WASHINGTON, D.C. — Homicide rates have dropped significantly across major U.S. cities during the first nine months of 2025, falling by 19% overall and more than 40% in several areas, according to new data reviewed by Axios. The findings challenge President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that cities such as Chicago, Portland, and Washington, D.C. are “hellholes” plagued by violent crime.
Reports from 67 law enforcement agencies compiled by the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) found sharp declines in homicide rates in Buffalo, Denver, Orlando, and Seattle — each down by more than 40%. Chicago, Baltimore, Atlanta, and Las Vegas saw reductions of 25% or more. In Portland, where Trump has often criticized city leadership, homicides dropped 39%.
Memphis, where National Guard troops were deployed in September, recorded a 19% decline in killings. Chicago, despite leading the nation in total homicides last year, saw a 22% overall drop in violent crime in 2025.
Violent crime rates have broadly fallen since the pandemic-era surge that began in 2020, though some cities, including Atlanta and Columbus, Ohio, reported modest increases.
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