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U.S. States Ordered by Changes in Property Crime Rates Since 1991
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- Florida saw the largest drop in property crime rates since 1991, with a decline of nearly 79%.
- Every U.S. state experienced a decrease in property crime over the past three decades.
- North Dakota saw the smallest reduction in property crime, falling by just 26.9%.
Property crime in the United States has seen a long-term decline, and the trend is evident across all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
According to USAFacts, property crime—which includes burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft—has dropped significantly since its peak in the early 1990s.
Here’s how property crime rates have changed across U.S. states since 1991.
| Rank | State | Property crime rate change since 1991 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | -78.7% |
| 2 | Massachusetts | -76.7% |
| 3 | Idaho | -76.3% |
| 4 | Rhode Island | -71.9% |
| 5 | Michigan | -71.2% |
| 6 | Georgia | -70.6% |
| 7 | New Jersey | -70.5% |
| 8 | New Hampshire | -69.6% |
| 9 | Arizona | -69.4% |
| 10 | Connecticut | -69.0% |
| 11 | Maryland | -68.9% |
| 12 | Illinois | -67.0% |
| 13 | Texas | -67.0% |
| 14 | Wisconsin | -66.9% |
| 15 | Maine | -66.6% |
| 16 | New York | -66.1% |
| 17 | Iowa | -65.2% |
| 18 | Alaska | -64.8% |
| 19 | Utah | -64.4% |
| 20 | Indiana | -64.2% |
| 21 | US average | -62.0% |
| 22 | Delaware | -61.9% |
| 23 | Alabama | -61.5% |
| 24 | North Carolina | -60.5% |
| 25 | Kansas | -60.4% |
| 26 | Ohio | -60.1% |
| 27 | Virginia | -60.0% |
| 28 | Wyoming | -59.9% |
| 29 | California | -58.8% |
| 30 | Nevada | -57.7% |
| 31 | Hawaii | -57.5% |
| 32 | District of Columbia | -57.2% |
| 33 | Vermont | -56.5% |
| 34 | South Carolina | -55.7% |
| 35 | Mississippi | -54.4% |
| 36 | Oklahoma | -54.1% |
| 37 | Nebraska | -53.0% |
| 38 | Minnesota | -52.9% |
| 39 | Pennsylvania | -52.3% |
| 40 | Kentucky | -50.4% |
| 41 | Tennessee | -50.4% |
| 42 | West Virginia | -50.2% |
| 43 | Louisiana | -49.8% |
| 44 | Missouri | -49.7% |
| 45 | New Mexico | -48.9% |
| 46 | Arkansas | -46.5% |
| 47 | Montana | -45.3% |
| 48 | Oregon | -44.1% |
| 49 | Colorado | -42.9% |
| 50 | Washington | -41.9% |
| 51 | South Dakota | -40.0% |
| 52 | North Dakota | -26.9% |
The data reveals that Florida (-78.7%), Massachusetts (-76.7%), and Idaho (-76.3%) have led the nation in reducing property crime. On the other end of the spectrum, North Dakota’s property crime rate dropped just 26.9%, the smallest decrease among all states.
What’s Behind the Recent Uptick in Property Crime?
Property crime in the U.S. fell by 61% between 1979 and 2022. While both property and violent crimes have followed this downward trajectory, property crime showed a more dramatic decline—especially from 1991 onward.
Interestingly, despite the decades-long decline, 2022 marked a slight reversal. National property crime rose by 6.7%, largely due to a 10.5% spike in motor vehicle thefts and a 7.4% rise in larceny. Even so, 23 states and Washington, DC, still saw year-over-year decreases that year.
Washington, D.C. had the sharpest drop of 13.9% in 2022, followed by Iowa at 11.7%. In contrast, New York experienced the sharpest increase in property crime, jumping by 64.3% in the same period.
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