Property Crime Statistics 2024
Key Insights
- →5.99 million property crimes in 2024 — that's one property crime for every 57 Americans.
- →Larceny-theft alone accounts for 72% of all property crime — 4.3 million incidents, most of which are never solved.
- →Motor vehicle theft surged 25% since 2019, driven by keyless-ignition vulnerabilities and organized theft rings.
- →Only about 14% of property crimes lead to an arrest, making it the least-solved major crime category.
National Overview
In 2024, the United States recorded 5,986,400 property crimes — a rate of 1760.1 per 100,000 residents. Property crime includes burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
Like violent crime, property crime has declined dramatically from its peak. The rate peaked at 5353.3 in 1980 and has since fallen by 67%. However, motor vehicle theft has surged in recent years, bucking the overall downward trend.
2024 Breakdown
| Type | Total | Rate per 100K | % of Property Crime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larceny-Theft | 4,326,531 | 1272.1 | 72% |
| Burglary | 779,542 | 229.2 | 13% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 880,327 | 258.8 | 15% |
Larceny-theft (shoplifting, pocket-picking, purse-snatching, theft from vehicles) accounts for the vast majority of property crime. Burglary has declined the most dramatically — down roughly 60% since the early 1990s, likely due to improved security technology. Motor vehicle theft spiked roughly 25% from 2019-2022, partly driven by a design flaw in certain Hyundai/Kia models.
Property Crime Arrests by Race
| Race | Property Crime | % | Burglary | Larceny | MVT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 488,896 | 61.9% | 60,225 | 389,866 | 33,627 |
| Black | 273,430 | 34.6% | 32,995 | 216,429 | 22,157 |
| Native American | 12,889 | 1.6% | 1,572 | 10,303 | 886 |
| Asian | 13,019 | 1.6% | 1,236 | 10,841 | 782 |
| Pacific Islander | 2,096 | 0.3% | 255 | 1,633 | 173 |
| Total | 790,330 | 100% | 96,283 | 629,072 | 57,625 |
Arrest demographics reflect policing patterns and do not represent the true distribution of offending. See full arrest demographics | racial disparities | crime by race
Highest Property Crime Rate Cities (100K+)
| # | City | Property Rate | Property Crime | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OaklandCalifornia | 7230.3 | 31,455 | 435,042 |
| 2 | MemphisTennessee | 6899.0 | 42,305 | 613,207 |
| 3 | St. LouisMissouri | 5706.9 | 15,825 | 277,294 |
| 4 | TacomaWashington | 5603.6 | 12,551 | 223,980 |
| 5 | Baton RougeLouisiana | 5526.6 | 12,108 | 219,086 |
| 6 | PortlandOregon | 5526.2 | 34,432 | 623,066 |
| 7 | BerkeleyCalifornia | 5229.1 | 6,139 | 117,400 |
| 8 | Little RockArkansas | 5214.3 | 10,650 | 204,247 |
| 9 | Salt Lake CityUtah | 5200.0 | 11,059 | 212,675 |
| 10 | MinneapolisMinnesota | 5142.9 | 21,769 | 423,282 |
| 11 | LakewoodColorado | 5093.4 | 7,939 | 155,868 |
| 12 | New OrleansLouisiana | 5089.6 | 18,536 | 364,197 |
| 13 | SeattleWashington | 5007.6 | 38,061 | 760,058 |
| 14 | PuebloColorado | 4942.0 | 5,476 | 110,805 |
| 15 | SpringfieldIllinois | 4911.4 | 5,499 | 111,965 |
| 16 | Las CrucesNew Mexico | 4873.4 | 5,652 | 115,977 |
| 17 | SpokaneWashington | 4840.8 | 11,111 | 229,529 |
| 18 | DenverColorado | 4761.6 | 34,380 | 722,031 |
| 19 | Kansas CityMissouri | 4676.1 | 23,920 | 511,535 |
| 20 | AlbuquerqueNew Mexico | 4628.8 | 25,863 | 558,745 |
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2024.