Since the 1990s, the property crime rate in the U.S. has declined drastically. There were 5,140 reported property crimes per 100,000 of the population in 1991, according to FBI data. In 2018, that rate dropped down to 2,199 cases. The Bureau of Justice Statistics defines property crimes as burglary/trespassing, motor vehicle theft, and theft, including both attempted and completed crimes. The most recent U.S. crime data from 2018 shows promising YOY improvements across the country, with the estimated number of property crimes declining 8.0% in the Midwest, 7.6% in the Northeast, 6.1% in the South, and 5.0% in the West. Yet, individual crime figures remain jarring. According to Statista, 1.23 million burglaries, 5.22 million larceny thefts, and 748,841 motor vehicle thefts were reported in the U.S. in 2018. Click through the slideshow above to see the states with the highest property crime rates in 2018 based on FBI data. "In contrast to arson and many violent crimes, people generally seek to commit theft-related property crimes because of the expected personal financial gain from committing such crimes," writes Erin Duffin for Statista. "As such, it can be expected that the crime rates will be higher in areas where poverty rates are higher than national averages." Duffin also notes that people may be more inclined to commit property crimes because there is less of a likelihood of being caught and charged. Crime clearance rates in the U.S. show that individuals are more likely to be arrested when committing a violent crime as opposed to property crime. Related: 

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