How have property crime rates changed over time?
The national property crime rate decreased in 2024 to its lowest level in at least 48 years — the largest single year drop in that time.
In 2024, the national property crime rate fell to its lowest level since 1976 — the earliest year of available data — to a rate of 1,760.1 property crimes per 100,000 people. It was also the largest single year decline: the property crime rate fell 9.0% in from 2023 to 2024.
What is property crime?
The National Institute of Justice defines property crime as the theft or destruction of property without threats or injuries to the owner. In tracking national crime rates, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) distinguishes property crime from violent crime. The FBI’s property crime rate data includes:
- Burglary
- Larceny-theft
- Motor vehicle theft
Although arson is also classified as a property crime and total arson offenses are available, the numbers are too small to reliably calculate crime rates, so the FBI does not publish arson rates.
The national property crime rate in 2024 is half the rate of 20 years ago.
Reported crimes per 100,000 people, 1976–2024
What is burglary?
Burglary is the unlawful entry of a building to commit a felony or theft. The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program subcategorizes burglary into forcible entry, unlawful entry without force, and attempted forcible entry.
What is larceny-theft?
Larceny-theft, sometimes shortened to larceny, is legalese for “stealing.” Larceny is defined as the unlawful taking of another person’s or entity’s property without the use of force, violence, or fraud. Examples include:
- Bicycle theft
- Shoplifting
- Pickpocketing
- Stealing car parts
What is motor vehicle theft?
Theft of car parts is considered larceny, but theft of a whole vehicle — or attempted theft — is its own category of property crime.
The FBI defines motor vehicles in its data as self-propelled vehicles that run on land surfaces, not on rails. It includes auto types such as cars, trucks, snowmobiles, busses, and motorcycles. It does not, however, include other motorized vehicles such as airplanes, farm equipment, or construction equipment.
How have crime rates changed?
The national violent crime and property crime rates have generally declined since 1991. Violent crime has been cut in more than half since then, falling from 758 incidents per 100,000 people in 1991 to 359 in 2024. Much of that decrease happened in the 10 years between 1991 to 2001 — a drop of 33%.
The property crime rate was down by 66% since 1991, dropping from 5,140 offenses per 100,000 people in 1991 to the 2024 rate of 1,760. After 1991, it decreased year over year annually except between 2000–01 and 2020–22.
What are the most common types of property crime?
In 2024, 72.3% of property crime was larceny-theft, 14.7% was motor vehicle theft, and 13.0% was burglary.
Burglary used to make up a larger share of property crimes. As recently as 2011, 24.1% of property crimes were burglaries, while 67.9% were larceny-theft and 7.9% were motor vehicle theft.
Since 2014, larceny has made up a larger than 70% share of property crime.
Share of property crime nationwide by type, 1976–2024
Is property crime declining?
The recent 9.0% decrease in the property crime rate was a bigger drop than has happened in recent history after a decrease of 2.2% from 2022 to 2023. And it had risen 1.6% from 2020 to 2022.
The larceny rate fell 6.4% from 1,360 offenses per 100,000 people in 2023 to 1,272 in 2024. Motor vehicle theft fell by 19.5%, from 321 offenses per 100,000 to 259. Burglary rates dipped 9.5% from 253 offenses per 100,000 to 229.
Larceny and burglary rates were at 48-year lows in 2024.
Property crimes per 100,000 people by type, 1976–2024
What does the data miss?
The FBI collects crime data from local law enforcement agencies through the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). 2024 NIBRS data represented about 94.7% of the US population.
However, many crime victimizations go unreported. The Department of Justice publishes annual National Crime Victimization Survey data. Among people surveyed, 30.5% of property crime victims reported the crime to the police in 2024.
Less than 1 out of 3 property crimes were reported to the police in 2024.
Percent of property crime victimizations reported to police, 1993–2024
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