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Is violent crime in Milwaukee higher than the national average?

By Tom Kertscher
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YES

By at least one measure Milwaukee’s violent crime rate exceeds the national average, but the comparison is misleading, criminologists told Wisconsin Watch.

It's difficult “to make sweeping statements without context,” said University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee professor Theodore Lentz.

The website 24/7 Wall St. reported that 2020 FBI data for violent crime — murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault — showed Milwaukee had 1,597 violent crimes for every 100,000 people, compared to 399 incidents per 100,000 nationwide.

By that metric Milwaukee’s rate is 300% higher.

“But it's not really fair to compare a large city to the national rate, which will also include suburbs and rural areas, so it's not a statistic that it particularly meaningful on its own,” said University of Pennsylvania professor Aaron Chalfin.

Lentz said that even comparing similar-size cities has pitfalls because of differences in reporting and other factors.

The FBI warns against using its data to rank cities.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
24/7 Wall St Milwaukee, WI Reported One of the Highest Murder Rates in the US – 24
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics: Their Proper Use
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Wisconsin Watch
Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.