Catalina Espinosa
Research expert covering society, economy, and politics for Europe and the EU
Property crime in the United States - statistics & facts
Property crime in the United States incorporates all instances of theft or unlawful destruction of property in the absence of force or threat of force against a victim. As with the rate of violent crime, the property crime rate in the United States has dropped dramatically since 1990. Of the different forms of property crime, larceny-theft is the most common in the U.S. with over 4.51 million reported cases in 2023. Among such cases, theft of items from motor vehicles is the most common type. Interestingly, survey data shows that although crime rates have continued to drop, a majority of Americans have persistently believed that there was more crime in the current year than the year before. This may also reflect the fact that national crime trends are reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, whose data is based solely off information received from participating law enforcement agencies around the country. However, not all agencies participate every year, making it difficult to say for sure how much property crime is actually occurring nationwide.
Property crime and financial gain
New Mexico is a hot bed for property crime. The state has the highest burglary rate, one of the highest larceny-theft rates and one of the highest motor vehicle theft rates in the country. In contrast to arson and many violent crimes, people generally seek to commit theft related property crimes because of the expected personal financial gain from committing such crimes. As such, it can be expected that the crime rates will be higher in areas where poverty rates are higher than national averages. The immorality of theft subsides to a perceived necessity for those facing a dire financial situation. Unsurprisingly, New Mexico has the second highest poverty rate in the United States as of 2023.Clearance rates
Another potential reason people may choose to commit property crimes is the likelihood of them being caught and therefore charged. A look at the crime clearance rates for different crimes in the United States shows that people are much less likely to be caught when committing property crimes than violent crimes. The crime criminals appear most likely to get away with the most in the United States is motor vehicle theft. Additionally, only 26.2 percent of arsons are cleared through arrest or other exceptional means. Among crimes of arson, it is even more unlikely that someone will be caught for arson of a motor vehicle.
