Is crime a major problem? Poll reveals massive geographic divide among Americans

Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald on Aug 27, 2025

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The vast majority of Americans believe crime is a major problem in large U.S. cities, but few say the same for small towns, rural areas and their own communities, according to a new AP-NORC survey.

A slim majority also say they approve of President Donald Trump’s handling of crime — while taking issue with one specific tactic.

The poll comes after Trump deployed the National Guard to Washington, D.C., and federalized the Metropolitan Police Department in early August in an attempt to bolster public safety.

“Washington, D.C. will be LIBERATED today,” he wrote in an Aug. 11 post on Truth Social. “Crime, Savagery, Filth, and Scum will DISAPPEAR. I will, MAKE OUR CAPITAL GREAT AGAIN!”

He’s also threatened to use the same approach in other Democratic-run cities, like Chicago and Baltimore.

Critics, however, have denounced Trump’s crackdown as a political stunt, citing falling violent crime numbers in the nation’s capital.

Where is crime a major problem?

In the poll — which sampled 1,182 U.S. adults Aug. 21-25 — 81% of respondents said crime is a major problem in large U.S. cities. Just 18% described urban crime as a minor problem and only 1% said it is not a problem.

Similarly, 66% said crime is a major problem in the U.S. overall, while 32% said it’s a minor issue and 1% said it’s not an issue at all.

But, the results shifted significantly when respondents were asked about less densely populated areas.

A majority, 64%, described crime as a minor problem in “small towns or rural areas,” while 20% said it is a major problem there and 16% said it’s not a problem.

And a smaller majority, 55%, said crime is a minor problem in “your community.” Twenty-four percent said it is a major problem and 20% said it’s not a problem at all, according to the poll, which has a margin of error of 3.79 percentage points.

These concerns largely comport with the data.

Many cities report crime levels higher than the national average. And the U.S. crime rate is higher than those in many other industrialized countries, including Canada, the U.K., Australia and Germany, according to the World Population Review.

But, despite Trump’s focus on Washington, D.C., it is not the most dangerous city in the country. In 2024, Jackson, Mississippi and Birmingham, Alabama, had the highest homicide rates, followed by St. Louis, Missouri, and Memphis, Tennessee, according to Axios, citing FBI data.

Trump’s crackdown

Overall, a slim majority of Americans, 53%,approve of Trump’s handling of crime, while 45% say they disapprove.

Here, there was a massive partisan divide. The overwhelming majority of Republicans, 88%, approve, while 83% of Democrats disapprove. Independents were about evenly split — 46% approving vs. 45% disapproving.

Additionally, a majority of respondents, 55%, also said they believe it’s acceptable to use the National Guard to assist police — as Trump has done in the nation’s capital. Thirty-seven percent said they disagree.

At the same time, 55% said it is unacceptable to “take control of local police departments,” while 32% said this is acceptable.

As part of his crackdown on crime in Washington, D.C., Trump federalized the local police department under the Home Rule Act of 1973.