100+ Shocking Home Burglary Statistics And Facts In 2024

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Updated: 04 May 2024
Written by
Lacey Jackson-Matsushima
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Burglary and breaking and entering are categorized as property crimes. Home burglary statistics indicate that the rate of burglaries has decreased over the last 5 years and that the majority of home burglaries are unarmed. Those with home security devices are less likely to be burglarized, but the state in which you live can determine your risk as well.

Key Takeaways

  • 58% of all recorded Breaking and Entering or Burglary incidents in 2022 took place in a home, making it the largest location type affected by these crimes

  • The majority of those arrested for home burglary are male (82%), between 34 and 65 (41%), unarmed (95%), and first time offenders

  • According to the FBI, in 95% of cases those arrested for home burglary are unarmed

  • Home burglary statistics indicate that break-ins happen in almost equal numbers at all hours of the day, but 83% have a single victim

National Burglary Statistics

  • 58%: 58% of all recorded Breaking and Entering or Burglary in 2022 took place in a home.
  • 916,970: In 2022, there were 916,970 total incidents of Breaking and Entering or Burglary.

Source: FBI

According to the FBI, national data found that nearly one million people were arrested for breaking and entering or burglary crimes in 2022.

Government crime data show that home burglary statistics have dropped incrementally over the last 5 years.

  • 57%: 57% of all burglaries in 2022 were to residential homes.
  • 60%: 60% of all burglaries in 2021 were to residential homes.
  • 62%: 62% of total burglaries in 2021 were to residential homes.
  • 68%: 68% of all burglaries in 2019 were to residential homes.
  • 69%: 69% of all burglaries in 2018 were to residential homes.

Source: FBI

The same data indicates that total burglaries and home burglary statistics have declined across all areas of the United States for the past five years.

When Do Most Burglaries Occur?

FBI crime data indicates that there is no specific time of day where counts of Breaking and Entering or Burglary incidents are higher. In fact, nearly all time of day categories have equal numbers of recorded incidents.

  • 19%: 19% of burglaries or breaking and entering cases happened between 4-8pm.
  • 18.5%: 18.5% of burglaries or breaking and entering cases happened between midnight and 4am.
  • 18%: 18% of burglaries or breaking and entering cases happened between noon and 4pm.
  • 17%: 17% of burglaries or breaking and entering cases happened between 8am-noon.

Source: FBI

The table below indicates the time of day count by incident:

Time of Day Number of Cases in 2022
4-8pm 161,928
Midnight-4am 157,508
Noon-4pm 155,166
8am-noon 145,485
8pm-midnight 117,471

Source: FBI CDE

Burglary Statistics by State

Each state has different common times of day for burglary, with different profiles for burglars. across almost all states, a few things remain the same like the fact that the majority of people arrested for home burglaries are arrested on a first offense, the average number of victims for home burglaries is one, and the majority of people who commit a home burglary are unarmed.

The table below shows the incident burglary statistics from the FBI Crime Data Explorer for 2022 for some states (not per capita):

State Number of Incidents in 2022
Alabama 14,864
Alaska N/A
Arizona N/A
Arkansas 14,037
California 160,571
Colorado 22,678
Connecticut 4,655
Delaware 2,149
District of Columbia 1,376
Florida 50,575
Georgia 27,589
Hawaii N/A
Idaho 3,021
Illinois 27,408
Indiana 15,481
Iowa 7,093
Kansas 7,673
Kentucky 11,451
Louisiana 26,127
Maine 1,600
Maryland 12,284
Massachusetts 10,171
Michigan 21,448
Minnesota 12,210
Mississippi 11,896
Missouri 18,140
Montana 2,254
Nebraska N/A
Nevada 14,198
New Hampshire 993
New Jersey 15,498
New Mexico 13,070
New York N/A
North Carolina 38,686
North Dakota 2,689
Ohio 31,102
Oklahoma 19,236
Oregon 15,104
Pennsylvania 25,902
Rhode Island 1,450
South Carolina 18,327
South Dakota 2,236
Tennessee 21,954
Texas 96,195
Utah 6,665
Vermont 1,008
Virginia 11,023
Washington 43,095
West Virginia 3,755
Wisconsin 8,680
Wyoming N/A

Source: FBI CDE

Let’s take a look at the top five states with the most home burglaries and the top five states with the fewest home burglaries.

Top 5 States with the Most Home Burglaries (per capita)

The top five states with the most home burglaries per capita include:

  1.  Louisiana
  2.  Oklahoma
  3.  Arkansas
  4.  New Mexico
  5. Mississippi

If you live in any of these five states you are at a higher risk of your home being burglarized.

Louisiana

Louisiana has one of the lowest percentages of armed home burglary statistics. However, of the 2% first offenders who were arrested for home burglary in the state, 100% of them were armed with a firearm compared to other states where there was an almost equal distribution of firearms to lethal cutting devices to clubs and other weapons categories.

Louisiana is also the only state in the top five states with the highest home burglaries where the majority of those arrested were black and not white.

Below is a table breaking down the average data for the state:

Category Statistics
Total Incidents for 2022 26,127
Most Common Time of Day for Burglary Noon-4pm
Highest Offender Count 1 Offender
Average Offense Count for Burglar 1st Offense
Average Number of Victims 1 Victim
Was the arrestee armed? 98% unarmed
Most common type of weapon Firearm
Most common age category 35-64
Most common race Black
Most common sex Male

Source: FBI CDE

Oklahoma

Oklahoma has the second highest rate of total burglaries but is one of the only states where the most common time frame for burglaries to occur is between 8:00 a.m. and noon. Below is a table breaking down the average data for the state:

Category Statistics
Total Incidents for 2022 19,236
Most Common Time of Day for Burglary 8am-noon
Highest Offender Count 1 Offender
Average Offense Count for Burglar 1st Offense
Average Number of Victims 1 Victim
Was the arrestee armed? 92% unarmed
Most common type of weapon Lethal cutting instrument
Most common age category 35-64
Most common race White
Most common sex Male

Source: FBI CDE

Arkansas

Arkansas, the next on the list has only 3/5 the number of burglaries as the state of Louisiana and 1/4 the number of burglaries in the state of Oklahoma but the majority remain first offenders, unarmed, breaking in between 8:00 a.m. and noon. Below is a table breaking down the average data for the state:

Category Statistics
Total Incidents for 2022 14,037
Most Common Time of Day for Burglary 8am-noon
Highest Offender Count 1 Offender
Average Offense Count for Burglar 1st Offense
Average Number of Victims 1 Victim
Was the arrestee armed? 96% unarmed
Most common type of weapon Firearm
Most common age category 35-64
Most common race White
Most common sex Male

Source: FBI CDE

New Mexico

New Mexico has roughly half the number of home burglaries as the state of Louisiana but the majority of home burglaries in this state have an unknown number of offenders because they take place between midnight and 4:00 a.m. Of the 6% who are armed, the most common weapon is a lethal cutting instrument like a knife.

Below is a table breaking down the average data for the state:

Category Statistics
Total Incidents for 2022 13,070
Most Common Time of Day for Burglary Midnight-4am
Highest Offender Count Unknown Offenders
Average Offense Count for Burglar 1st Offense
Average Number of Victims 1 Victim
Was the arrestee armed? 94% unarmed
Most common type of weapon Lethal cutting instrument
Most common age category 35-64
Most common race White
Most common sex Male

Source: FBI CDE

Mississippi

Mississippi has the same percentage of armed versus unarmed arrestees for home burglary statistics as States like New Mexico but Mississippi is slightly different in that the majority of burglaries take place between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Below is a table breaking down the average data for the state:

Category Statistics
Total Incidents for 2022 11,896
Most Common Time of Day for Burglary 4-8pm
Highest Offender Count 1 Offender
Average Offense Count for Burglar 1st Offense
Average Number of Victims 1 Victim
Was the arrestee armed? 94% unarmed
Most common type of weapon Lethal cutting instrument
Most common age category 35-64
Most common race White
Most common sex Male

Source: FBI CDE

Top 5 States with the Fewest Home Burglaries

The top five states with the fewest home burglaries include:

  1.  New Hampshire
  2.  Rhode Island
  3.  Vermont
  4.  Maine
  5.  Delaware

If you live in any of these five states you are at a lower risk of your home being burglarized.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire had 993 total cases of burglary in 2022. That is 38 times fewer recorded incidents compared to Louisiana.

Below is a table breaking down the average data for the state:

Category Statistics
Total Incidents for 2022 993
Most Common Time of Day for Burglary 8am-noon
Highest Offender Count Unknown Offenders
Average Offense Count for Burglar 1st Offense
Average Number of Victims 1 Victim
Was the arrestee armed? 95% unarmed
Most common type of weapon Firearm
Most common age category 35-64
Most common race White
Most common sex Male

Source: FBI CDE

Rhode Island

Rhode Island has the lowest incidents of armed home robbery across the United States with over 99% of arrestees being unarmed. Below is a table breaking down the average data for the state:

Category Statistics
Total Incidents for 2022 1,450
Most Common Time of Day for Burglary Noon-4pm
Highest Offender Count Unknown Offenders
Average Offense Count for Burglar 1st Offense
Average Number of Victims 1 Victim
Was the arrestee armed? 99% unarmed
Most common type of weapon Lethal cutting instrument
Most common age category 35-64
Most common race White
Most common sex Male

Source: FBI CDE

Vermont

Vermont is much the same as Rhode Island with slightly fewer reported cases of home burglary but with 100% of them being unarmed. Below is a table breaking down the average data for the state:

Category Statistics
Total Incidents for 2022 1,008
Most Common Time of Day for Burglary 8am-noon
Highest Offender Count Unknown Offenders
Average Offense Count for Burglar 1st Offense
Average Number of Victims 1 Victim
Was the arrestee armed? 100% unarmed
Most common type of weapon N/A
Most common age category 35-64
Most common race White
Most common sex Male

Source: FBI CDE

Maine

Below is a table breaking down the average data for the state:

Category Statistics
Total Incidents for 2022 1,600
Most Common Time of Day for Burglary 8am-noon
Highest Offender Count Unknown Offenders
Average Offense Count for Burglar 1st Offense
Average Number of Victims 1 Victim
Was the arrestee armed? 97% unarmed
Most common type of weapon Lethal cutting instrument
Most common age category 35-64
Most common race White
Most common sex Male

Source: FBI CDE

Delaware

Delaware is one of the few states where the average offense count for a burglar is two offenses. Below is a table breaking down the average data for the state:

Category Statistics
Total Incidents for 2022 2,149
Most Common Time of Day for Burglary Midnight-4am
Highest Offender Count Unknown Offenders
Average Offense Count for Burglar 2nd Offense
Average Number of Victims 1 Victim
Was the arrestee armed? 96% unarmed
Most common type of weapon Firearm
Most common age category 35-64
Most common race White
Most common sex Male

Source: FBI CDE

Profile of Average Burglar

Burglary and breaking and entering cases are recorded with three categories of offenders:

  1.  An unknown number
  2.  One offender
  3.  Two or more offenders

The table below breaks down the national crime data for home burglaries I’m breaking and entering based on offender count:

Offender Count Number of Cases in 2022
Unknown 483,402
1 offender 345,229
2 or more offenders 88,339

Source: FBI CDE

The data above indicates that in the majority of cases there’s an unknown number of offenders because people are not present or they do not have any record of the burglary as evidence. However, nearly four times as many incidents have a single offender rather than multiple offenders.

Age

According to crime data, the average age of someone arrested for home burglary is between 35 and 64 with the next highest category between the ages of 25 and 34.

  • 41%: 41% of home burglary statistics indicate the age of the arrestee to be between 35 and 64.
  • 31%: 31% of home burglary statistics indicate the age of the arrestee to be between 25 and 34.
  • 15%: 15% of home burglary statistics indicate the age of the arrestee to be between 18 and 24.

Source: FBI

The table below breaks down the average age of people arrested for home burglary across the United States:

Age Number of Cases in 2022
35-64 47,332
25-34 36,507
18-24 17,544
5-14 4,604
15 2,516
16 2,431
17 2,360
65+ 1,031

Source: FBI CDE

Race of Burglar

The majority of those arrested for home burglary are white. White individuals are arrested nearly twice as much as black individuals for home burglary.

The table below breaks down the race of arrestees according to the FBI:

Race Number of Cases in 2022
White 74,677
Black 36,051
American Indian or Alaska Native 2,097
Asian 1,181
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 320

Source: FBI CDE

Sex of Burglar

Arrest data indicates that men are nearly five times more likely to be arrested for home burglary than women. FBI crime data indicates that 82% of those arrested for home burglary are male, and the remaining 18% are female.

History of Burglary

So how often our home burglary statistics the first time an offender has broken into a home and how often are they repeat offenders?

  • 685,492: 685,492 recorded cases in 2022 were a first offense for the individuals charged with burglary.
  • 190,904: 190,904 recorded cases in 2022 were a second offense for the individuals charged with burglary.
  • 40,573: 40,573 recorded cases in 2022 were a third or more offense for the individuals charged with burglary.

Source: FBI

The above statistics indicate that nearly five times as many counts of burglary are the first time offense for those convicted and very rarely are people arrested with a history of three or more counts of burglary.

According to the FBI, in 95% of cases those arrested for home burglary are unarmed. Of the 5% who are armed, half of them are armed with a firearm and the other half armed with a lethal cutting instrument like a knife.

Burglary Victim Statistics

What number of victims are affected by home burglary statistics? A breakdown indicates that in the majority of cases there is only one victim rather than two.

  • 83%: 83% of cases of home burglary have a single victim.
  • 17%: Only 17% of home burglary cases have multiple victims.

Source: FBI

The Most Common Items Burglars Steal

According to ADT Home Security data, the most common items burglars steal are valuables such as jewelry and precious metals. Other items commonly stolen include:

  1. Cash
  2. Electronics like laptops, computers, tablets, and phones
  3. Prescription drugs
  4. Furs
  5. Jewelry
  6. Firearms

Burglaries vs. Other Property Crimes

Property crimes include the following categories:

  1. Arson
  2. Bribery
  3. Burglary/B&E
  4. Counterfeiting and forgery
  5. Destruction/ damage/ vandalism
  6. Embezzlement
  7. Extortion/ blackmail
  8. Fraud offenses
  9.  Larceny and theft offenses
  10.  Motor vehicle theft
  11.  Property crime
  12.  Robbery
  13.  Stolen property offenses

Data indicates that motor vehicle theft and fraud offenses happen at about the same rate as home burglary statistics though destruction and vandalism as well as larceny and other theft offenses take place at significantly higher rates.

The table below provides a breakdown of burglaries vs. other property crimes:

Type of Crime Number of Recorded Incidents in 2022 Most Common Time of Day Most Common Location
Arson 40,206 Midnight-4am Homes
Bribery 834 4-8pm Homes
Burglary/B&E 916,970 4-8pm Homes
Counterfeiting and forgery 201,373 Noon-4pm Homes
Destruction/ damage/ vandalism 2,051,770 4-8pm Homes
Embezzlement 48,894 Noon-4pm Retail/financial/other commercial establishment
Extortion/Blackmail 29,698 Noon-4pm Homes
Fraud offenses 906,346 Noon-4pm Homes
Larceny and theft offenses 4,947,709 Noon-4pm Retail/financial/other commercial establishment
Motor vehicle theft 953,827 8pm-midnight Transportation hub/outdoor public locations
Property crime 6,692,308 4-8pm Homes
Robbery 215,760 8pm-midnight Transportation hub/outdoor public locations
Stolen property offenses 159,658 Noon-4pm Transportation hub/outdoor public locations
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