Data Watch

This “Data Watch” examines trend data on violent crime for the 100 largest cities of the US. Data from 1980, 1990 and 2000 show that the rate of violent crime increased between 1980 and 1990 for most of the cities, but the majority of cities reported reductions between 1990 and 2000. The 100 largest cities were grouped into quartiles based on population rank. Comparisons by city groups revealed that, on average, cities in the 76 – 100 quartile had the lowest rates of violent crime in the past two decades. Regional comparisons showed that, on average, cities in the West had the lowest rates of violent crime in the past two decades. The reductions in violent crime between 1990 and 2000 reflect the general prosperity of the decade and indicate that the social health profile of urban America is improving.