Households bore over 70% of the cost from burglaries in recent years, a burden totaling billions. The crime disproportionately targets vulnerable populations, with single-person and low-income households facing significantly higher risk.
Key Takeaways
- 72.4% of burglary costs were borne by households in 2021, totaling $3.5 billion
- 76% of arrested burglars in 2022 were male
- In 2022, the United States recorded 898,660 burglaries, representing a 7.5% decrease from 2021
- Burglary rates fell 77% from 1993 peak of 1,601 to 368 per 100k in 2022
- Households with incomes under $25,000 had burglary rates 1.8 times higher in 2021
Burglary rates have steadily changed, so staying prepared with strong security measures is crucial.
Related reading
01 · Category
Economic Costs23 stats
01
72.4% of burglary costs were borne by households in 2021, totaling $3.5 billion
02
Average burglary loss per incident was $2,601for US households in 2021
03
Property crime costs, including burglary, reached $15.3 billion in 2022
04
Insurance payouts for burglaries totaled $3.2 billion annually in US
05
Burglary caused $7,500average loss for businesses in 2022 surveys
06
National economic cost of burglary estimated at $10-15 billion yearly
07
40% of burglary victims incurred out-of-pocket costs over $1,000
08
Cash stolen in burglaries averaged $450per incident in 2021
09
Electronics theft in burglaries cost $1.2 billion in 2022
10
Jewelry losses from burglaries totaled $800 million annually
11
Repair costs post-burglary averaged $1,200for residential
12
Small businesses lost $44 billion to burglaries and thefts in 2021
13
25% of victims faced financial hardship lasting over 6 months
14
Commercial burglaries cost $4.1 billion in inventory losses yearly
15
Uninsured burglary losses were $1.8 billion in 2021 household data
16
Average deductible paid by insured victims was $512
17
Burglary-related productivity losses cost employers $2.3 billion
18
High-value burglaries over $10k affected 3.2% of incidents, costing $5b
19
Rural burglary economic impact per capita 20% lower than urban
20
2020 burglary losses dropped 18% due to fewer incidents, saving $2b
21
Insurance premiums rose 7% due to burglary claims in 2022
22
Global burglary economic cost estimated at $200 billion yearly, US 25%
23
Burglaries from 1993-2021 cost US households $200+ billion cumulatively
Interpretation
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.
02 · Category
Offender Demographics22 stats
01
76% of arrested burglars in 2022 were male
02
Average age of arrested burglars was 28.4 years in 2022 US data
03
Black offenders accounted for 52.1% of burglary arrests in 2022
04
White offenders were 45.3% of burglary arrests nationally in 2022
05
18.2% of burglars arrested had prior convictions for similar crimes
06
Hispanic offenders comprised 19.4% of burglary arrests in 2021
07
Juveniles (under 18) made up 12.7% of burglary arrests in 2022
08
Repeat offenders committed 41% of all burglaries per 2021 studies
09
62% of convicted burglars were unemployed at time of arrest
10
Males aged 18-24 accounted for 29.8% of burglary arrests
11
Female burglary arrests rose 4.2% from 2021-2022
12
34.1% of burglars had substance abuse issues per arrest records
13
Gang-affiliated offenders committed 22% of urban burglaries
14
47% of arrested burglars lacked high school diploma
15
Black males aged 25-29 were highest arrest rate group at 1,245 per 100,000
16
15.3% of offenders were immigrants per 2021 federal data
17
Solo burglars committed 68% of incidents vs. groups
18
25-34 age group was 31.2% of burglary arrestees in 2022
19
8.7% of offenders were over 40 years old in arrests
20
Transient/homeless individuals were 11% of arrested burglars
21
55% of burglars targeted familiar neighborhoods
22
Professional burglars averaged 5.2 incidents per month
Interpretation
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.
03 · Category
Prevalence and Incidence30 stats
01
In 2022, the United States recorded 898,660 burglaries, representing a 7.5% decrease from 2021
02
Burglary accounted for 16.3% of all property crimes reported in the US in 2022
03
The burglary rate in the US was 266.1 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2022
04
From 2019 to 2022, burglaries decreased by 24.2% nationally in the US
05
In 2021, there were 1,020,370 burglaries reported to law enforcement in the US
06
Burglaries comprised 19.7% of violent and property crimes combined in 2019 US data
07
The national burglary victimization rate was 9.7 per 1,000 households in 2021
08
In urban areas, burglary rates were 3.2 times higher than rural areas in 2022
09
Residential burglaries made up 63.4% of all burglaries in 2022 US statistics
10
Non-residential burglaries decreased by 10.1% from 2020 to 2022
11
In 2020, California reported 102,283 burglaries, the highest in the US
12
Texas saw 84,561 burglaries in 2022
13
New York had a burglary rate of 142.3 per 100,000 in 2022
14
Florida reported 51,234 burglaries in 2021
15
Illinois burglary incidents totaled 25,678 in 2022
16
Burglary clearance rate nationally was 12.3% in 2022
17
Average value of property stolen in burglaries was $2,601in 2021 NCVS data
18
68.2% of burglaries occurred during the day in 2021 surveys
19
Forced entry was used in 55.6% of residential burglaries in 2022
20
Unlawful entry without force accounted for 32.1% of burglaries
21
Attempted burglaries comprised 14.7% of all burglary incidents in 2021
22
Burglary hot spots in US cities saw 40% higher rates than average neighborhoods
23
Pandemic lockdowns reduced burglaries by 22% in 2020 compared to 2019
24
In 2023 Q1, burglaries rose 5.2% in 35 major US cities
25
Southern US states had burglary rates 15% above national average in 2022
26
Midwest burglary rates dropped 11.4% from 2021-2022
27
Western region saw 8.7% burglary decline in 2022
28
Northeast US burglary rate was 198.4 per 100,000 in 2022
29
Burglaries in multi-unit dwellings were 2.1 times higher per unit than single-family homes
30
1 in 45 US households experienced a burglary in 2021
Interpretation
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.
More related reading
04 · Category
Trends and Clearance21 stats
01
Burglary rates fell 77% from 1993 peak of 1,601 to 368 per 100k in 2022
02
Post-2020, burglaries rebounded 6.8% in 2022 after pandemic drop
03
Clearance rates for burglary averaged 13.1% from 2017-2022
04
Burglaries declined 9.5% annually from 2013-2019 pre-pandemic
05
In 35 cities, 2023 burglaries up 11% from 2022 first half
06
UK burglaries fell 17% from 2019-2022 per police data
07
US residential burglary rate halved since 2005 to 3.2 per 1k in 2021
08
Clearance by arrest was 10.2% for burglaries in 2022 FBI data
09
Burglary victimization dropped 81% from 1993-2021 NCVS trend
10
Summer months see 20% higher burglary rates seasonally
11
Tech-enabled clearances rose 15% with DNA in burglaries 2018-2022
12
2022 saw burglary spike in 29 of 63 tracked cities by 7%
13
Long-term trend: burglary down 60% since 1990 peak
14
Alarm systems correlated with 300% higher clearance rates locally
15
Burglary reports to police fell 2.1% in 2023 Q2 nationally
16
Repeat victimization within 1 year affected 4% of burglary victims
17
Clearance rates improved 2.3% in suburbs vs. cities 2021-2022
18
Friday-Sunday weekends had 25% more burglaries consistently
19
Video surveillance boosted burglary clearances by 18% in trials
20
Burglary trend reversed upward 4.7% in 2022 after 2020 low
21
National clearance rate for property crimes including burglary was 11.9%
Interpretation
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.
05 · Category
Victim Demographics22 stats
01
Households with incomes under $25,000had burglary rates 1.8 times higher in 2021
02
Elderly victims (65+) comprised 12.4% of burglary victims but reported 18.2% of incidents in 2021 NCVS
03
Single-person households faced 2.3 times higher burglary risk than multi-person in 2022
04
Urban households had a 14.2 per 1,000 burglary victimization rate vs. 5.1 rural in 2021
05
Black households experienced burglary at 15.6 per 1,000 vs. 8.9 for white in 2021
06
Hispanic households burglary rate was 11.2 per 1,000 in 2021 NCVS data
07
Renter-occupied housing had 1.7 times higher burglary rates than owner-occupied in 2021
08
Females headed 28.5% of burglarized households in 2021 surveys
09
Children under 12 were present in 22.1% of burglarized homes in 2021
10
Low-income urban victims reported 42% higher theft losses in burglaries
11
31.4% of burglary victims were aged 25-34 in 2021 NCVS
12
Married couples households had lower burglary rates by 25% than singles
13
Vacant homes were burglarized at 3.8 times the rate of occupied ones in urban areas
14
17.2% of Asian households faced burglary victimization in high-crime cities
15
Victims with college education reported 14% fewer burglaries than high school only
16
Suburban victims averaged $1,800loss vs. $3,200 urban in 2021
17
65+ year-olds comprised 9.8% of victims but 15.3% of repeat victims
18
Households with young children (under 6) had 1.4 times higher risk
19
White non-Hispanic victims were 62.3% of total in 2021 NCVS
20
Male-headed households reported 1.2 times more burglaries than female
21
23.7% of burglaries targeted homes with no alarm systems
22
Poor households (income <10k) had 23.4 per 1,000 burglary rate in 2021
Interpretation
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.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Christopher Morgan. (2026, February 13). Burglary Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/burglary-statistics
MLA
Christopher Morgan. "Burglary Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/burglary-statistics.
Chicago
Christopher Morgan. 2026. "Burglary Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/burglary-statistics.
Sources & references
29 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level