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Historical US Crime Data by State (1979-2019)
Public Safety & Security
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About
provides estimated crime statistics across the United States at both the state and national levels, covering a four-decade period from 1979 through 2019. The figures are derived from the Summary Reporting System (SRS) and represent the traditional estimates published annually by the FBI. Users can leverage this information to examine long-term trends in violent and property crimes, offering a robust foundation for statistical analysis and policy research.
Columns
The dataset contains 15 columns detailing various crime metrics and geographical identifiers:
- year: The year the data was recorded, ranging from 1979 to 2019.
- state_abbr: The two-letter abbreviation for the US state.
- state_name: The full name of the US state.
- population: The estimated population count for the given state and year (ranging from approximately 406 thousand to 328 million).
- violent_crime: Total estimated violent crime figures (ranging up to 1.93 million).
- homicide: Estimated number of homicides (ranging up to 24.7 thousand).
- rape_legacy: Rape figures based on the legacy definition (note: approximately 7% of records are missing).
- rape_revised: Rape figures based on the revised definition (note: approximately 83% of records are missing).
- robbery: Estimated number of robberies (ranging up to 688 thousand).
- aggravated_assault: Estimated number of aggravated assaults (ranging up to 1.14 million).
- property_crime: Total estimated property crime figures (ranging up to 13.0 million).
- burglary: Estimated number of burglaries (ranging up to 3.80 million).
- larceny: Estimated number of larceny-thefts (ranging up to 8.14 million).
- motor_vehicle_theft: Estimated number of motor vehicle thefts (ranging up to 1.66 million).
- caveats: Notes regarding specific data limitations, particularly concerning estimation methods used for some crime categories.
Distribution
The data is typically provided in a CSV format (
estimated_crimes_1979_2019.csv) and structured with 15 distinct columns. It includes over 2,000 records. The file reflects estimated data for every state and the nation. Updates to the underlying source data are expected to occur annually.Usage
Ideal applications include longitudinal studies tracking shifts in US criminality, academic research into the correlation between population density and specific crime types, and informing public safety policy at the state or federal level. The data can be used to compare crime rates between states or measure national progress against violent and property offences.
Coverage
The geographic scope covers the entirety of the United States, including data estimated at both the state and national levels for all 50 states. The time range spans from 1979 to 2019. It is important to note that due to reporting limitations, forcible rape figures between 1985 and 2013 were estimated using national rates rather than direct state-level reporting.
License
CC0: Public Domain
Who Can Use It
- Academic Researchers: To conduct statistical analysis of long-term crime trends and demographic factors.
- Government Policy Makers: To evaluate the effectiveness of historical crime prevention programmes and plan future security initiatives.
- Journalists and Data Visualisation Specialists: To report on public safety metrics and create visual representations of US crime prevalence over time.
Dataset Name Suggestions
- US Crime Estimates 1979–2019 (SRS Data)
- State and National Estimated Crime Totals (FBI SRS)
- Historical US Crime Data by State (1979-2019)
Attributes
Original Data Source: Historical US Crime Data by State (1979-2019)
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