Data through Aug 2026 (Boston) and Jul 2026 (Philadelphia), FBI
Boston vs Philadelphia crime rates
Philadelphia’s violent crime rate was 38% higher than Boston’s over each one’s latest 12 months (to Aug 2026 for Boston and Jul 2026 for Philadelphia): 795 against 575 per 100,000 residents a year. Philadelphia’s property crime rate was 2.2 times Boston’s over the same period: 4,163 against 1,867 per 100,000 residents a year. Boston recorded 20 homicides (3.0 per 100,000 residents) and Philadelphia 183 (11.7). Over the same period violent crime was down 4% in Boston and down 8% in Philadelphia, each against its own previous 12 months.
Side by side
per 100k, per year| Measure | Boston, MAcity, Massachusetts | Philadelphia, PAcity, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crimeper 100,000 residents a year | 575 | 795 |
| Property crimeper 100,000 residents a year | 1,867 | 4,163 |
| Homicidescount in the period | 203.0 per 100k | 18311.7 per 100k |
| Violent crime trendagainst the 12 months before | −4% | −8% |
| Property crime trendagainst the 12 months before | −5% | −6% |
| Residents | 671,262 | 1,562,379 |
| Period | 12 months to Aug 2026 | 12 months to Jul 2026 |
| Source | Boston Police Departmentas reported to the FBI | Philadelphia Police Departmentas reported to the FBI |
Violent crime, month by month
Each line has its own scale, so read the direction, not the height; the table above has the rates.
Robbery and theft
| Offense | Boston | Philadelphia |
|---|---|---|
| Robberytaken by force or threat | — | 3,341214 per 100k |
| Burglaryentering a home or business to steal | — | 4,389281 per 100k |
| Theft from vehiclesitems or parts taken from a vehicle | — | 12,586806 per 100k |
| Other theftshoplifting, pickpocketing and the rest | — | 32,3502,071 per 100k |
Counts over each period; Boston’s source does not separate them yet.
The FBI cautions against ranking or comparing places on these numbers alone: how dense a place is, its economy, how often residents report crime and how each agency records it all shape them. How to read crime numbers
What this comparison does not measure
read before deciding- These are crimes reported to the police. In the federal victim survey for 2024, about half of violent crime (47.9%, homicide aside) and under a third of property crime (30.5%) was reported, and that share can differ from one city to another.
- The two periods are not the same months: Boston’s figures run to Aug 2026 and Philadelphia’s to Jul 2026, the latest each agency has reported in full.
- Philadelphia has 2.3 times as many residents as Boston. A rate evens out the size, but in the smaller place a few dozen incidents move it more.
- City limits are drawn differently: one city may take in suburbs and open land that another leaves to its neighbors, and that alone moves a citywide rate. A citywide figure says little about any one neighborhood; Boston and Philadelphia have neighborhood figures on their page.
More on each place
4 related pairsCrime in Boston, MACrime in Philadelphia, PAPhiladelphia vs PittsburghNew York vs PhiladelphiaBoston vs New YorkBaltimore vs Philadelphia
Source and dates
FBI Crime Data Explorer- Boston, MA
- Boston Police Department, as reported to the FBI. 12 months to Aug 2026; 671,262 residents.
- Philadelphia, PA
- Philadelphia Police Department, as reported to the FBI. 12 months to Jul 2026; 1,562,379 residents.
- How we count
- Violent crime is homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property crime is burglary, theft, vehicle theft and arson, the FBI’s definitions for every agency. Methodology