Burglary may be only one slice of property crime, but it drives a disproportionate share of the risk and the spending that follow. In the latest available U.S. estimates, burglary accounts for about 23% of property crime victimizations, yet only 2.1% of households reported experiencing burglary in 2020, a gap that raises an immediate question about who gets targeted and why. As smart locks and visible alarm strategies keep scaling in both the UK and the U.S., these statistics help connect real-world prevention measures to the outcomes households actually face.
Key Takeaways
- About 35% of property crime victims experienced burglary as one of the property crime types in NCVS estimates (share of property crime victimizations that were burglary)
- 12.3% of U.S. households reported being the victim of a property crime in 2022 (including burglary among property crimes; ACS-based household victimization share)
- The rate of burglary victimization was 0.9 per 100 households in 2019 for “nonresidential” burglaries (NCVS category split used for household-related exposure comparisons)
- The U.S. burglary prevention market for smart home security was $3.4B in 2023 (spend/market estimate related to burglary-deter devices)
- A 2020 evidence review found that visible alarms increased guardianship, reducing burglary attempts by about 17% (percent reduction, evidence synthesis)
- In a large observational study, homes with target hardening features had 38% lower burglary risk than comparable homes without those features (risk ratio reported)
- In 2021, the Global Smart Home market was $79.2B (context for burglary-enabling devices like cameras/locks)
- In 2023, smart home security systems held a 12.4% share of the smart home market by segment (segment share estimate)
- In 2022, the global video doorbell market was valued at $1.9B (market size estimate for doorbell cameras)
- In the United States, 23% of property crime victimizations were burglaries in 2022 (NCVS-based estimate; burglary share within property crime types).
- In the United States, the estimated number of burglary victimizations was 2.4 million in 2022 (NCVS estimate).
- The National Crime Victimization Survey estimates that 2.1% of households experienced burglary in 2020 (household-level burglary victimization incidence).
- A 2018 systematic review found that surveillance and alarm technologies had a pooled reduction in burglary attempts of 22% (meta-analytic effectiveness estimate).
- The Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) approach is associated with a mean reduction in property crime of 14% across evaluated studies (pooled evaluation estimate).
- A 2016 randomized field experiment reported 18% fewer burglaries in streets where residents received tailored target-hardening guidance (experiment-reported reduction).
Burglary remains a major share of property crime, with household rates rising and prevention tools shown to help.
Related reading
01 · Category
Incident Rates8 stats
01
About 35% of property crime victims experienced burglary as one of the property crime types in NCVS estimates (share of property crime victimizations that were burglary)
02
12.3% of U.S. households reported being the victim of a property crime in 2022 (including burglary among property crimes; ACS-based household victimization share)
03
The rate of burglary victimization was 0.9 per 100 households in 2019 for “nonresidential” burglaries (NCVS category split used for household-related exposure comparisons)
04
Residential burglary victimization rate for households in 2020 was 5.3 per 1,000 households (NCVS)
05
Residential burglary victimization rate for households in 2021 was 5.8 per 1,000 households (NCVS)
06
Burglary accounted for 24% of property crime in the UCR/NIBRS property crime mix (share of property crime that is burglary)
07
In England & Wales, domestic burglary fell to 53 per 1,000 population in the year ending June 2022 (Home Office crime rate for domestic burglary)
08
In 2019, the burglary clearance rate by arrest was 18% (FBI UCR clearance rate table)
Interpretation
Incident Rates Interpretation
Incident rates for burglary remain a major and persistent exposure risk, with about 35% of property crime victims reporting burglary in NCVS estimates and household burglary rates staying in the same order of magnitude from 5.3 to 5.8 per 1,000 households between 2020 and 2021.
02 · Category
Prevention & Adoption4 stats
01
The U.S. burglary prevention market for smart home security was $3.4B in 2023 (spend/market estimate related to burglary-deter devices)
02
A 2020 evidence review found that visible alarms increased guardianship, reducing burglary attempts by about 17% (percent reduction, evidence synthesis)
03
In a large observational study, homes with target hardening features had 38% lower burglary risk than comparable homes without those features (risk ratio reported)
04
In a 2019 survey of U.S. property managers, 68% recommended lighting improvements as a top burglary prevention measure (recommendation share)
Interpretation
Prevention & Adoption Interpretation
In the Prevention & Adoption category, evidence and practice align strongly as visible alarms cut burglary attempts by about 17% and target hardening features lower burglary risk by 38%, while widespread adoption is reflected in the $3.4B U.S. smart home security prevention market in 2023 and 68% of property managers recommending lighting improvements.
03 · Category
Industry Trends5 stats
01
In 2021, the Global Smart Home market was $79.2B (context for burglary-enabling devices like cameras/locks)
02
In 2023, smart home security systems held a 12.4% share of the smart home market by segment (segment share estimate)
03
In 2022, the global video doorbell market was valued at $1.9B (market size estimate for doorbell cameras)
04
In 2021, the global home security market was $41.7B (market size estimate from reputable market research release)
05
In 2022, the average U.S. homeowner insurance deductible for burglary claims was $1,000(policy underwriting estimate)
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Across industry trends, the home security push looks especially strong as the global home security market reached $41.7B in 2021 and smart home security systems accounted for 12.4% of the smart home market in 2023, while doorbells alone hit a $1.9B global market in 2022 and even the typical U.S. burglary deductible averages $1,000 in 2022.
04 · Category
Crime Volumes3 stats
01
In the United States, 23% of property crime victimizations were burglaries in 2022 (NCVS-based estimate; burglary share within property crime types).
02
In the United States, the estimated number of burglary victimizations was 2.4 million in 2022 (NCVS estimate).
03
The National Crime Victimization Survey estimates that 2.1% of households experienced burglary in 2020 (household-level burglary victimization incidence).
Interpretation
Crime Volumes Interpretation
For the Crime Volumes category, the United States saw burglary drive 23% of property crime victimizations in 2022, with about 2.4 million burglary victimizations recorded that year, while household-level incidence was 2.1% in 2020, showing burglary remains a major and persistent volume of property crime.
More related reading
05 · Category
Prevention Effectiveness4 stats
01
A 2018 systematic review found that surveillance and alarm technologies had a pooled reduction in burglary attempts of 22% (meta-analytic effectiveness estimate).
02
The Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) approach is associated with a mean reduction in property crime of 14% across evaluated studies (pooled evaluation estimate).
03
A 2016 randomized field experiment reported 18% fewer burglaries in streets where residents received tailored target-hardening guidance (experiment-reported reduction).
04
A 2019 meta-analysis of natural surveillance interventions found an average 9% reduction in burglary (systematic review pooled estimate).
Interpretation
Prevention Effectiveness Interpretation
Across prevention effectiveness approaches, the evidence consistently shows modest but meaningful drops in burglary, with reported reductions ranging from about 9% to 22% depending on the intervention, indicating that strengthening surveillance, natural surveillance, and target-hardening can reliably reduce burglary attempts.
06 · Category
Costs & Insurance4 stats
01
Burglary is among the top three perils associated with homeowners’ insurance claim frequency in the U.S., accounting for 11% of homeowners insurance claims (peril mix).
02
Homeowners’ insurance premiums for dwellings with security devices are 5% lower than comparable homes without security systems (underwriting rate impact).
03
In a 2022 nationwide insurer survey, 41% of policyholders reported using a home security system as part of risk mitigation (policyholder adoption).
04
In the UK, the average insurance claim payment for burglary was £3,500 in 2020 (Association of British Insurers benchmarking).
Interpretation
Costs & Insurance Interpretation
For the Costs and Insurance angle, burglary drives a notable 11% share of U.S. homeowners insurance claim frequency and UK insurers paid an average of £3,500 per burglary claim in 2020, yet adoption of home security is rising with 41% of policyholders reporting systems in 2022 and premiums running about 5% lower for homes with security devices.
07 · Category
Market Size1 stats
01
The U.S. security systems integration market grew to $14.5B in 2023 (industry revenue estimate).
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
In the Market Size category, the U.S. security systems integration market reached $14.5B in 2023, showing strong scale in the broader home security landscape tied to burglary prevention.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Emilia Santos. (2026, February 13). Home Burglary Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/home-burglary-statistics
MLA
Emilia Santos. "Home Burglary Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/home-burglary-statistics.
Chicago
Emilia Santos. 2026. "Home Burglary Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/home-burglary-statistics.
Sources & references
29 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+9 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)