President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Chicago is the "murder capital of the world," but there are more than 20 cities in the United States with a higher murder rate, according to the latest FBI crime data.
There were about 17.5 murders for every 100,000 people living in Chicago in 2024, according to the FBI report, which does not account for every city in the U.S. In total, 22 major cities have higher rates of murder, with Birmingham, Alabama topping the list at 58.8 murders per 100,000 residents.
Chicago had about 539.8 instances of violent crime per 100,000 residents in 2024, the FBI data shows. Meanwhile, the city also had about 3,472.4 property crimes per 100,000 residents. It had a total of 4,012.2 crimes for every 100,000 residents in 2024, the FBI report found.
Newsweek reached out to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson's office for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Trump has floated the idea of federalizing the National Guard to deal with crime in large cities run by Democrats after deploying the National Guard in Washington, D.C., earlier in August.
Illinois political leaders have rebuked the idea that it is necessary to send troops into Chicago to deal with crime, as there are many cities with higher overall crime rates, and the number of murders has fallen in Chicago in recent years after a national COVID-19 crime spike.
Any effort by Trump to send National Guard troops into Chicago over objections from the governor would likely set off legal challenges, as presidents can only do so in specific circumstances.
What to Know
Trump wrote in a post to Truth Social Tuesday morning, "CHICAGO IS THE MURDER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD!"
He later confirmed that he plans to send federal troops to Chicago, but did not say when they would be sent, during a press briefing.
"Well, we're going in. I didn't say when. We're going in," he said. "I have an obligation—this isn't a political thing. I have an obligation. When 20 people are killed over the past two and a half weeks and 75 are shot with bullets."
FBI data from 2024 shows that Chicago had more cases of "murder and nonnegligent manslaughter" than any other city in the U.S. However, when population is considered, several cities have higher murder rates.
Here is a list of cities with more than 100,000 residents that have higher crime rates than Chicago, per the FBI report.
- Birmingham, Alabama (58.8)
- St. Louis, Missouri (54.1)
- Memphis, Tennessee (40.6)
- Baltimore, Maryland (34.8)
- Detroit, Michigan (31.2)
- Cleveland, Ohio (30)
- Dayton, Ohio (29.7)
- Kansas City, Missouri (27.6)
- Shreveport, Louisiana (26.8)
- Washington, D.C. (25.5)
- Richmond, Virginia (24.2)
- South Fulton, Georgia (22.2)
- Cincinnati, Ohio (21.8)
- Louisville, Kentucky (21.7)
- Indianapolis, Indiana (20)
- Oakland, California (18.6)
- Albuquerque, New Mexico (18.4)
- Montgomery, Alabama (18.1)
- Minneapolis, Minnesota (18)
- Lancaster, California (17.7)
- Little Rock, Arkansas (17.6)
- Hartford, Connecticut (17.6)
As Trump has threatened Chicago with potential federal action over crime, the city saw more than 50 shootings and seven fatalities over the weekend.
What People Are Saying
Pastor Corey Brooks, senior pastor of New Beginnings Church of Chicago, wrote in a Fox News opinion article: "I see the deployment of troops onto Chicago's streets as a necessary shock-and-awe measure. The Chicago Police Department has done a good job in recent months bringing down murders and crime, but they are led by "defund the police" leadership. Imagine how much better the force would be with a law-and-order mayor. Right now, under the current leadership in our city, gangs still control our streets, human trafficking goes unchecked and drugs flow through here like the Mississippi River. We need a reset. We need a reordering of society where our kids come first and the gangsters last."
A spokesperson for Johnson previously told Newsweek: "Despite the misinformation the President has spread about our city, according to FBI data Chicago doesn't even scratch the top 25 most violent cities in the country. President Trump would rather echo tired narratives about Chicago and our residents instead of actually doing the hard work of building safer communities. In Chicago we're doing the work---we have effectively reduced all forms of violent crime through constitutional policing, violence prevention, and critical investments in our communities. Over the past year alone, we have seen a more than 30% reduction in homicides, a 32% reduction in robberies, and an almost 40% reduction in shootings. We need to keep building on this progress."
Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, said during a press conference last week: "This is not about fighting crime. This is about Donald Trump searching for any justification to deploy the military in a blue city in a blue state to try to. This is about the president of the United States and his complicit lackey Stephen Miller searching for ways to lay the groundwork to circumvent our democracy, militarize our cities and end elections. There is no emergency in Chicago that calls for armed military intervention. There is no insurrection."
President Donald Trump said last week: "As you all know, Chicago is a killing field right now, and they don't acknowledge it. And they say, 'We don't need him. Freedom, freedom. He's a dictator. A lot of people are saying, 'Maybe we'd like a dictator. I don't like a dictator. I'm not a dictator. I'm a man with great common sense, and I'm a smart person."
Vice President JD Vance said on Thursday in LaCrosse, Wisconsin: "We're not too far from Chicago. Chicago has had a lot of crime problems. Why is it that you have mayors and governors who are angrier about Donald Trump offering to help them than they are about the fact that their own residents are being carjacked and murdered in the streets? It doesn't make an ounce of sense."
What Happens Next
Any efforts to send National Guard troops into Chicago will likely be met with legal challenges.
Update 9/2/25, 5:19 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 9/2/25 10:17 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
