
Lock Your Doors & Windows; Washington Has 4th Highest Home Burglary Rate in U.S.
Washington state residents are among the most likely in the country to fall victim to a home break-in.
It could be worse, you are more likely to be burglarized in New Mexico, Arkansas and Oklahoma where the rate is even higher.
Washington has the 4th highest rate of home burglaries per capita (per 100,000 residents) in the U.S. according to a study of FBI statistics and annual crime reports.
Top ten states reporting the most burglaries
Rank | State | Average burglaries per year per 100.000 population |
1 | New Mexico | 646 |
2 | Arkansas | 532 |
3 | Oklahoma | 503 |
4 | Washington | 501 |
5 | South Carolina | 437 |
6 | Louisiana | 416 |
7 | Illinois | 399 |
8 | North Carolina | 380 |
9 | Mississippi | 375 |
10 | Colorado | 374 |

At #4 in the rankings, Washington state recorded over 500 break-ins per 100K in population.
Compare that to the rate in Pennsylvania of just 80 burglaries per 100K of population or just 16% the rate of break-ins we experience in Washington. That relatively low rate of home burglary landed Pennsylvania at the bottom of the list (#50) in residential break-ins in the country per capita.
The bottom ten states reporting the fewest burglaries
Rank | State | Average burglaries per year per 100.000 population |
41 | Maine | 151 |
42 | Florida | 148 |
43 | Virginia | 144 |
44 | Maryland | 135 |
45 | Georgia | 130 |
46 | Alabama | 129 |
47 | New York | 127 |
48 | New Jersey | 109 |
49 | New Hampshire | 100 |
50 | Pennsylvania | 80 |
The study was published by Omega Law Group, a California based personal injury law firm. Of the report, a spokesperson for Omega said “Police often suggest ways to deter burglars from breaking in, like keeping valuables away from windows or places where you can easily see into your home, gravel driveways or paths so you can hear someone approaching your property, keeping your windows and doors locked, installing a burglar alarm, setting up security cameras and keeping your property externally and internally well lit.”
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