Crime in Memphis, Tennessee

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Memphis, however, property crimes account for only about 76% of all offenses.

Despite accounting for a smaller than average share of total offenses, property crime is much more prevalent in Memphis than it is nationwide. There were 39,860 property crimes in Memphis in 2019, or 6,128 for every 100,000 residents. Meanwhile, the national property crime rate is 2,110 incidents per 100,000 people.

Larceny

Larceny is by far the most common type of property crime in the U.S. It is also the most commonly committed type of property crime in Memphis. There were 27,981 larcenies reported in Memphis in 2019, or 4,302 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 7,833 break-ins reported in Memphis in 2019, or 1,204 for every 100,000 residents. For reference, there were 341 reported burglaries for every 100,000 people nationwide in 2019.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Across the United States, the annual motor vehicle theft rate is 220 for every 100,000 people. In Memphis, meanwhile, there were 4,046 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 622 for every 100,000 people.

Violent crime

Violent crime accounts for a relatively small share of crimes nationwide. These offenses, which are generally more egregious than property crimes, account for about 15% of the nearly 8.2 million offenses reported across the U.S. in 2019. In Memphis, however, violent offenses account for a larger 24% share of all reported crime.

At 1,901 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Memphis is well above the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Memphis reported a total of 12,367 violent crimes in 2019.

Aggravated Assault

Aggravated assault is by far the most common type of violent crime reported in the U.S. It is also the most commonly reported violent offense in Memphis. There were 9,277 aggravated assaults reported in Memphis in 2019, or 1,426 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is far lower, standing at 250 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.

Robbery

Robbery is the second most common type of violent crime in America. There were 2,432 robberies reported in Memphis in 2019, a rate of 374 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 468 rapes reported in Memphis in 2019, or 72 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There were 190 homicides committed in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Memphis is 29.2 murders for every 100,000 people, many times higher than the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.