The Property Crime Rate measures the number of reported incidents of burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft per 100,000 residents, based on data from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. Because these offenses account for the majority of crime in most communities, this indicator offers a clear view of everyday safety and neighborhood stability. Tracking property crime over time helps cities understand how factors such as economic conditions, environmental design, and community-policing strategies influence residents’ sense of security and the vitality of local businesses and public spaces.

Why Does this Matter?

1. Property crime shapes residents’ sense of safety in everyday life

• Burglary, theft, and vehicle theft are among the most common ways people directly experience crime, and higher local property crime rates are associated with greater fear of victimization and lower perceived neighborhood safety. Tracking property crime helps cities understand how safe people feel at home, at work, and in public spaces.¹

2. Property crime affects neighborhood stability and housing markets

• Research shows that persistent property crime can reduce property values, weaken neighborhood reputation, and contribute to residential turnover, particularly in already disadvantaged communities. Monitoring these trends is essential for land-use planning, revitalization, and the protection of homeowners’ equity.²

3. Property crime imposes real economic costs on households and businesses

• Loss of vehicles, personal property, and business inventory, along with higher insurance premiums and security expenses, creates a significant economic burden that falls hardest on lower-income residents and small businesses. Understanding property crime rates helps local leaders target prevention, environmental design, and economic support where it is most needed.³

1.  Skogan, W. G. (2015). Disorder and decline: Crime and the spiral of decay in American neighborhoods (updated ed.). Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
2. Tita, G. E., Petras, T. L., & Greenbaum, R. T. (2006). Crime and residential choice: A neighborhood level analysis of the impact of crime on housing prices. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 22(4), 299–317. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10940-006-9013-z 
3.  McCollister, K. E., French, M. T., & Fang, H. (2010). The cost of crime to society: New crime-specific estimates for policy and program evaluation. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 108(1–2), 98–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2009.12.002