In 2025, Worcester police reported 1,281 violent crimes (601 per 100,000 residents), including 1 murders, 151 robberies and 1,085 aggravated assaults, plus 3,046 property crimes, according to FBI data.
Population covered: 212,985. Violent-crime rate rank: 2 of 9 large Massachusetts cities on this site (1 = highest rate). Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer, agency MA0146000, January–December 2025.
| City | Violent / 100k | Violent | Murders | Property / 100k | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield | 871 | 1,344 | 17 | 2,444 | Totals |
| Worcester | 601 | 1,281 | 1 | 1,430 | Totals |
| Boston | 583 | 3,915 | 24 | 1,923 | Live |
| Lynn | 561 | 582 | 4 | 1,106 | Totals |
| Brockton | 538 | 568 | 8 | 1,393 | Totals |
| Lowell | 505 | 613 | 2 | 1,386 | Totals |
| Cambridge | 436 | 530 | 2 | 2,595 | Totals |
| New Bedford | 345 | 349 | 4 | 1,548 | Totals |
| Quincy | 302 | 313 | 1 | 1,194 | Totals |
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer agency counts for 2025 (all 12 months reported unless noted), retrieved October 7, 2026. Rates use the population the FBI lists for each police agency.
Worcester's violent-crime rate of 601 per 100,000 people in 2025 was 2 times the Massachusetts rate (300) and 88% higher than the U.S. rate (320). That works out to one reported violent crime for every 166 residents, or about 24.6 a week.
Among the 362 cities with full-year FBI numbers on CityCrimeMap, Worcester ranks 99th for violent crime, in the higher half, and 332nd for murder (1 murder, 0.5 per 100,000).
Aggravated assaults made up 85% of Worcester's violent crimes and robberies 12%, close to the national robbery share of 15%.
Property crime ran 1,430 per 100,000, 39% higher than Massachusetts overall. Worcester police logged 349 vehicle thefts (164 per 100,000, 235th of 351; Massachusetts: 89) and 370 burglaries (174 per 100,000, 56% higher than the state).
The closest city we cover is Lowell, 36 miles northeast; its violent-crime rate (505) is 16% lower than Worcester's.
Out-of-state cities near Worcester's size (212,985 residents): Des Moines, IA at 642 violent crimes per 100,000 and Sioux Falls, SD at 364.
By the FBI's 2025 numbers, Worcester had 601 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 2 times the statewide 300. It is 2nd highest of the 9 Massachusetts cities on this site; Springfield is highest at 871. A city-wide rate does not tell you about a single block.
Worcester police reported 1 murder for 2025, a rate of 0.5 per 100,000 residents. The Massachusetts rate was 1.3 and the national rate 4.1.
349 vehicles were reported stolen in Worcester in 2025, 164 per 100,000 residents. That is 16% lower than the national rate of 195 and ranks 235th of 351 cities on this site.