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10 U.S. Cities with the Biggest Property Crime Spikes

Miami tops our list

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By Susan Meyer Info icon
Updated March 11, 2025
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Susan Meyer

Senior Editorial Manager

Susan is a licensed insurance agent and has worked as a writer and editor for over 10 years across a number of industries. She has worked at The Zebr…

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  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
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Beth Swanson

SEO Content Strategist

Beth joined The Zebra in 2022 as an Associate Content Strategist. She is a licensed insurance agent whose goal is to make insurance content easy to r…

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  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
  • Associate in Insurance
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  1. Cities 1 - 3
  2. Cities 4 - 6
  3. Cities 7 - 10
  4. Protecting your property
  5. Methodology

Where property crime is rising fastest in the U.S.

Property crime trends across the U.S. have been inconsistent in recent years.[1] Overall, residential burglaries and larcenies have dropped, while motor vehicle thefts have seen a huge spike. However, those numbers become even more varied when you look at the information based on specific locations. 

Using four different data points from the FBI, we found the 10 U.S. cities where property crime has increased the most dramatically across the board. We looked at increases in four categories related to property crime:

  • Arson: The willful or malicious burning of property. 
  • Burglary: Unlawfully entering a structure to commit theft or larceny.
  • Larceny-theft: Taking away property from someone else's possession.
  • Motor vehicle theft: Theft (or attempted theft) of a motor vehicle.

What areas are experiencing the biggest spikes in property crime? Here are the top 10 out of the country's 50 most populated cities.

#1: Miami, Florida

Miami has experienced a major increase in property crime across all four categories. Out of all the cities we analyzed, it had the highest jump in both burglaries (up 36.8%) and larceny-thefts (up 45.3%). Miami also placed in the top five for increases in arson and motor vehicle thefts.

Miami by the numbers

  • Arson increase: 43.3%
  • Burglary increase: 36.8%
  • Larceny-theft increase: 45.3%
  • Motor vehicle theft increase: 52.3%

#2: Washington, D.C.

The nation's capital is another hot spot for property crime in the country. While arson rates were not reported, Washington had one of the highest burglary rate increases at 18.7%. Motor vehicle thefts also jumped by nearly 45%, while larceny thefts were more modest with just a 7.1% increase.

D.C. by the numbers

  • Arson increase: N/A
  • Burglary increase: 18.7%
  • Larceny-theft increase: 7.1%
  • Motor vehicle theft increase: 44.4%

#3: Buffalo, New York

Buffalo saw the second-highest jump in motor vehicle thefts out of all the cities on our list, increasing nearly 60% in one year. Arson rates also rose quite dramatically at 26%. On the plus side, larceny-thefts were up less than 6% and burglaries saw only a 1% rise.

Buffalo by the numbers

  • Arson increase: 26%
  • Burglary increase: 1%
  • Larceny-theft increase: 5.8%
  • Motor vehicle theft increase: 59.9%

#4: Raleigh, North Carolina

Raleigh's burglary rate ranked in second place on our list with a 19.1% increase. The city also placed in the top third for motor vehicle thefts (up 36.8%), larceny-thefts (up 5.2%), and arson (up 13.5%), indicating an overall trend of property crime increases.

Raleigh by the numbers

  • Arson increase: 13.5%
  • Burglary increase: 19.1%
  • Larceny-theft increase: 5.2%
  • Motor vehicle theft increase: 36.8%

#5: Baltimore, Maryland

Baltimore is an example where the changes in property crime rates are a mixed bag. The city has the highest increase in motor vehicle thefts at 68.2%. At 15.7%, it also had the second highest jump in larceny-thefts. But burglary rates actually decreased by nearly 7% in Charm City, showing that there has been improvement in some areas.

Baltimore by the numbers

  • Arson increase: 21.7%
  • Burglary increase: -6.7%
  • Larceny-theft increase: 15.7%
  • Motor vehicle theft increase: 68.2%

#6: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Burglaries and larceny-thefts saw some of the largest spikes in Pittsburgh compared to other large cities in the U.S., increasing 12.4% and 11.1% in one year, respectively. Arson rates also saw a sharp rise at nearly 22%, while the increase in motor vehicle thefts was slightly more modest at 15.4%.

Pittsburgh by the numbers

  • Arson increase: 21.8%
  • Burglary increase: 12.4%
  • Larceny-theft increase: 11.1%
  • Motor vehicle theft increase: 15.4%

#7: Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis saw crime increases across the board, with the biggest jump in motor vehicle thefts at 30.4%. The city also had one of the highest burglary increases on our list, totalling 11.6%. Arson was up by more than 15%, while larceny-thefts increased 8.2%.

Memphis by the numbers

  • Arson increase: 15.2%
  • Burglary increase: 11.6%
  • Larceny-theft increase: 8.2%
  • Motor vehicle theft increase: 30.4%

#8: Jacksonville, Florida

The most dramatic property crime increase in Jacksonville was motor vehicle theft, which experienced a 37.7% jump. Arson rates were also quite high at 28.8% and burglaries rose 10.5%. The good news for Jacksonville is that larceny-theft rates dropped nearly 2% in one year.

Jacksonville by the numbers

  • Arson increase: 28.8%
  • Burglary increase: 10.5%
  • Larceny-theft increase: -1.9%
  • Motor vehicle theft increase: 37.7%

#9: Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland experienced a major spike in arson over a one-year period, increasing nearly 30% between 2022 and 2023. Motor vehicle theft also rose by 23%. And while larceny-theft and burglary rates were more modest, they were still high compared to other cities on our list.

Cleveland by the numbers

  • Arson increase: 29.5%
  • Burglary increase: 7.2%
  • Larceny-theft increase: 3.1%
  • Motor vehicle theft increase: 23.4%

#10: Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville's motor vehicle theft rate jumped more than 43%, earning it a spot in the top 10 for that category. It also ranked high for its larceny-theft rate, which increased by 12.5%. The increase for arson rose just over 13%, and in better news, burglaries actually went down by just over 5%.

Louisville by the numbers

  • Arson increase: 13.1%
  • Burglary increase: -5.1%
  • Larceny-theft increase: 12.5%
  • Motor vehicle theft increase: 43.4%

Protecting your property

Property crime, such as theft, arson, vandalism and burglary, can lead to significant financial loss and emotional distress, making insurance coverage a crucial layer of protection. If you live in a city where crime is increasing, it's especially important to be aware of your coverages. 

For vehicles, comprehensive auto insurance is the coverage that protects against non-collision incidents, including theft, fire, vandalism and natural disasters. For homes and personal belongings, homeowners or renters insurance typically includes personal property coverage, which can reimburse you for stolen or damaged items due to covered events like theft or arson. These policies may also include dwelling coverage (for homeowners) or loss-of-use coverage, which can help with additional living expenses if your home becomes uninhabitable. Understanding your policy limits, deductibles, and whether your insurance covers replacement cost or actual cash value is essential to ensure you’re adequately protected against property crime.

Methodology

The Zebra pulled four data points to analyze the top 50 MSAs (by population) in the U.S. related to property crime, using FBI data collected from 2022 and 2023.[2]

  • Arson
  • Burglary
  • Larceny-theft
  • Motor vehicle theft

The data was collected from city police departments.

Source

  1. Crime trends in U.S. cities. [Council on Criminal Justice]

  2. U.S. crime data explorer. [FBI]