Where Pueblo Really Stands
A sober look using official benchmarks
The national frame: what “average” looks like right now
Before we compare Pueblo to other places, set the baseline. The U.S. reported about 364 violent crimes and 1,917 property crimes per 100,000 people in 2023 (the FBI’s reporting window reflected in USAFacts). That’s the starting point for comparison: anything significantly above those rates is worth closer inspection. The FBI also reported violent crime declined about 3% in 2023 compared with 2022. USAFactsFederal Bureau of Investigation
Pueblo’s recent official posture: the city’s pushback matters
In August 2025 Pueblo’s city government publicly disputed a national “most dangerous” ranking that placed Pueblo in a very high slot. The Pueblo Police Department and the mayor pointed to their compstat tracking and to FBI data, saying Pueblo does not appear among the top 30 U.S. cities (100,000+ population) for crimes against persons. Locally reported metrics the city used to defend itself show year-over-year declines in several major categories (homicide, robbery, sexual assault, auto theft, burglary) when comparing the same period in 2024 to 2025. That public statement by city officials is an important corrective — it says: use audited, comparable data, not an apples-to-oranges list. Pueblohttps://www.kktv.comKOAA News 5
What the federal datasets show (FBI Crime Data Explorer & state reporting)
The authoritative, comparable source is the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer (and the state UCR/NIBRS submissions that feed it). The CDE is how analysts compare cities consistently year-to-year. The FBI’s national summary (and derivative sites like USAFacts) show a modest decline in violent and property crime nationally in 2023; importantly, those national drops were strongest in many large municipalities while some smaller places saw upticks. Pueblo is one of those smaller cities where local trends can differ from the national average, and that variability is why local compstat and agency reporting matter. CDE UCR CJISFederal Bureau of Investigation
The on-the-ground numbers for Pueblo (what’s verifiable)
Two things to keep separate: (A) raw counts and (B) rates per 100,000 people. Rates are the fair way to compare cities of different sizes.
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Local reporting cited that Pueblo’s violent-crime rate in recent public summaries has been elevated compared to national averages; certain third-party aggregators previously showed Pueblo with violent-crime rates well above the U.S. average. However, the city’s own compstat and the FBI submissions (when fully reported and audited) do not support placing Pueblo at the very top of national lists for cities with 100,000+ population. The City of Pueblo has publicly stated that, per FBI submissions, Pueblo was not in the top 30 for crimes against people. KOAA News 5Pueblo
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Local media and county health/housing partners point to 2021 → 2023 increases in homelessness (PIT count): Pueblo County’s PIT rose from 204 people in 2021 to 359 in 2023 — roughly a 75% increase. That’s a sharp jump and stands independently of how one ranks violent-crime rates. It’s a measurable, local social-services pressure point. KOAA News 5Colorado Coalition for the Homeless
Why the difference? Some national lists use blended metrics, survey components, or limited datasets that can skew results for mid-sized cities. Pueblo’s officials argue these lists either miss reporting differences between agencies or fail to adjust for changes in reporting methodology. The city’s public message: compare apples to apples (FBI CDE to FBI CDE). Pueblohttps://www.kktv.com
How Pueblo compares to major cities (California cities, Detroit, Chicago, large Texas cities)
Short answer: comparisons depend on which metric you use.
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Violent-crime rates in many large cities (Detroit, parts of Memphis, St. Louis) have historically been higher than Pueblo’s reported violent-crime rates on many datasets. At the same time, Pueblo’s property-crime rate has been high relative to national averages and, in some third-party listings, comparable with large cities in Texas or California on property offenses like theft and auto-theft. In plain language: Pueblo is not the worst-off city on every measure, but on some measures (notably property crime and a few violent-crime snapshots) it sits well above the national average. USAFacts+1
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Those large cities often have complex neighborhood patterns: a high citywide average can be concentrated in relatively small neighborhoods. The same can be true for Pueblo: city averages obscure neighborhood variance. If you live in or are assessing a particular neighborhood, only neighborhood-level data and local compstat will give a reliable picture. CDE UCR CJIS
Homelessness: separate track, urgent reality
Pueblo County’s PIT increase from 204 to 359 (2021→2023) is meaningful. The Colorado statewide report (and local providers) ties part of the increase to better outreach and counting methods, expanded shelter capacity, and real rises in housing instability. Still, the local trend is an operational challenge: service demand has increased faster than supply. That means more people on the streets or in temporary settings, which then intersects with policing, health services, and downtown business concerns in ways the city has to manage. KOAA News 5Colorado Coalition for the Homeless
What the numbers don’t tell you (and why that matters)
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Single-list headlines (e.g., “Top 10 most violent”) often compress data, mix methodologies, or rely on incomplete reporting. Use them as a prompt, not a verdict. Pueblo’s own government and the FBI CDE submissions should be the primary references. PuebloCDE UCR CJIS
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Rates vs. raw counts: A smaller city can look worse per capita with far fewer total incidents than a large city with higher raw totals. That matters for policy but also for public perception.
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Homelessness counts are sensitive to methodology—more outreach often makes homelessness counts climb even while services improve. That paradox is seen statewide. Colorado Coalition for the Homeless
Practical implications and next steps (what Pueblo needs, realistically)
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Transparent, consistent data reporting. Push for full, timely submissions to the FBI CDE and clear local dashboards so comparisons are apples-to-apples. CDE UCR CJIS
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Targeted interventions. Where property crime clusters, focus prevention (lighting, cameras, coordination with businesses); where violent crime clusters, fund community-based violence interruption and mental-health co-response.
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Address homelessness with housing-first investments and regional coordination. The PIT spike is a risk management issue as much as a compassion issue. KOAA News 5Colorado Coalition for the Homeless
Bottom line
Pueblo faces real challenges — especially a rising homelessness count and above-average crime rates on some measures — but the explosive, “top-10 most violent” headlines are not the whole story and, according to the city and FBI-level comparisons, are likely overstated based on the methodology used. Use FBI Crime Data Explorer stats and local compstat as your reliable sources. Pueblo’s problems are solvable; they just require honest data, focused local policy, and regional support.
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