Burglaries Stats and Facts

Keeping our homes safe has become as important as ever because although most of the world has slowed down, we can’t assume that unwanted intruders and burglars have ceased their unlawful activities. Now more than ever, it’s crucial that we take the necessary steps to make and keep our homes secure. Home break-ins or burglaries can cost its victims not only significant property loss with a prominent price tag attached but can also be emotionally traumatizing and potentially dangerous. Achieving optimal home security is unique to each homeowner, based on the landscape and design of each specific property.

Below, we put together a list of home burglary and home invasion statistics that may surprise you.

1. On average, over 1 million burglaries occur in the United States each year.

Did you know that the Department of Justice conducts studies specifically related to home burglaries? A study conducted in 2017 reported that over 1.7 million burglaries occurred within the United States during that calendar year.

Of those 1.7 million home burglaries, almost half a million, or 424,886 incidences, took place during the day. Most burglars assume that inhabitants will not be home during the day, and thus opt to commit their criminal activity during this time of day. In fact, most home burglaries take place between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and last eight to 10 minutes, according to SafeAtLast.

Statistically, the number of home burglaries was moving in a downward trend between 2018 and 2019. According to a 2019 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) report, home burglaries decreased 9.5% during this time period.

This statistic is mitigated by SafeWise’s finding that an increasing number of states witnessed a rise in property crimes between 2019 and 2021. These numbers are worth taking note of, particularly if you prescribe to the notion that to be forewarned is to be forearmed. At the end of the day, we’d probably all agree that it truly is better to be safe than sorry.

2. A staggering 75% of homeowners don’t have a home security system.

Although reports show that home burglaries are on the decline, the number of homes that do not have a home security system installed is surprising—75%, according to a SafeWise study.

3. Alaska has the most property-related crimes.

If you’re wondering where in the U.S. the most and the least property-related crimes, which includes home burglary and home invasion, occurred in 2020, you may be surprised at what the numbers say. The state with the highest property-related crimes was Alaska, which topped the list at 28%, followed by Missouri with 26%. New Jersey and Tennessee tied for the lowest property-related crimes, at 13%.

4. 75% of homes in the U.S. will be broken into in the next 20 years.

The stark reality is that no matter how safe you think your home is, the numbers are not necessarily in your favor. With the use of predictive analytics, SafeAtLast determined that in the next 20 years, a jaw-dropping 75% of all homes in the country will be broken into by a burglar, regardless of neighborhood. The good news is that homeowners can take steps to secure their home, and in doing so minimize your risk.

5. 51% of home burglaries are repeated within six weeks.

Living through a home burglary is bad enough, but statistics indicate that a staggering 51% of homes will be burglarized again within just six weeks of the original incident. For savvy burglars, six weeks is typically the period of time that it takes to successfully file an insurance claim and replace some of the homeowner’s stolen items.

6. 65% of people who’ve been burglarized know the burglar.

No one wants to imagine a scenario where they are being burglarized, and we wouldn’t wish home burglary on anyone. What’s more, the majority of burglaries were committed by people who knew their victims, according to a 2020 SafeAtLast report.

Bottom Line

You may not think so, but everyone is at risk for home burglary, no matter where they live or what their home looks like. Learning the above stats and figures may be scary, but being aware is crucial in order to move forward with a plan. Consider looking into a home security system or at least a security camera to reinforce your safety.