The U.S. property crime rate fell for the 19th consecutive year in 2020 – a bright spot in an otherwise bleak year defined largely by the COVID-19 pandemic and a historic surge in deadly violence.
Property crime is made up of three categories of offenses: larceny, defined as the unlawful taking of property; burglary, defined as the illegal entry of a structure to commit a crime; and vehicle theft, defined as the theft, or the attempted theft, of a vehicle, such a car or ATV. Here is a look at the city in every state where your car is most likely to be stolen.
There were a total 6.5 million property crimes reported in the U.S. in 2020, or 1,958 for every 100,000 people, a decrease of 172 incidents per 100,000 people from the previous year. The decline nationwide is being driven by especially steep drops in some major metropolitan areas.
Using data from the FBI’s 2020 Uniform Crime Report, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 50 metro areas where property crime is falling fastest. Metro areas are ranked by the year-over-year change in property crimes reported for every 100,000 residents.
Despite the decline in much of the country, property crimes remain the most common of the most serious crimes tracked by the FBI, known as Part I offenses. Each year, property crimes result in the loss of billions of dollars worth of property – much of which is never recovered.
The largest share of metro areas that reported the strongest improvement in property crime rates in 2020 are in the South, including nine in Florida alone. It is important to note that while each of the metro areas on this list reported a decline in property crime, most of them still have a higher overall property crime rate than the national average. Here is a look at the city with the highest rate of property crime in each state.
Click here to see metros where property crime is falling
Click here to read our detailed methodology
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