National Homicide Rate Continues to Decline in 2026, Report Finds

The national homicide rate in the US continued to decline over the first half of 2026, according to a new report from the DC-based nonprofit the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ).

The Details: According to the study, the American homicide rate fell 18% compared to the first half of 2025 and 51% since the most recent peak in 2022. The report examined 13 different types of crime across 36 different cities, though only 30 of the cities provided homicide data. Eight cities saw rises in murder since last year. Norfolk led the way with a 64% increase, while San Francisco followed with a 55% spike. Dallas and Salt Lake City also had significant jumps, and Austin, Denver, Chicago, and Charlotte saw minor increases.

Other Crimes: Nine of the 13 crimes examined saw decreases on average. Reported carjackings had the largest decrease at 47%, while drug offenses and domestic violence rose 12% and 8%, respectively. Shoplifting, which rose 5%, is the only measured crime that has so far remained above where it was in the first half of 2019.

For Context: Earlier this year, The Crime Index reported similar findings: in the first four months of 2026, the murder rate has dropped by roughly 18%. Several mainstream outlets like The Hill (Center bias) and NPR (Lean Left bias) have highlighted The Crime Index's reporting in recent months. In recent years, mainstream outlets have highlighted the reported correlation between warmer temperatures in summer months and an increase in crime.

How The Media Covered It: Mainstream outlets across the spectrum began to cover the CCJ's report after it was published on Thursday, and coverage continued to come on Friday. Libertarian outlet Reason (Center) and Straight Arrow News (Center) highlighted in headlines that experts are unsure why the rate is declining. Reason author Jacob Sullum wrote in the opening, "That development is surely welcome news. But we should be skeptical of the explanations offered by politicians of both major parties, who habitually reduce a complex reality to evidence in favor of the policies they have long supported."

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