Read About Statistics on Public Safety in Tucson, Arizona MSA

How are we doing?

The Tucson Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) reported 383.2 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024. That was lower than Arizona’s rate of 421.9 violent crimes per 100,000 residents but higher than the national rate of 359.1. Among peer western MSAs, Tucson ranked near the middle. Albuquerque reported the highest violent crime rate at 896.3, while El Paso had the lowest at 264.9 violent crimes per 100,000 residents. A breakdown of violent crime by type is available on the Comparison Page.

Why is it important?

Crime rates can have important implications for community well-being, quality of life, and economic activity. Public safety influences how residents, businesses, and visitors experience a community and can impact perceptions of neighborhood stability and quality of place. Crime may also influence housing markets, business investment, workforce attraction, and population growth. Tracking crime trends helps communities better understand changes over time and identify areas where additional resources or public safety efforts may be needed.

How do we compare?

Tucson's homicide rate was 7.6 per 100,000 residents in 2023, the fifth highest among peer western MSAs. That was an improvement from 2020, when Tucson ranked fourth-highest among peers. San Diego reported the lowest rate at 2.9, while Albuquerque had the highest at 13.0.

Tucson had a high rate of deaths due to firearms per 100,000 residents when compared to peer western MSAs in 2023. Tucson's rate of 20.1 ranked it third-highest among peers. San Diego had the lowest rate of firearm fatalities at 6.7, while Albuquerque had the highest at 26.7. Gun violence is one of the leading contributors to premature death in the United States. Firearm fatalities include both suicides and homicides.

In 2023, Tucson recorded 44.3 drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents, ranking third among peer metropolitan areas. Only Albuquerque (55.6) and Colorado Springs (50.9) reported higher rates. Tucson’s overdose death rate was substantially higher than that in Phoenix (35.5) and substantially exceeded the rates observed in Austin (19.4), San Antonio (18.4), and El Paso (18.3).

Property crime was substantially higher than violent crime across geographies tracked on the MAP Dashboard in 2024. Among the 12 western MSAs, Tucson had the fifth-highest rate of larceny at 1,936.9 crimes per 100,000 residents, the fifth-lowest rate of motor vehicle theft at 323.0, and the fifth-lowest rate of burglary at 259.6. San Antonio reported the highest larceny rate among the peer MSAs at 2,240.5 crimes per 100,000 residents, while Albuquerque had the highest burglary rate (588.7) and motor vehicle theft rate (725.1).

What are the key trends?

Tucson’s violent crime rate declined by 41.0% from a high of 649.7 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2005 to 383.2 in 2024. The 2024 rate was the lowest recorded in the past twenty years. Arizona followed a similar pattern, with violent crime rates declining through 2014, then increasing again before gradually declining to 421.9 in 2024. Nationally, violent crime generally trended downward over the past two decades despite a temporary increase between 2015 and 2020. Violent crime trends differed across southern border metropolitan areas. Tucson, El Paso, and San Diego reported similar violent crime rates in 2009. El Paso experienced a substantially larger decline, falling 39.9% between 2009 and 2024. Tucson and San Diego reported smaller declines of 12.8% and 13.4%, respectively.

How is it measured?

Violent and property crime data are from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Reporting System (UCR), which collects crime statistics from law enforcement agencies nationwide. Crime rates are reported per 100,000 residents to allow comparisons across geographies with different population sizes. Limitations of the data result from differences in local collection methods. For example, the FBI began collecting data for forcible rape under an expanded, revised definition in 2013. State-level violent crime rates are measured using the revised definition; however, the total U.S. violent crime rate still uses the legacy definition of rape to maintain 20-year trend reporting.

Data on homicide and firearm fatality rates come from the County Health Rankings, and are derived from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Mortality Files. Mortality data are based on death certificate information collected by state vital statistics offices and compiled through the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS). Death registration is based on state law; death certificates are filed and maintained in each state's vital statistics office.