Historical data
Pick an indicator to see its long-run evolution.
Violent crime rate
1985–2023FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
Crime Rate
Colorado's overall crime rate is above the national average, driven partly by property and vehicle theft in the Denver metro, though rates have started declining since 2022.
Violent + property crime rate
1985–2025FBI Crime Data Explorer, violent and property offenses per 100,000 residents, sum of monthly rates from reporting agencies.
| Indicator | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime rate (per 100k) | 417 | 364 |
Violent Crime
Colorado's violent crime rate is 417 per 100,000 residents, above the national average, concentrated in parts of Denver, Aurora and Colorado Springs.
Violent crime rate, Colorado
1985–2025FBI Crime Data Explorer, violent offenses per 100,000 residents, sum of monthly rates from reporting agencies.
Violent crime rate, U.S.
1985–2025FBI Crime Data Explorer, violent offenses per 100,000 residents, sum of monthly rates from reporting agencies.
| Indicator | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime rate (per 100k) | 417 | 364 |
Property Crime
Colorado's property crime rate is 2,880 per 100,000 residents, elevated by one of the nation's highest motor vehicle theft rates.
Property crime rate, Colorado
1985–2025FBI Crime Data Explorer, property offenses per 100,000 residents, sum of monthly rates from reporting agencies.
Property crime rate, U.S.
1985–2025FBI Crime Data Explorer, property offenses per 100,000 residents, sum of monthly rates from reporting agencies.
| Indicator | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Property crime rate (per 100k) | 2880 | 1930 |
- •Colorado has consistently ranked among the top states for motor vehicle theft rates.
Homicides
Colorado's homicide rate is 5.2 per 100,000 residents in 2023, close to the national average.
Homicide rate, Colorado
1985–2025FBI Crime Data Explorer, murder and nonnegligent manslaughter per 100,000 residents, sum of monthly rates from reporting agencies.
Homicide rate, U.S.
1985–2025FBI Crime Data Explorer, murder and nonnegligent manslaughter per 100,000 residents, sum of monthly rates from reporting agencies.
| Indicator | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate (per 100k) | 5.2 | 5.7 |
Police Officers
Colorado employs roughly 2.1 police officers per 1,000 residents, below the national average, reflecting decentralized policing across many small departments.
| Indicator | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Officers per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 2.4 |
Public Safety Indicators
Colorado's overall public safety picture is mixed: crime rates above the national average but trending downward since 2022 in Denver and Aurora.
| Indicator | Colorado | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime rate (per 100k) | 417 | 364 |