10 Surprising Home Burglary Facts and Stats

Break-ins are the most worrisome property crimes across America, according to our State of Safety survey.

To get a better understanding of what a burglary is (and to help people feel safer in their homes) we’ve rounded up the most surprising home burglary facts and statistics.

We didn’t stop there. We’ve also included safety tips and essential steps you can take to keep your home and belongings secure.

According to the FBI statistics, a burglar strikes close to every 41 seconds in the US (40.6 seconds to be exact).¹ That adds up to three burglaries every two minutes and over 2,000 burglaries per day. 

Although burglary may be on the rise in pockets of the country, this property crime has declined considerably over the past three decades. FBI data from 1994 indicates that American households experienced 2,362,539 burglaries, though other sources say burglaries that year topped 6 million.⁷ In 2024, 745,895 burglaries were reported—the fewest to date*. That's a 68% to 87% decrease, depending on which 1994 number is used.

*If you dig into the FBI burglary data, you'll find that only 671,648 burglaries were reported that year. However, this number covered 20% less of the population than other years because fewer law enforcement districts shared their data with the FBI in 2021. Burglary incidents tend to decrease year over year, so 2021's actual burglary count is more likely to be between 850,000 and 940,000. 

Home break-ins are the most feared property crime, according to our latest State of Safety survey. People between the ages of 18 and 34 were slightly more concerned about break-ins than people 35 and older. 

People living in rural areas were half as likely to worry about burglary as people living in urban and suburban areas.²

That concern beat out other property crime worries such as having your property stolen (in real life or online) or someone stealing your car.

Despite a high level of concern, only 38% of Americans told us they have a home security system to protect their property from burglary.

Younger people have every right to worry about burglary since they're more likely to experience it. Every year for the last ten years, FBI data has shown that about 20% of all burglary victims were in their 30s. People in their 20s and 40s report the second and/or third highest burglary rates, depending on the year. (Usually 20-somethings come in second.)

But by the time someone turns 50, their chance of experiencing a burglary gradually decreases with age:

• Ages 50–59: 1.3 times less likely to be burgled than people in their 30s.
• Ages 60–69: 1.67 times less likely to be burgled than people in their 30s.
• Ages 70–79: 3.3 times less likely to be burgled than people in their 30s.
• Ages 80–89: 9.7 times less likely to be burgled than people in their 30s.

Why this trend occurs is anyone's guess. It could be that burglars have fewer opportunities to strike because older adults tend to be home during the day. Maybe burglars think younger people have more stuff worth stealing. Or perhaps people are more willing to invest in security systems as they get older. More data is needed to draw definitive conclusions. 

You could be looking at an average loss of nearly $6,000 if your home is burgled—and that may be a conservative estimate. 

The FBI's 2024 data shows that the average residence lost $7,815 in stolen property when the time of day wasn't recorded. Daytime burglaries resulted in an average loss of $4,986. Nighttime burglaries were less lucrative but still packed a punch with an average loss of $4,368. 

That's a lot of money but represents a significant decrease from 2023, when the average loss was around $13,000. Still, burglaries are getting more expensive overall. In 2000, people lost an average of $1,382 from residential burglaries. By 2010, the typical loss jumped to $3,242, and in 2018, it topped $4,000. 

Bank notes or coins make up most stolen property in terms of value, and the FBI reports that about 10% of it is recovered. 2024 was an unusual year because the value of stolen miscellaneous property and stolen vehicles topped the value of stolen currency. 

In addition to the monetary cost, burglaries also take a big emotional toll. You may need to recover from a financial setback at the same time that you’re mourning the loss of things with sentimental value and the feeling of safety you had before the break-in.

We surveyed nearly 700 people who’ve experienced a burglary, and 50% of them told us that the burglar stole or damaged items that were irreplaceable or had sentimental value.

When we asked how their life was impacted by the burglary, 67% said their emotional and mental health took a hit, along with 63% who had trouble sleeping afterward.

The cost of a home security system starts to look pretty reasonable when you consider what's at stake. 

According to the FBI, about 47% of people charged with burglary also end up charged with property destruction, damage, or vandalism. This percentage has barely changed over the last forty years. 

It makes sense, though. People may break a window or kick in a door to gain entry into your home (and do so around 62% of the time).¹⁰ And if someone's in a hurry to steal your TV, they may simply rip it off the wall. 

But let's pause for a second and think about the other 53% of burglaries that don't cause damage. How are people gaining entry into these homes without causing a scratch? Sometimes they're taking advantage of the fact that people leave their doors and windows unlocked, or that they hide spare keys in obvious places.

Brush up on your home safety habits so you're not an easy target for an opportunistic burglar:

• Learn how to strengthen your doors
• Shop for security film to prevent broken windows
• Outsmart a burglar with a few simple tips

According to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics, burglars hit renters more frequently than homeowners—and that’s been the trend for decades.⁷

But the gap is closing. In 1994, there were 68 burglaries per 1,000 rented households, compared to 44 per 1,000 for owned homes (gap of 24). In 2011, those rates decreased to 33 burglaries per 1,000 for renters and 18 for homeowners (gap of 15).

The FBI hasn't released data comparing burglaries in rentals versus owned homes for several years, so we're not sure how those rates have changed recently. In the meantime, our annual surveys show that renters are still getting burgled more often than homeowners, but not by much. In our 2024 survey, 28% of renters experienced a property crime compared to 27% of homeowners. Those are the exact percentages we saw in our 2021 survey.

Our 2024 survey also revealed that 51% of renters feel concerned about safety and security compared to 45% of homeowners, and yet homeowners are more than twice as likely to protect themselves with a security system.

Gone are the days when security systems would damage walls and void your security deposit (the irony of that isn't lost on us). Our team has tested tons of wireless security equipment over the last 12 years. Let us help you find the right system for your apartment, house, duplex, etc.

If you call it home, protect it.

It seems counter-intuitive, but most home burglaries occur in the bright light of day instead of under the cover of darkness. More specifically, if you’re wondering when most break-ins happen, it’s after lunch. 

A 2016 burglary victimization survey revealed that the most common time for burglaries was between noon and 4 p.m.³  The FBI's latest data suggests 3 to 7 p.m. are the most active hours for burglaries, but activity peaks around 8 to 9 a.m., noon to 1 p.m., 5 to 6 p.m., and midnight to 1 a.m. The two-hour period between 5 and 7 a.m. sees the fewest number of burglaries. 

FBI burglary data from 2024 shows that 207,342 of all reported residential burglaries occurred in the daytime compared to 166,478 at night.⁸ But out of those evening burglaries, what time do most robberies occur at night? Studies have found varied hours throughout the night until dawn.

Interestingly, the opposite trend holds true for non-residential burglaries: commercial buildings are more likely to be burgled at night than during the day. Specifically, midnight seems to be the hottest time to burgle a non-residential area.

Daytime home burglaries are also more expensive. Over the past few years, people whose homes were burgled during the day lost an average of $10,000 more in stolen property compared to people whose homes were burgled at night. This gap wasn't nearly as significant in 2024, when daytime burglaries cost victims about $600 more than nighttime burglaries. 

Warmer temperatures are tied to an increase in burglaries. On average, burglaries rise about 10% between June and August.⁵

More people were burglarized in June (regardless of the year) than in any other month, according to our burglary survey. June accounted for 11.3% of the burglaries experienced by respondents.

March and April had the next-highest numbers of burglaries with 10.3% and 10.9%, respectively. 

February sees the fewest burglaries, according to FBI data. 

You’d expect New York and California to have more burglaries per capita, but they’re actually near the bottom of the list.

In fact, New Mexico is the most burglarized state in the US, along with other rural states including Washington, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas.⁹

In New Mexico's 2024 FBI-reported stats, burglaries comprised 17% of the state's property crimes, compared to the national average of 12%.⁹

Even though burglaries have declined compared to the 1990s, the $36 billion of stolen property in 2024 can’t be ignored.

We found that only 27% of Americans use a security system to protect their property and loved ones, and 22% don’t do anything at all to deter burglars.²

But studies show security systems do work. A 2017 study published in Crime Science points to increased security system use as the cause of decreasing burglary rates in England and Wales. And a 2018 survey of people convicted of burglary found that over 60% would skip a home obviously protected by security equipment. 

We hate to see people suffer the emotional and financial losses that come with a burglary. That’s why we stick to our motto that safety is a lifestyle, not an afterthought or a reaction to something bad that already happened.

It’s not possible to guarantee that you won’t fall victim to a burglary, but there’s a lot you can do now to make it far less likely.

• Stay off social media—at least when it comes to your home. Sixty percent of the burglary victims we talked to said they were active on social media daily or several times a week. Posting plans about going out on the town or flaunting beach shots from your vacation is a neon sign to burglars that no one’s at home. Don’t tag your posts with your location or share vacation glamour shots while you’re still out of town.
• Get insurance. One of the best ways to mitigate the fallout from a home break-in is to get your valuables covered by renters or homeowners insurance. If you have irreplaceable items, consider a home safe that’s bolted down or too heavy for a thief to run off with.
• Tend to your yard. Believe it or not, landscaping can play a role in keeping out the riff-raff. Keep shrubs and trees trimmed so they don’t become hiding spots. If you go on vacation, make sure someone mows the lawn while you’re gone so it doesn’t look like your house is vacant.
• Install a home security system. You can get an alarm system with 24/7 professional monitoring for far less than the cost of average home break-ins. Some DIY systems start out around $200 for equipment and have monitoring plans for as little as $10 a month. Plus, most burglars admit they’d skip a house with a security system to seek out an easier target.
• Upgrade your locks. The locks that come standard on house and apartment doors aren’t usually the most secure. It’s easy to trade out a basic lock for one that meets high security standards and has a reputation for keeping criminals out.
• Shore up weaknesses. Look for security vulnerabilities around your home. It could be anything from a sliding glass door to an unlit path from the car to the front door. Adding an extra lock or an outdoor light with motion detection provides extra security and helps you sleep better at night.
• Talk to the landlord. If you’re a renter, you’re at high risk for a home break-in. Read your lease and talk to your landlord about any security concerns you have. Ask if you can upgrade the lock in your apartment, or add a compact all-in-one security system like the Abode Iota or Canary.
• Add a security camera. Sometimes all you need is an outdoor security camera to scare off a would-be intruder. Video doorbell cameras are another good way to keep tabs on your property and let the burglars know you’re watching.
• Don’t wait. Too many people put off home security until after they’ve already been burgled. It’s easy to think that burglary is something that happens to “other people,” but the truth is it could happen to any of us. Take action now to make sure your home, valuables, pets, and people are all protected.

1. FBI, Uniform Crime Reporting, “Crime in the United States 2019, Burglary." Accessed August 2025.
2. SafeWise, “The State of Safety in America 2025.” Accessed August 2025.
3. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, “Charlotte Residential Burglary Victimization Survey: Exploring Post-Burglary Adaption from a Victim’s Perspective.” Accessed August 2025.
4. FBI, Uniform Crime Reporting, “Crime in the United States 2019, Table 7.” Accessed August 2025.
5. Statista, “The US States with the Highest Rates of Burglary.” February 2018. Accessed August 2025.
6. FBI, Uniform Crime Reporting, “Crime in the United States 2019, Table 5.” Accessed August 2025.
7. US Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, “Household Burglary, 1994–2011.” Accessed August 2025.
8. FBI, "Crime Data Explorer - Expanded Property Crime." Accessed August 2025.
9. FBI, "Crime Data Explorer - Crime Trends." Accessed August 2025.
10. FBI, "UCR Summary of Reported Crimes in the Nation, 2024." August 2025. Accessed August 2025.