(NewsNation) — After surging in recent years, major cities across the country are seeing fewer homicides this year, although, numbers are still notably higher than before the pandemic in 2019.
Nationally, murder is down about 12% compared to last year, according to AH Datalytics — a data analytics firm that tracks homicides across more than 100 U.S. cities.
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Another recent analysis by the nonpartisan Council on Criminal Justice found a similar decline in homicides — a 9.4% drop in the first half of the year — across 30 U.S. cities. Despite the improvement, there were 24% more homicides during the first half of 2023 than in 2019, the report noted.
Interactive Map: See how homicide rates have changed by hovering over the arrow in the map below.
NewsNation reviewed local police data and found year-over-year decreases in the nation’s five largest cities.
In Los Angeles, homicides are down almost 20% compared to last year. New York City has also seen a decline, reporting an 11% drop from 2022.
So far this year, homicides are down 7% in Chicago and have fallen nearly 30% in Houston. In the nation’s fifth largest city, Phoenix, murder is down more than 13%.
Other cities, like Atlanta, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia, have also reported fewer murders in 2023.
But some places have struggled to reverse the trend. Cleveland and Kansas City, Missouri, have both seen homicides spike more than 25% compared to last year. Memphis continues to grapple with a deadly surge.
New York City
Population: 8.34 million
Homicides compared to the same period in 2022: -11.3%
The nation’s largest city has maintained its relatively low murder rate compared to other major urban areas. There have been 236 homicides in New York City this year — down from 266 over the same period in 2022.
Before the pandemic, New York City had recorded 173 homicides through July 23, 2019.
Los Angeles
Population: 3.82 million
Homicides compared to the same period in 2022: -19.4%
There have been 170 homicides in Los Angeles so far in 2023 — about 20% fewer than the year before.
Overall violent crime has slightly declined by 2% this year, according to the LAPD. Through the first six months of 2019, there were 129 homicides in the city, according to Crosstown LA.
Chicago
Population: 2.67 million
Homicides compared to the same period in 2022: -7.1%
The nation’s third-largest city has struggled to curb its murder rate compared to other major cities like New York City and Los Angeles. Chicago has seen 343 murders so far this year — about 7% less than the year before, according to police data.
Prior to the pandemic, in 2019, the city recorded 280 homicides over the same time period. That’s 22% lower than this year’s total.
Houston
Population: 2.30 million
Homicides compared to the same period in 2022: -28.8%
Murders are down nearly 30% in Houston this year, as of Jun. 30. The city has seen the number of homicides drop to 168 versus 236 over the same time period last year.
This year’s total is still up about 25% compared to 2019 when there were 133 homicides in the first six months of the year, according to Houston Police data.
Phoenix
Population: 1.63 million
Homicides compared to the same period in 2022: -12.5%
Through the first six months of the year, there have been 98 homicides in Phoenix — a 12.5% drop from the year prior when 116 homicides were reported.
In 2019, there were 74 homicides in the city through June 30.
Other cities where murders have fallen in 2023
Atlanta
Homicides compared to the same period in 2022: -24.1% (Through July 22)
Milwaukee
Homicides compared to the same period in 2022: -28% (Through July 30)
Philadelphia
Homicides compared to the same period in 2022: -27.2% (Through July 30)
Major cities where murders are up in 2023
Cleveland
Homicides compared to the same period in 2022: +27.2%% (Through July 22)
Kansas City, Missouri
Homicides compared to the same period in 2022: +25% (Through July 31)
San Francisco
Homicides compared to the same period in 2022: +23.1% (Through July 22)