Table 14

Crime Trends
by Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Counties¹ by Population Group, 2005-2006

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	2006 estimated population
METROPOLITAN COUNTIES	100,000 and over	2005	148,660	1,710	9,401	38,405	99,144	1,041,525	240,278	668,493	132,754	8,582
		2006	153,120	1,815	9,233	41,845	100,227	1,037,502	248,386	660,031	129,085	8,948	144	38,414,528
		Percent change	+3.0	+6.1	-1.8	+9.0	+1.1	-0.4	+3.4	-1.3	-2.8	+4.3
	25,000 to 99,999	2005	43,386	563	4,482	4,745	33,596	392,693	112,974	245,631	34,088	2,985
		2006	45,016	569	4,375	5,145	34,927	394,833	114,260	246,345	34,228	2,999	406	20,997,448
		Percent change	+3.8	+1.1	-2.4	+8.4	+4.0	+0.5	+1.1	+0.3	+0.4	+0.5
	Under 25,000	2005	15,667	153	1,552	2,219	11,743	127,273	28,286	72,477	26,510	1,642
		2006	15,601	191	1,569	2,497	11,344	123,756	28,132	70,958	24,666	1,617	998	4,066,252
		Percent change	-0.4	+24.8	+1.1	+12.5	-3.4	-2.8	-0.5	-2.1	-7.0	-1.5
NONMETROPOLITAN COUNTIES	25,000 and over	2005	21,689	313	2,276	1,911	17,189	186,920	61,546	111,014	14,360	1,473
		2006	20,850	301	2,099	2,014	16,436	183,229	60,432	108,523	14,274	1,538	271	10,674,001
		Percent change	-3.9	-3.8	-7.8	+5.4	-4.4	-2.0	-1.8	-2.2	-0.6	+4.4
	10,000 to 24,999	2005	15,830	274	1,522	960	13,074	123,740	40,899	73,094	9,747	1,084
		2006	14,983	236	1,464	955	12,328	120,670	39,357	72,047	9,266	1,149	549	8,845,670
		Percent change	-5.4	-13.9	-3.8	-0.5	-5.7	-2.5	-3.8	-1.4	-4.9	+6.0
	Under 10,000	2005	8,505	151	1,220	319	6,815	63,876	19,783	38,215	5,878	818
		2006	8,402	148	1,270	353	6,631	63,196	19,479	38,083	5,634	851	1,183	3,786,660
		Percent change	-1.2	-2.0	+4.1	+10.7	-2.7	-1.1	-1.5	-0.3	-4.2	+4.0

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 2005 and 2006 data)

Violent crime increased 3.0 percent in the largest metropolitan counties, those with 100,000 or more in population.
The largest metropolitan counties had increases of 9.0 and 6.1 percent in the offenses of robbery and murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, respectively.
The smallest metropolitan counties, those with populations of under 25,000, experienced a nearly 25-percent increase in the number of murders and nonnegligent manslaughters and a 12.5-percent increase in robbery offenses.
Overall, property crime offenses decreased in all the metropolitan counties except those with populations of 25,000 to 99,999. In these counties, property crime increased 0.5 percent.
In nonmetropolitan counties, violent crime and property crime offenses decreased in all of the population groupings.

Crime in the United States, 2006

September 2007