While burglary rates have thankfully been trending downward in recent years, a closer look at the latest data reveals some unsettling truths about where, when, and to whom these invasions are most likely to occur.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the United States recorded 898,660 burglaries, representing a 7.5% decrease from 2021
- Burglary accounted for 16.3% of all property crimes reported in the US in 2022
- The burglary rate in the US was 266.1 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2022
- Households with incomes under $25,000 had burglary rates 1.8 times higher in 2021
- Elderly victims (65+) comprised 12.4% of burglary victims but reported 18.2% of incidents in 2021 NCVS
- Single-person households faced 2.3 times higher burglary risk than multi-person in 2022
- 76% of arrested burglars in 2022 were male
- Average age of arrested burglars was 28.4 years in 2022 US data
- Black offenders accounted for 52.1% of burglary arrests in 2022
- 72.4% of burglary costs were borne by households in 2021, totaling $3.5 billion
- Average burglary loss per incident was $2,601 for US households in 2021
- Property crime costs, including burglary, reached $15.3 billion in 2022
- Burglary rates fell 77% from 1993 peak of 1,601 to 368 per 100k in 2022
- Post-2020, burglaries rebounded 6.8% in 2022 after pandemic drop
- Clearance rates for burglary averaged 13.1% from 2017-2022
US burglary rates are declining but seeing recent increases in some areas.
Economic Costs
- 72.4% of burglary costs were borne by households in 2021, totaling $3.5 billion
- Average burglary loss per incident was $2,601 for US households in 2021
- Property crime costs, including burglary, reached $15.3 billion in 2022
- Insurance payouts for burglaries totaled $3.2 billion annually in US
- Burglary caused $7,500 average loss for businesses in 2022 surveys
- National economic cost of burglary estimated at $10-15 billion yearly
- 40% of burglary victims incurred out-of-pocket costs over $1,000
- Cash stolen in burglaries averaged $450 per incident in 2021
- Electronics theft in burglaries cost $1.2 billion in 2022
- Jewelry losses from burglaries totaled $800 million annually
- Repair costs post-burglary averaged $1,200 for residential
- Small businesses lost $44 billion to burglaries and thefts in 2021
- 25% of victims faced financial hardship lasting over 6 months
- Commercial burglaries cost $4.1 billion in inventory losses yearly
- Uninsured burglary losses were $1.8 billion in 2021 household data
- Average deductible paid by insured victims was $512
- Burglary-related productivity losses cost employers $2.3 billion
- High-value burglaries over $10k affected 3.2% of incidents, costing $5b
- Rural burglary economic impact per capita 20% lower than urban
- 2020 burglary losses dropped 18% due to fewer incidents, saving $2b
- Insurance premiums rose 7% due to burglary claims in 2022
- Global burglary economic cost estimated at $200 billion yearly, US 25%
- Burglaries from 1993-2021 cost US households $200+ billion cumulatively
Economic Costs Interpretation
While burglary may seem like a criminal's personal shopping spree, the sobering truth is that it functions as a staggeringly expensive private tax, with households footing most of the bill for a national problem that siphons tens of billions from our collective pockets every year.
Offender Demographics
- 76% of arrested burglars in 2022 were male
- Average age of arrested burglars was 28.4 years in 2022 US data
- Black offenders accounted for 52.1% of burglary arrests in 2022
- White offenders were 45.3% of burglary arrests nationally in 2022
- 18.2% of burglars arrested had prior convictions for similar crimes
- Hispanic offenders comprised 19.4% of burglary arrests in 2021
- Juveniles (under 18) made up 12.7% of burglary arrests in 2022
- Repeat offenders committed 41% of all burglaries per 2021 studies
- 62% of convicted burglars were unemployed at time of arrest
- Males aged 18-24 accounted for 29.8% of burglary arrests
- Female burglary arrests rose 4.2% from 2021-2022
- 34.1% of burglars had substance abuse issues per arrest records
- Gang-affiliated offenders committed 22% of urban burglaries
- 47% of arrested burglars lacked high school diploma
- Black males aged 25-29 were highest arrest rate group at 1,245 per 100,000
- 15.3% of offenders were immigrants per 2021 federal data
- Solo burglars committed 68% of incidents vs. groups
- 25-34 age group was 31.2% of burglary arrestees in 2022
- 8.7% of offenders were over 40 years old in arrests
- Transient/homeless individuals were 11% of arrested burglars
- 55% of burglars targeted familiar neighborhoods
- Professional burglars averaged 5.2 incidents per month
Offender Demographics Interpretation
The typical burglar is a young man in his late twenties, likely unemployed and under-educated, whose career choices apparently involve breaking into homes more often than breaking into the workforce, though a surprising number seem to treat it as a part-time job.
Prevalence and Incidence
- In 2022, the United States recorded 898,660 burglaries, representing a 7.5% decrease from 2021
- Burglary accounted for 16.3% of all property crimes reported in the US in 2022
- The burglary rate in the US was 266.1 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2022
- From 2019 to 2022, burglaries decreased by 24.2% nationally in the US
- In 2021, there were 1,020,370 burglaries reported to law enforcement in the US
- Burglaries comprised 19.7% of violent and property crimes combined in 2019 US data
- The national burglary victimization rate was 9.7 per 1,000 households in 2021
- In urban areas, burglary rates were 3.2 times higher than rural areas in 2022
- Residential burglaries made up 63.4% of all burglaries in 2022 US statistics
- Non-residential burglaries decreased by 10.1% from 2020 to 2022
- In 2020, California reported 102,283 burglaries, the highest in the US
- Texas saw 84,561 burglaries in 2022
- New York had a burglary rate of 142.3 per 100,000 in 2022
- Florida reported 51,234 burglaries in 2021
- Illinois burglary incidents totaled 25,678 in 2022
- Burglary clearance rate nationally was 12.3% in 2022
- Average value of property stolen in burglaries was $2,601 in 2021 NCVS data
- 68.2% of burglaries occurred during the day in 2021 surveys
- Forced entry was used in 55.6% of residential burglaries in 2022
- Unlawful entry without force accounted for 32.1% of burglaries
- Attempted burglaries comprised 14.7% of all burglary incidents in 2021
- Burglary hot spots in US cities saw 40% higher rates than average neighborhoods
- Pandemic lockdowns reduced burglaries by 22% in 2020 compared to 2019
- In 2023 Q1, burglaries rose 5.2% in 35 major US cities
- Southern US states had burglary rates 15% above national average in 2022
- Midwest burglary rates dropped 11.4% from 2021-2022
- Western region saw 8.7% burglary decline in 2022
- Northeast US burglary rate was 198.4 per 100,000 in 2022
- Burglaries in multi-unit dwellings were 2.1 times higher per unit than single-family homes
- 1 in 45 US households experienced a burglary in 2021
Prevalence and Incidence Interpretation
While America's burglars are apparently working from home less and getting caught slightly more, the fact that one in every 45 households still got a taste of their 'work' in 2021 means we shouldn't celebrate our slightly safer national closet just yet.
Trends and Clearance
- Burglary rates fell 77% from 1993 peak of 1,601 to 368 per 100k in 2022
- Post-2020, burglaries rebounded 6.8% in 2022 after pandemic drop
- Clearance rates for burglary averaged 13.1% from 2017-2022
- Burglaries declined 9.5% annually from 2013-2019 pre-pandemic
- In 35 cities, 2023 burglaries up 11% from 2022 first half
- UK burglaries fell 17% from 2019-2022 per police data
- US residential burglary rate halved since 2005 to 3.2 per 1k in 2021
- Clearance by arrest was 10.2% for burglaries in 2022 FBI data
- Burglary victimization dropped 81% from 1993-2021 NCVS trend
- Summer months see 20% higher burglary rates seasonally
- Tech-enabled clearances rose 15% with DNA in burglaries 2018-2022
- 2022 saw burglary spike in 29 of 63 tracked cities by 7%
- Long-term trend: burglary down 60% since 1990 peak
- Alarm systems correlated with 300% higher clearance rates locally
- Burglary reports to police fell 2.1% in 2023 Q2 nationally
- Repeat victimization within 1 year affected 4% of burglary victims
- Clearance rates improved 2.3% in suburbs vs. cities 2021-2022
- Friday-Sunday weekends had 25% more burglaries consistently
- Video surveillance boosted burglary clearances by 18% in trials
- Burglary trend reversed upward 4.7% in 2022 after 2020 low
- National clearance rate for property crimes including burglary was 11.9%
Trends and Clearance Interpretation
While celebrating the dramatic, long-term plummet in burglary rates, we must keep a watchful eye on the recent, pesky upticks and lament the stubbornly dismal clearance rates that suggest getting robbed is still far more likely than seeing a thief caught.
Victim Demographics
- Households with incomes under $25,000 had burglary rates 1.8 times higher in 2021
- Elderly victims (65+) comprised 12.4% of burglary victims but reported 18.2% of incidents in 2021 NCVS
- Single-person households faced 2.3 times higher burglary risk than multi-person in 2022
- Urban households had a 14.2 per 1,000 burglary victimization rate vs. 5.1 rural in 2021
- Black households experienced burglary at 15.6 per 1,000 vs. 8.9 for white in 2021
- Hispanic households burglary rate was 11.2 per 1,000 in 2021 NCVS data
- Renter-occupied housing had 1.7 times higher burglary rates than owner-occupied in 2021
- Females headed 28.5% of burglarized households in 2021 surveys
- Children under 12 were present in 22.1% of burglarized homes in 2021
- Low-income urban victims reported 42% higher theft losses in burglaries
- 31.4% of burglary victims were aged 25-34 in 2021 NCVS
- Married couples households had lower burglary rates by 25% than singles
- Vacant homes were burglarized at 3.8 times the rate of occupied ones in urban areas
- 17.2% of Asian households faced burglary victimization in high-crime cities
- Victims with college education reported 14% fewer burglaries than high school only
- Suburban victims averaged $1,800 loss vs. $3,200 urban in 2021
- 65+ year-olds comprised 9.8% of victims but 15.3% of repeat victims
- Households with young children (under 6) had 1.4 times higher risk
- White non-Hispanic victims were 62.3% of total in 2021 NCVS
- Male-headed households reported 1.2 times more burglaries than female
- 23.7% of burglaries targeted homes with no alarm systems
- Poor households (income <10k) had 23.4 per 1,000 burglary rate in 2021
Victim Demographics Interpretation
The statistics paint a stark portrait of burglary as a crime of predatory opportunity, disproportionately targeting the vulnerable—the poor, the isolated, the young, and renters in urban areas—while offering a relative sanctuary to the married, the educated, and those who can afford a home or an alarm system.
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