Violent crime continues to fall in Houston
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Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
Homicides and other violent crimes fell across the country and in Houston through the first half of this year, according to preliminary data reviewed by Axios.
The big picture: Homicides are down by a sharp 38% in Houston, according to data compiled by the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA). Houston recorded 95 homicides in the first half of 2026, down from 154 during the same period last year.
- Other violent crime also dropped, continuing a decline the city has seen in the past couple of years. Robberies decreased nearly 27%, aggravated assaults fell by over 17% and rape cases by about 20%.
Zoom in: Mayor John Whitmire has repeatedly said public safety is one of his priorities, pushing to put more officers on Houston's streets.
Zoom out: Violent crime is down nationally. Homicides across the cities included in the MCCA report fell 17%.
- Robberies dropped nearly 17%, rapes declined 6%, and aggravated assaults fell 6%.
- Taken together, the four categories were down about 8%, for roughly 14,200 fewer reported violent crimes, according to the Axios review.
Between the lines: The decline now spans two presidencies — it began falling under President Biden after the pandemic-era surge, and has kept dropping under President Trump.
- Trump came into office casting America as being overrun by crime at a time when the numbers were already declining dramatically.
- As that decline has continued during his watch, he's taken credit for it, often linking it to his deployment of the National Guard in cities such as Washington, D.C., and Memphis, Tennessee.
The intrigue: The homicide drops are striking in several cities that have struggled with high levels of violence, including Houston and D.C., where 46 homicides were reported, down 44% from 82 in the first half of 2025.
Worthy to note: Aurora, Colorado — a city Trump falsely singled out as being overrun by Venezuelan immigrant gangs during the 2024 election — saw a 59% drop in homicides.
Caveat: Some of the biggest percentage drops came in places with relatively few killings to begin with, like Newark, which fell nearly 65% from 17 to six homicides.