Memphis Crime Rate 2025: Latest Statistics and Trends

How safe do you feel when you drive down Union Avenue at night or stroll through Shelby Farms on the weekend? That question sits on the minds of many Mid-Southerners, and a clear answer starts with cold numbers. This in-depth report looks at the Memphis crime rate in 2025, tracks shifts since 2024, and breaks each crime group into plain facts that residents, businesses, and visitors can use.

Every figure comes from the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission, the FBI Crime Data Explorer, local open-data portals, and recent media briefings, so you know exactly where the story stands today. By the end, you will know how the crime rate in Memphis TN stacks up, whether risk is climbing or falling, and what you can do to stay safe.

Memphis Crime Rate 2025 Overview

Before diving into the details, let’s set the scene. Through the first four months of 2025, analysts at the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission logged a 13.2 percent change in the overall crime rate for Shelby County compared with the same period in 2024.

Violent offenses dropped 9.0 percent, while property incidents moved 19.5 percent in the opposite direction. The combined picture places the Memphis Tennessee crime rate at roughly 6,860 offenses per 100,000 residents, still well above the national urban average but moving in a better direction for serious offenses that involve injury.

Violent Crime Rate Memphis, TN

When locals say “crime,” they usually mean violent crime first. Overall headline numbers hide many stories, so let’s break the violent Memphis crime map into single categories that match the offense list used by both the FBI and the Tennessee Incident-Based Reporting System.

Homicide (Murder and Non-Negligent Manslaughter)

The city recorded 97 murders by 19 May 2025—roughly 15.8 per 100,000 residents—placing Memphis near, but just below, St. Louis for the unwanted top slot among large U.S. cities. The count is eight percent lower than the same date in 2024, hinting at slow progress after an all-time high in 2023.

Rape

Early-2025 figures show rape reports down 11 percent from 2024. Analysts attribute the dip to faster evidence processing and the city’s expanded Sexual Assault Kit Initiative, though advocates stress that under-reporting remains a barrier.

Robbery

Robberies continue to fall, 22.3 percent lower in 2024 than 2023, and another three-point slide in the first quarter of 2025. Police credit focused patrols around convenience stores and 24-hour businesses, plus community camera networks that provide quick suspect images.

Aggravated Assault

Aggravated assaults dominate the violent category, making up three-quarters of all violent cases. After a slight 0.7 percent drop in 2024, early-2025 data signal another modest decline, even though gun involvement in assaults rose to 72.4 percent of cases—a 2.3-point jump year-over-year. The city’s new Gun Violence Reduction Unit now reviews every firearm assault within 24 hours to boost clearance rates.

Putting the four categories together, the violent crime rate sits at about 2,380 incidents per 100,000 people—high, but trending downward for the second straight year.

Property Crime Rate in Memphis

Property crime touches more households than any other offense class. While violent numbers retreat, property violations remain stubborn.

Burglary

Reported burglaries fell 5 percent in 2024 but leveled out in early 2025, with most break-ins in Parkway Village, Frayser, and Whitehaven. Quick-response doorbell alerts have helped residents call 9-1-1 sooner, but police still caution that unsecured sheds and detached garages are easy targets.

Larceny-Theft

General theft—including package “porch pirating”—remains Memphis’ single largest crime bucket. Last year, counted 8,603 larcenies per 100,000 residents, triple the state figure. Retailers near Poplar Avenue added license-plate readers in March 2025 after a spike during holiday sales.

Motor-Vehicle Theft

Car theft exploded citywide during the pandemic, peaking in 2023. A 39 percent drop through late-2024 signaled relief, but 2025 opened with a fresh uptick tied to online how-to videos for older Hyundai and Kia models. Current rate: 2,550 stolen vehicles per 100,000 residents, among the worst in the country.

Arson

Full arson totals remain low, but doubled in the airport industrial zone after a string of warehouse fires. Investigators link many cases to insurance fraud rings that target surplus freight stock.

Added together, property crimes land at roughly 4,480 incidents per 100,000 residents—down from a pandemic high, but still far higher than Nashville, Atlanta, or Dallas.

Crime Rate Trends in Memphis: Is Crime Getting Better or Worse?

Numbers mean most when you look back and forward at once. In 2023, Memphis led almost every U.S. metro in per-capita crime. The picture improved in 2024:

*2025 values are year-to-date projections through April.

The Memphis crime rate in 2024 closed lower than 2023 on both violent and property sides, and 2025 continues that violent-crime slide. Property crime, however, plateaued and even rose in the city core despite county-wide progress. Analysts list three big causes:

1. Gun Theft Feedback Loop – Stolen cars often contain unsecured firearms, which then feed back into assaults and robberies.
2. Juvenile Recidivism – Serious juvenile charges climbed 13 percent from 2022 to 2023 and show little relief.
3. Re-entry Gaps – A 24.5 percent 2023 recidivism rate points to limited job and housing options for returning citizens.

Tips for Staying Safe in Memphis

Overall, the five-year chart hints at a slow but steady decline in major violence, while property offenses remain volatile. Statistics help, but personal habits seal the deal.

• Use the Memphis Crime Map before you travel. The city’s open-data portal plots every recent offense so you can avoid hot blocks and pick well-lit routes.
• Lock cars and hide keys. A steering-wheel lock and a hidden valet key cut vehicle-theft risk by more than half, according to MPD recovery data.
• Light up porches and alleys. Most burglaries hit homes with poor exterior lighting; motion LEDs are cheap protection.
• Join or start a Neighborhood Watch. Memphis added 350 active groups in 2024, and blocks with watches saw 18 percent fewer property crimes.
• Report gunshots instantly. Police ShotSpotter dashboards help only when 9-1-1 callers confirm an incident location.
• Support youth programs. Crime Commission studies tie after-school mentoring to a 15 percent drop in first-time juvenile arrests in target precincts.

If you live in Memphis and are concerned about property safety, consider installing a security camera to improve your home’s security.

FAQs

What rank is Memphis in crime?

Memphis consistently lands in the top three among major U.S. cities for overall crime per capita; WalletHub’s 2024 safety survey placed it at No. 1 for least-safe city out of 182 metros.

Is Memphis a nice place to live?

Memphis offers world-class music, food, and job growth in logistics and health care. Neighborhoods such as Midtown, Harbor Town, and Cordova maintain crime rates far below the city average. Quality of life rises quickly when residents follow basic security steps and stay engaged with community groups.

Is Memphis crime decreasing?

Yes and no. Violent crime has dropped two years in a row (2024 and YTD-2025). Property offenses remain high, but car thefts and robberies show promising declines. Long-term change depends on gun-violence prevention and economic opportunity.

Conclusion

The Memphis crime rate in 2025 tells a mixed but improving story. Homicides and assaults finally edge down, robbers strike less often, and watchdog groups expand. Yet the crime rate in Memphis, TN, still towers above national norms, driven up by stubborn property theft and a flood of stolen guns. City leaders expect more progress as neighborhood cameras, youth mentoring, and targeted patrols gain ground.

What do you think—do the numbers match your day-to-day experience? Scroll down and share your view on safety in the Bluff City in the comments section. Let everyone know your thoughts.