Other highlights from the report include:
In the violent crime category, murder fell 1.9%, while forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault all fell 4%.
There was, however, an increase in murder in the Midwest (0.6%) and an 18.3% jump in murder in cities with populations of less than 10,000.
In the property crimes category, motor vehicle theft saw the largest decline (3.3%) from 2010 figures, followed by larceny-theft (0.9%).
The only overall rise in property crimes was in the burglary category, which was up 0.03% overall, with increases of 3.2% in the Northeast, 1.3% in the Midwest, and 0.7% in the West.
The final data will be published in the fall in "Crime in the United States 2011."