in IL →
Traffic fatality data by county
Data as of 2024. Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program.
Crime rates are calculated per 100,000 population. Not all agencies report complete data. FBI Crime in the United States (CIUS) Table 8. Population figures referenced from U.S. Census Bureau estimates where noted; state-level comparisons cross-check against state UCR programs.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data
Update cadence
Quarterly
Refreshed within 30 days of upstream release
Source agency
Federal
Authoritative data, no third-party aggregation
Page reliability score 94.0%
Industry baseline
Composite score weighing source authority, update freshness, and methodological transparency. 1.0 = full federal-source coverage with documented methodology and recent update.