A new study of FBI data shows the US states with the most car thefts. Colorado tops the list with 786 thefts per 100,000 people.
The study by Simmrin Law Group analyzed data from the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer, which showed the number of motor vehicle thefts in each state in 2022 and how many there were for every 100,000 people.
It found that statistically, the western state of Colorado sees the most car thefts. In 2022, FBI data shows that there were 45,883 counts of motor vehicle theft in the state, and when accounting for population, there are 786 motor vehicle thefts per 100,000 people, which is the highest of any state.
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Second place on the list goes to the Pacific Northwest state of Washington. 2022 data shows that there were 49,777 motor vehicle thefts that year, with 639 thefts for every 100,000 people when accounting for population.
Washington’s neighbor, Oregon, takes third place on the list. Despite having around half the total number of motor vehicle thefts compared to the top two, accounting for population results in 552 thefts per 100,000 people, giving it third place.
Following closely in fourth place is the Southwestern state of New Mexico. In 2022, there were 11,448 motor vehicle thefts in the state, which accounting for population means there are 542 motor vehicle thefts per 100,000 people.
Rounding out the top five is the state of Nevada. In 2022, there were 15,588 car thefts in the state, accounting for population means there were 491 thefts per 100,000 people.
Comparatively, New Hampshire had the lowest number of car thefts per 100,000 people, with just 67, with 928 thefts in 2022. Across the US, 942,173 motor vehicle thefts occurred in 2022, on average, 283 per 100,000 people.
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Commenting on the findings, Michael Simmrin of Simmrin Law Group said: “While you expect the states with larger populations to have comparatively more car thefts overall, it’s when you start accounting for that population that you see some concerning statistics.
For example, Colorado’s number of thefts per 100,000 people sits at an alarming nearly four times the national average. FBI data also shows that 2.52% of its total arrests in 2022 were from motor thefts, the highest percentage of any state for the crime.”
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