Racial and Ethnic Differences in the Homicide Age-Crime Curve in the United States, 2022 to 2024

This study addresses whether the age-crime curve for homicide differs by race and ethnicity in the United States. Although the aggregate age distribution of arrests for some offenses appears to have shifted older in recent years, this has not been the case for murder and non-negligent manslaughter; arrest rates for murder still peaked during teen years in 2024. However, when examining offending (and victimization) by race and ethnicity, it is apparent that the peak age of non-Hispanic White homicide involvement is considerably older than for Black and Hispanic accused offenders. Accused homicide offending for non-Hispanic Whites peaks at age 31 within the 2022 to 2024 Supplementary Homicide Reports, more than a decade later than for Black and Hispanic accused offenders (19 and 18, respectively). The distinct non-Hispanic White age-crime curve has several implications for on-going debates about the nature of age and crime patterns.