The rates of violent crimes — especially homicides — in major U.S. cities declined significantly in early 2026, though possible causes have not yet been confirmed, according to a recent review of data from numerous law enforcement agencies.
Axios reported that violent crime levels fell across major categories during the first three months of 2026, the data show. Homicides declined by 17.7%, robberies by 20.4%, rapes by 7.2%, and aggravated assaults by 4.8%, when compared with data reports from the first quarter of 2025.
The violent crime rates also lowered across the entire U.S., indicating a nationwide shift rather than an isolated occurrence, according to Axios.
Large cities saw significantly fewer homicides compared with 2025 reports. Murders in Washington, D.C. declined by 64.7%, while Philadelphia and Memphis’ homicide rates dropped by 54% and 34.4%, respectively. Other cities that saw declines in murder rates included New York City (down 31.7%), Los Angeles (23%), and Houston (36.4%).
However, certain areas experienced increased violence and homicides at the beginning of 2026, including San Diego — which saw a 100% rise in homicides — as well as Minneapolis, Atlanta, and Virginia Beach, Va.
Axios reported that the overall lowering of violent crime rates complicates “the political narrative around crime heading into the 2026 midterms.”
“President Trump has repeatedly described major Democratic-led cities as gripped by violent crime,” Axios added, noting that declines in crime began under former President Joe Biden’s presidency and continued into President Donald Trump’s term.
Earlier this year, the White House highlighted a drop in violent crime between 2024 and 2025 as results of the Trump administration’s policies, adding that large cities’ murder rate fell to its lowest level in at least 125 years.
Trump called attention last year to violent crime in major cities, considering it a significant enough problem to merit sending federal troops to locations in Chicago, Memphis, Portland, and Washington, D.C., among others, as Zeale News previously reported.