Data through Mar 2026 (Madison) and Feb 2026 (Milwaukee), FBI
Madison vs Milwaukee crime rates
Milwaukee’s violent crime rate was 5.3 times Madison’s over each one’s latest 12 months (to Mar 2026 for Madison and Feb 2026 for Milwaukee): 1,126 against 212 per 100,000 residents a year. Milwaukee’s property crime rate was 26% higher than Madison’s over the same period: 2,342 against 1,854 per 100,000 residents a year. Madison recorded 7 homicides (2.4 per 100,000 residents) and Milwaukee 140 (25.0). Over the same period violent crime was down 11% in Madison and down 20% in Milwaukee, each against its own previous 12 months.
Side by side
per 100k, per year| Measure | Madison, WIcity, Wisconsin | Milwaukee, WIcity, Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crimeper 100,000 residents a year | 212 | 1,126 |
| Property crimeper 100,000 residents a year | 1,854 | 2,342 |
| Homicidescount in the period | 72.4 per 100k | 14025.0 per 100k |
| Violent crime trendagainst the 12 months before | −11% | −20% |
| Property crime trendagainst the 12 months before | +2% | −14% |
| Residents | 287,992 | 559,717 |
| Period | 12 months to Mar 2026 | 12 months to Feb 2026 |
| Source | Madison Police Departmentas reported to the FBI | Milwaukee 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 | Madison | Milwaukee |
|---|---|---|
| Robberytaken by force or threat | 9031.3 per 100k | 1,212217 per 100k |
| Burglaryentering a home or business to steal | 351122 per 100k | 1,877335 per 100k |
| Theft from vehiclesitems or parts taken from a vehicle | 681236 per 100k | 3,149563 per 100k |
| Other theftshoplifting, pickpocketing and the rest | 4,0301,399 per 100k | 3,285587 per 100k |
Counts over each period.
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: Madison’s figures run to Mar 2026 and Milwaukee’s to Feb 2026, the latest each agency has reported in full.
- 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.
More on each place
full pagesSource and dates
FBI Crime Data Explorer- Madison, WI
- Madison Police Department, as reported to the FBI. 12 months to Mar 2026; 287,992 residents.
- Milwaukee, WI
- Milwaukee Police Department, as reported to the FBI. 12 months to Feb 2026; 559,717 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