Table 14

Crime Trends
by Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Counties¹ by Population Group, 2004-2005

Population group	Population range		Violent crime	Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter	Forcible rape	Robbery	Aggravated assault	Property crime	Burglary	Larceny-theft	Motor vehicle theft	Arson	Number of agencies	2005 estimated population
METROPOLITAN COUNTIES	100,000 and over	2004	143,345	1,592	9,584	35,264	96,905	1,036,868	232,732	673,335	130,801	9,256
		2005	147,231	1,703	9,207	38,211	98,110	1,026,415	235,724	658,799	131,892	8,739	140	37,232,565
		Percent change	+2.7	+7.0	-3.9	+8.4	+1.2	-1.0	+1.3	-2.2	+0.8	-5.6
	25,000 to 99,999	2004	42,116	597	4,775	4,348	32,396	382,558	109,046	241,615	31,897	2,875
		2005	42,784	541	4,503	4,543	33,197	382,282	109,355	239,410	33,517	2,945	405	20,715,284
		Percent change	+1.6	-9.4	-5.7	+4.5	+2.5	-0.1	+0.3	-0.9	+5.1	+2.4
	Under 25,000	2004	14,880	208	1,541	1,623	11,508	124,483	29,145	69,100	26,238	1,561
		2005	14,843	142	1,597	1,657	11,447	122,026	27,771	68,219	26,036	1,436	996	4,243,777
		Percent change	-0.2	-31.7	+3.6	+2.1	-0.5	-2.0	-4.7	-1.3	-0.8	-8.0
NONMETROPOLITAN COUNTIES	25,000 and over	2004	22,394	347	2,264	2,009	17,774	192,005	63,168	114,074	14,763	1,567
		2005	22,936	335	2,437	2,005	18,159	191,481	62,723	113,505	15,253	1,554	271	10,670,399
		Percent change	+2.4	-3.5	+7.6	-0.2	+2.2	-0.3	-0.7	-0.5	+3.3	-0.8
	10,000 to 24,999	2004	16,172	247	1,649	968	13,308	127,406	42,835	74,895	9,676	1,061
		2005	16,472	265	1,673	984	13,550	126,297	42,044	74,332	9,921	983	558	9,020,045
		Percent change	+1.9	+7.3	+1.5	+1.7	+1.8	-0.9	-1.8	-0.8	+2.5	-7.4
	Under 10,000	2004	8,820	166	1,372	323	6,959	64,957	20,913	38,289	5,755	1,033
		2005	8,665	138	1,287	331	6,909	64,212	19,802	38,486	5,924	893	1,247	3,880,111
		Percent change	-1.8	-16.9	-6.2	+2.5	-0.7	-1.1	-5.3	+0.5	+2.9	-13.6

¹ Metropolitan counties include sheriffs and county law enforcement agencies associated with a Metropolitan Statistical Area. Nonmetropolitan counties include sheriffs and county law enforcement agencies that are not associated with a Metropolitan Statistical Area. The offenses from state police agencies are not included in this table.

Data Declaration

Provides the methodology used in constructing this table and other pertinent information about this table.

(A comparison of 2004 and 2005 data)

Violent crime increased 2.7 percent in metropolitan counties with 100,000 or more in population, the largest percentage increase within all the county population groupings.
In 2005, property crime decreased 2.0 percent in metropolitan counties with populations under 25,000. This was the largest percentage decrease among the county population groupings.
Metropolitan counties with populations under 25,000 inhabitants had the largest percentage decrease (31.7) in murder of all the county population groupings.
Forcible rape offenses increased 7.6 percent in nonmetropolitan counties with 25,000 and more inhabitants, the largest percentage increase of all the county population groupings.
The largest percentage decrease of forcible rape offenses among the county groupings was 6.2 percent in nonmetropolitan counties with populations under 10,000.
There were increases in motor vehicle theft offenses in all county population groupings except for metropolitan counties with less than 25,000 inhabitants, which had a 0.8-percent decrease.
Arson offenses decreased in all county population groupings except metropolitan counties with populations of 25,000 to 99,999 which had an increase of 2.4 percent.

Crime in the United States 2005

Release Date: September 2006