Seattle ranks fourth-worst among major American cities for total crime according to a 2024 FBI report analysis, with incidents occurring at nearly three times the national average.
Security.org analysed the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s crime data to calculate rankings for the 30 largest US cities across violent and property crime categories. Seattle appeared in the top five worst performers for both total crime and property crime metrics.
The national total crime rate averaged 2,119 incidents per 100,000 residents in 2024, combining violent crimes such as murder, robbery, and assault with property offences including burglary, theft, and motor vehicle theft. Seattle recorded 5,782.7 total crimes per 100,000 residents, representing a 172.9 per cent increase above the national baseline.
Memphis, Tennessee topped the worst-performing cities with 9,400.3 total crimes per 100,000 residents, exceeding the national average by 343.6 per cent. Portland, Oregon ranked second-worst with 6,246.4 incidents per 100,000 people, or 194.8 per cent above the national rate.
Property crime statistics show Seattle ranking third-worst nationally with 5,007.6 incidents per 100,000 residents, compared to the national property crime average of 1,760.1 per 100,000. This represents a 184.5 per cent increase above the national baseline.
“Nationally, property crime declined in 2024, helped by a steep drop in auto thefts, the largest one-year decline in more than four decades,” the Security.org study noted. “However, in these cities, theft, burglary, and vehicle crime remain stubbornly high.”
Portland slightly exceeded Seattle’s property crime rate at 5,526.2 incidents per 100,000 residents, marking a 214 per cent increase above the national average. Memphis again led the category with 6,899 property crimes per 100,000 residents, 292 per cent above the national figure.
Seattle’s violent crime rate of 775.1 per 100,000 residents nearly doubled the national average of 359.1, though the city did not rank among the top 10 worst performers in this category. Portland recorded a slightly lower violent crime rate of 720.1 per 100,000 residents.
The data reflects ongoing challenges for Pacific Northwest cities in addressing both violent and property crime rates significantly exceeding national averages. The statistics encompass various crime categories from serious violent offences to theft and burglary incidents affecting urban communities.
The FBI report provides annual benchmarks for comparing crime trends across major metropolitan areas, helping policymakers and law enforcement agencies assess public safety performance relative to national standards.
