Motor vehicle theft is a growing problem in the United States. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, or NICB, an anti-crime and insurance fraud nonprofit organization, 932,329 vehicles were reported stolen to law enforcement in 2021 – up 6% from the previous year and up 17% from 2019.
The trend is likely due to several factors. First, during the COVID-19 pandemic, vehicles were more likely to be left sitting unattended and unused for longer than usual. Additionally, newer vehicles that use keyless entry and push-button ignitions can be more susceptible to theft, as criminals can use a tool to amplify a key fob’s signal. This can allow thieves to unlock and start a vehicle without having the key fob on their person. (Here is a look at the least reliable cars in America.)
While motorists nationwide now face a greater risk of vehicle theft than they have in many years, in some parts of the country, car owners are far more likely to be victims of car theft than in others.
Of the 10 metropolitan areas in Illinois with available data, Springfield ranks as having the highest motor vehicle theft rate. A total of 584 cars, trucks, and SUVs were reported stolen in the metro area in 2021, or about 282.3 for every 100,000 people.
For comparison, the statewide vehicle theft rate was 225.4 per 100,000 people the same year, the 22nd lowest rate among states.
All data in this story is from National Insurance Crime Bureau’s 2021 Hot Spots Vehicle Theft Report.
StateMetro area with the most vehicle theftsMetro area vehicle theft rate, 2021Total metro area vehicle thefts, 2021State vehicle theft rate, 2021Total vehicle thefts in state, 2021Metro areas in stateAlabamaBirmingham-Hoover292.23,256225.911,38412AlaskaAnchorage330.71,319239.71,7562ArizonaTucson313.73,300283.620,6377ArkansasPine Bluff444.4384301.09,1086CaliforniaBakersfield1023.79,394511.1200,52426ColoradoDenver-Aurora-Lakewood964.928,683661.238,4307ConnecticutNew Haven-Milford311.82,693215.57,7714DelawareDover141.7261186.61,8721FloridaMiami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach278.816,984196.542,80822GeorgiaColumbus400.01,310240.926,01714HawaiiHonolulu330.83,311229.83,3132IdahoPocatello229.722196.71,8396IllinoisSpringfield282.3584225.428,55910IndianaIndianapolis-Carmel-Anderson360.27,660236.316,08112IowaDavenport-Moline-Rock Island319.21,218185.25,9138KansasWichita479.13,104311.89,1514KentuckyLouisville/Jefferson County456.95,869237.410,7075LouisianaNew Orleans-Metairie404.75,106281.413,0109MaineBangor95.614660.78333MarylandBaltimore-Columbia-Towson238.26,760223.113,7565MassachusettsSpringfield145.11,009100.16,9895MichiganKalamazoo-Portage485.21,267211.821,28314MinnesotaMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington380.414,039297.316,9685MississippiJackson295.11,733216.86,3963MissouriKansas City529.811,653428.126,4088MontanaBillings611.11,143264.32,9193NebraskaOmaha-Council Bluffs393.63,824237.24,6573NevadaLas Vegas-Henderson-Paradise475.710,906426.813,4173New HampshireManchester-Nashua82.334961.88581New JerseyTrenton-Princeton178.5689159.914,8184New MexicoAlbuquerque710.66,525475.510,0614New YorkBuffalo-Cheektowaga220.12,558115.522,91313North CarolinaGreensboro-High Point268.62,092213.122,48715North DakotaFargo315.7796223.91,7353OhioColumbus368.37,922236.227,82411OklahomaTulsa522.65,351359.314,3254OregonPortland-Vancouver-Hillsboro680.217,084471.220,0068PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington247.515,414139.218,04418Rhode IslandProvidence-Warwick135.12,264156.31,7121South CarolinaFlorence398.0793312.316,2098South DakotaSioux Falls428.11,207263.92,3632TennesseeMemphis512.36,845297.120,72210TexasOdessa483.0778320.094,50025UtahSalt Lake City468.95,922255.88,5385VermontBurlington-South Burlington131.129796.26211VirginiaVirginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News217.93,930142.612,3209WashingtonSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue582.523,366461.935,74611West VirginiaCharleston234.1597128.82,2977WisconsinMilwaukee-Waukesha597.89,365236.713,95712WyomingCheyenne407.5411161.99372