Table 6: Crime in the United States, by metropolitan statistical area, 2009.

The FBI collects these data through the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program.

General comments

* This table provides crime data for Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and their estimated populations, the counties included in each MSA, and the 12-month crime counts for principal cities in MSAs. The table also includes statistics by area actually reporting, estimated total, and rate (per 100,000 inhabitants).

* This table provides crime statistics for the Metropolitan Divisions (MDs), which are subdivisions of MSAs that have a core population of at least 2.5 million people. The table also includes the rate (per 100,000 inhabitants) of offenses for each MD and actual and estimated offense totals.

* The UCR Program does not have sufficient data to estimate for arson.

Caution against ranking

Any comparisons of crime among different locales should take into consideration relevant factors in addition to the area's crime statistics. Variables Affecting Crime provides more details concerning the proper use of UCR statistics.

Methodology

* The data used in creating this table were from all law enforcement agencies in the UCR Program (including those submitting less than 12 months of data).

* Crime statistics include estimated offense totals (except arson) for agencies submitting less than 12 months of offense reports for each year.

* This table includes all currently designated MSAs in which at least 75 percent of the agencies within the MSA reported data to the UCR Program and for which the principal city/cities submitted 12 months of complete data for 2009.

* The statistics under the heading "Total area actually reporting" represent offense totals for agencies submitting 12 months of data and estimated totals for agencies submitting less than 12 but more than 2 months of data.

* The statistics under the heading "Estimated total" represent the above "Total area actually reporting" plus estimated totals for agencies submitting 2 months or less of data.

Population estimation

For the 2009 population estimates used in this table, the FBI computed individual rates of growth from one year to the next for every city/town and county using 2000 decennial population counts and 2001 through 2008 population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Each agency's rates of growth were averaged; that average was then applied and added to its 2008 Census population estimate to derive the agency's 2009 population estimate.