Compare cities
Chicago vs. Milwaukee: crime rates compared
How Chicago, IL and Milwaukee, WI compare on violent crime and murder each year since 1985, as their police departments reported them to the FBI, next to the U.S. rates.
The biggest differences
- In 2025, Milwaukee's violent crime rate (1,145 per 100,000 people) was 2.7 times Chicago's (420); the U.S. rate was 329.
- In 2025, Milwaukee's murder rate (25.4 per 100,000 people) was 2.0 times Chicago's (12.7); the U.S. rate was 4.3.
- From 1986 to 2025, the violent crime rate fell 81% in Chicago and rose 16% in Milwaukee (U.S.: down 48%).
Violent crime rate per 100,000 people, 2025
- Chicago
- 420
- Milwaukee
- 1,145
- U.S.
- 329
Murder rate per 100,000 people, 2025
- Chicago
- 12.7
- Milwaukee
- 25.4
- U.S.
- 4.3
Violent crime rate in Chicago and Milwaukee, each year
The interactive chart needs JavaScript. The numbers are in the table below.
A line breaks in years a city's police didn't report a full year to the FBI. The U.S. rates are in the table.
Murder rate in Chicago and Milwaukee, each year
The interactive chart needs JavaScript. The numbers are in the table below.
A line breaks in years a city's police didn't report a full year to the FBI. The U.S. rates are in the table.
The numbers
Crimes per 100,000 people, as police reported them to the FBI, newest first.
| Year | Violent crime, Chicago | Violent crime, Milwaukee | Violent crime, U.S. | Murder, Chicago | Murder, Milwaukee | Murder, U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 420.4 | 1,145.0 | 329.3 | 12.7 | 25.4 | 4.3 |
| 2024 | 539.8 | 1,452.3 | 363.4 | 17.5 | 24.4 | 5.2 |
| 2023 | 606.9 | 1,502.2 | 385.6 | 19.0 | 31.1 | 6.1 |
| 2022 | 540.0 | 1,544.8 | 398.2 | 22.8 | 38.1 | 6.9 |
| 2021 | – | 1,619.8 | 360.9 | – | 32.7 | 6.9 |
| 2020 | 986.9 | 1,628.9 | 399.3 | 28.6 | 32.6 | 6.8 |
| 2019 | 943.9 | 1,351.3 | 381.0 | 18.3 | 16.4 | 5.2 |
| 2018 | 1,008.4 | 1,429.8 | 384.8 | 20.9 | 16.8 | 5.2 |
| 2017 | 1,098.9 | 1,598.4 | 397.5 | 24.1 | 20.0 | 5.4 |
| 2016 | 1,107.9 | 1,533.5 | 399.5 | 28.2 | 23.5 | 5.4 |
| 2015 | 905.1 | 1,597.1 | 384.6 | 17.6 | 24.3 | 5.0 |
| 2014 | 885.9 | 1,484.7 | 373.7 | 15.2 | 14.3 | 4.5 |
| 2013 | 944.2 | 1,363.8 | 378.2 | 15.3 | 17.3 | 4.6 |
| 2012 | 969.1 | 1,323.3 | 390.7 | 18.5 | 15.5 | 4.8 |
| 2011 | 991.7 | 1,110.9 | 390.1 | 15.9 | 14.4 | 4.8 |
| 2010 | 1,053.6 | 1,065.2 | 408.1 | 16.0 | 16.0 | 4.8 |
| 2009 | 1,125.6 | 1,101.6 | 436.8 | 16.1 | 11.9 | 5.1 |
| 2008 | 1,208.6 | 1,229.6 | 463.7 | 18.0 | 11.8 | 5.5 |
| 2007 | 1,178.7 | 1,406.3 | 477.9 | 15.7 | 18.3 | 5.8 |
| 2006 | 1,181.9 | 1,342.8 | 486.9 | 16.4 | 17.7 | 5.9 |
| 2005 | 1,195.6 | 1,027.6 | 483.0 | 15.6 | 20.6 | 5.9 |
| 2004 | 1,217.8 | 784.8 | 478.6 | 15.5 | 14.7 | 5.7 |
| 2003 | 1,300.2 | 890.2 | 493.7 | 20.6 | 18.5 | 5.9 |
| 2002 | 1,498.2 | 954.8 | 512.9 | 22.1 | 18.3 | 5.9 |
| 2001 | 1,533.4 | 908.6 | 529.5 | 22.9 | 21.1 | 5.9 |
| 2000 | 1,606.4 | 956.7 | 534.4 | 21.8 | 20.4 | 5.8 |
| 1999 | 1,732.6 | 1,043.4 | 545.8 | 22.7 | 21.3 | 5.9 |
| 1998 | 2,178.5 | 1,002.0 | 603.8 | 25.6 | 18.9 | 6.6 |
| 1997 | 2,262.1 | 1,053.0 | 644.9 | 27.4 | 19.4 | 7.2 |
| 1996 | 2,350.9 | 952.6 | 658.8 | 28.6 | 20.7 | 7.8 |
| 1995 | 2,549.8 | 1,082.3 | 720.6 | 30.0 | 22.2 | 8.7 |
| 1994 | 2,684.5 | 1,043.7 | 740.4 | 33.1 | 22.1 | 9.2 |
| 1993 | 2,717.4 | 965.2 | 764.1 | 30.3 | 25.2 | 9.8 |
| 1992 | 2,840.4 | 984.7 | 785.4 | 33.1 | 22.7 | 9.7 |
| 1991 | 3,092.5 | 978.7 | 798.1 | 32.9 | 25.6 | 10.3 |
| 1990 | 2,842.3 | 1,000.2 | 749.8 | 30.6 | 24.7 | 9.7 |
| 1989 | 2,340.7 | 710.6 | 680.5 | 24.8 | 18.6 | 8.9 |
| 1988 | 2,191.7 | 824.2 | 630.2 | 22.0 | 13.3 | 8.5 |
| 1987 | 2,142.7 | 988.3 | 624.9 | 22.8 | 15.1 | 8.4 |
| 1986 | 2,170.8 | 984.3 | 633.6 | 24.8 | 13.3 | 8.7 |
| 1985 | – | 652.2 | 570.3 | – | 10.9 | 8.1 |
Source and notes
FBI Crime Data Explorer, Uniform Crime Reporting Program (Public domain (U.S. government work); source FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program).
These are the crimes each city's police reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program, per 100,000 people the department serves. Violent crime is murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; murder includes nonnegligent manslaughter. A year counts only when the department reported violent crimes in all 12 months and its rate isn't far out of line with the years either side. In 2021 the FBI took only reports from its newer system (NIBRS), so that year is often missing or less certain, and a department's switch to NIBRS can move its rate because NIBRS counts every crime in an incident. A city's rate depends on where its borders fall, so a city with many suburbs inside its limits can look safer than one without. The U.S. rates count only the agencies that reported.