Counties with the Highest Property Crime Rates

Property crime — burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft — affects more Americans than violent crime. While it does not threaten personal safety in the same way, it imposes enormous financial costs, drives up insurance premiums, and erodes community trust. We identified the 25 counties with the highest property crime rates in America.

The national average property crime rate is approximately 1,954 per 100,000 residents. The counties on this list exceed 5,000 per 100,000, with some surpassing 10,000.

Counties with the Highest Property Crime Rates

Martin County, TX leads with a property crime rate of 50823 per 100,000 residents. Tourist destinations, counties with major retail centers, and areas with high transient populations are overrepresented.

Counties with the Lowest Property Crime Rates

At the other extreme, these counties have virtually no property crime:

Why Property Crime Concentrates Where It Does

Property crime patterns differ significantly from violent crime:

• Retail and tourism: Counties with major shopping districts, airports, or tourist attractions experience high larceny and vehicle theft rates.
• Wealth disparity: Counties with high wealth inequality often see elevated burglary rates as criminals target affluent neighborhoods.
• Parking and transit: Counties with large parking facilities, transit hubs, and street parking have higher vehicle theft rates.
• Reporting differences: Property crime is reported at higher rates than violent crime in some jurisdictions, which can inflate apparent rates.

Methodology

Property crime includes burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft as defined by the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program (2022 data year). Rates are per 100,000 residents. Counties are ranked by property crime rate from highest to lowest.