Washington, DCΒ – Homicide rates in the nationβs capital have fallen notably in the first half of 2025, according to the latest analysis by the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ).
Data from January through June 2025 shows a 19% decline in the cityβs homicide rate compared to the same period in 2024 – slightly better than the 17% average drop recorded across 30 large U.S. cities.
This mid-year reduction comes after years of fluctuation, marked by three major peaks in violent crime since 2018.
The most recent and highest spike occurred in August 2023, when Washington recorded 33 homicides, translating to a rate of 4.9 per 100,000 residents.
Earlier surges were seen in July 2020 (29 incidents, rate 4.2) and October 2021 (31 incidents, rate 4.5).
By June 2025, the city reported just 12 homicides for the month, or a rate of 1.7 per 100,000 – a 65% reduction from the August 2023 peak.
This marks one of the sharpest short-term declines in recent years.
However, the longer-term picture tells a more complex story. While the JanuaryβJune 2025 homicide rate is 3% lower than in the same pre-pandemic period of 2019, DCβs homicide rate over the past 12 months (July 2024βJune 2025) remains 10% higher than in the comparable pre-pandemic period (July 2018βJune 2019).
Only 11 of the 30 major cities studied by CCJ reported lower homicide rates in 2024β2025 compared to 2018β2019.
Nationally, the overall drop in homicide rates is being driven in part by steep declines in historically high-violence cities such as Baltimore and St. Louis.
DCβs latest numbers indicate progress, but experts caution that the cityβs homicide rate remains elevated compared to its pre-pandemic baseline.
The CCJ data, which tracks average homicide rates per 100,000 residents by half-year, highlights the continuing challenge for policymakers and law enforcement: sustaining recent gains while addressing the deeper trends that have kept homicide levels stubbornly high in the post-pandemic era.