Burglary, car theft and your home

Most crime that touches a home is property crime: a break-in, a stolen car, a package or bike that disappears. The numbers are lower than many people think, and falling. What helps most is ordinary and cheap.

How common is a burglary?

Less common than it used to be. A federal survey of households estimated about 7.6 burglaries per 1,000 households in 2025, down from 9.7 the year before. FBI figures for crimes reported to police show burglary at a 20-year low in 2025.

And car theft?

Falling fast. Reported car thefts dropped about 23% in 2025, to about 660,000 nationally. Most car thefts are reported to police, so this number is closer to the real total than most.

Why do the official numbers miss so much?

Because many people don’t report property crime. In the federal victims’ survey, only about 41% of burglaries were reported to police in 2024, against 72% of car thefts. Small thefts are reported least of all. Keep that in mind when reading any crime map.

What actually reduces the risk?

Good locks and outdoor lights. The strongest evidence comes from a large British crime survey, studied by researchers at Nottingham Trent and other universities. Homes with double locks or deadlocks on the doors, window locks and outdoor lights had far fewer break-ins than homes with none. Burglar alarms on their own did no better than having no security at all, in that data. The same researchers credit better locks for much of the long decline in burglaries in England and Wales.

An American survey of convicted burglars found about 60% said an alarm would send them elsewhere. That survey was paid for by the alarm industry, so treat it as weaker evidence.

What does the research suggest checking when you move in?

• Rekey or replace the locks, since previous owners and contractors may have keys.
• Add deadlocks to outside doors and locks to ground-floor windows.
• Light the entrances, garage and side yard.
• Find out where packages are left, and whether there’s a better spot.

Does insurance cover it?

Homeowners and renters insurance generally cover theft, minus the deductible; the policy says what’s excluded. Theft claims are uncommon, about one claim a year for every 800 insured homes, and averaged about $5,500 from 2019 to 2023. Car theft is covered by the comprehensive part of an auto policy, if you carry it.

Your starting map

The crime rate layer includes property crime. It counts reported events. It says nothing about the people who live there. Our guide to reading a crime rate explains why stores and parking lots push a total up.