Burglary statistics come from two different measurement systems: household victimization surveys and offenses recorded by law-enforcement agencies. Together, the available figures describe the scale of burglary, long-term reported-offense trends, reporting behavior, state variation, and the risks when household members are present.
Key Burglary Statistics
The most useful headline figures span recent NCVS estimates, historical FBI UCR records, and specialized household-burglary research:
- In 2018, U.S. households experienced an estimated 1,867,620 burglary victimizations.
- In 2019, U.S. households experienced an estimated 1,484,730 burglary victimizations.
- In 2020, U.S. households experienced an estimated 1,210,640 burglary victimizations.
- In 2021, U.S. households experienced an estimated 1,142,900 burglary victimizations.
- In 2022, U.S. households experienced an estimated 1,324,030 burglary victimizations.
- In 2018, the burglary victimization rate was 15.0 per 1,000 U.S. households.
- In 2022, the burglary victimization rate was 10.1 per 1,000 U.S. households.
- In 1992, the FBI recorded 2,979,884 burglary offenses in the United States.
- In 2000, the FBI burglary rate was 728.8 offenses per 100,000 inhabitants in the United States.
- In 2007, the FBI recorded 2,219,000 burglary offenses in the United States.
- From 2020–2023, urban-residence households reported 41.8% of burglary/trespassing victimizations to police.
- From 2020–2023, rural-residence households reported 43.8% of burglary/trespassing victimizations to police.
- From 2017–19 to 2020–22, the national burglary victimization rate fell from 19.7 to 14.1 per 1,000 households.
- In 2020–22, burglary victimization rates across the 22 largest U.S. states ranged from 5.7 to 19.3 per 1,000 households.
- In 2020–22, Colorado’s burglary victimization rate was 19.3 per 1,000 households.
- In 2020–22, New Jersey’s burglary victimization rate was 5.7 per 1,000 households.
- From 2003–2007, an estimated 3.7 million household burglaries occurred each year on average.
- From 2003–2007, about 7% of household burglaries involved some form of violent victimization.
- From 2003–2007, about 266,560 household burglaries per year involved violent victimization.
Contents
- National burglary victimization counts and rates
- FBI burglary trends in reported offenses
- Burglary and trespassing reporting by residence
- State burglary victimization estimates
- Household burglary presence, violence, and injury
National Burglary Victimization Statistics: Counts and Rates
The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) measures victimizations reported by surveyed households, including incidents that were never reported to police. Its 2022 series separates burglary from trespassing and defines burglary around unlawful, forcible, or attempted entry of a residence or other structure; trespassing on land is excluded.
| Year | Estimated burglary victimizations | Rate per 1,000 households |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 1,867,620 | 15.0 |
| 2019 | 1,484,730 | 11.7 |
| 2020 | 1,210,640 | 9.5 |
| 2021 | 1,142,900 | 8.8 |
| 2022 | 1,324,030 | 10.1 |
Source: Criminal Victimization, 2022. These are NCVS estimates for United States households, not counts of offenses known to police.
The rate declined from 15.0 victimizations per 1,000 households in 2018 to 8.8 in 2021, then rose to 10.1 in 2022. The count likewise reached its lowest supplied point in 2021 before increasing in 2022, while remaining below the 2018 estimate.
These measures are best read as household victimization estimates rather than a direct count of police cases. They include incidents that may not enter administrative crime records, so they are not interchangeable with FBI UCR reported-offense figures.
FBI Burglary Trends in Reported Offenses
The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) series measures burglary offenses reported by participating law-enforcement agencies. It uses offenses per 100,000 inhabitants for rates, which is a different population denominator from the NCVS household rate.
| Year | FBI reported burglary offenses | Rate per 100,000 inhabitants |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 2,979,884 | 1,168.4 |
| 1995 | 2,618,550 | 998.5 |
| 2000 | 2,050,000 | 728.8 |
| 2005 | 2,154,000 | 715.3 |
| 2007 | 2,219,000 | 722.5 |
Source: Crime in the United States by Volume and Rate per 100,000 Inhabitants, 1992–2011, Table 1.
The reported-offense count fell from 2,979,884 in 1992 to 2,050,000 in 2000, while the rate fell from 1,168.4 to 728.8 per 100,000 inhabitants. The supplied series then shows modest increases in reported volume through 2007, reaching 2,219,000 offenses and a rate of 722.5.
Additional annual UCR observations show the rate at 1,099.7 in 1993, 1,042.1 in 1994, 945.6 in 1996, 918.0 in 1997, 861.9 in 1998, and 765.8 in 1999. It was 741.8 in 2001, 747.0 in 2002, 726.7 in 2003, 714.5 in 2004, 717.7 in 2006, and 722.5 in 2007.
The UCR figures describe offenses known to participating agencies, whereas NCVS figures estimate household victimizations. Differences in coverage, reporting, unit, and denominator mean the two series should be used to describe different aspects of burglary rather than combined into one trend.
Burglary and Trespassing Reporting Rates by Residence
BJS reporting estimates for 2020–2023 combine burglary and trespassing victimizations. Urban, suburban, and rural categories refer to the victim household’s residence location, not necessarily the location of the incident.
| Residence of victim household | Burglary/trespassing reported to police | All property victimizations reported |
|---|---|---|
| Urban | 41.8% | 25.1% |
| Suburban | 42.6% | 32.6% |
| Rural | 43.8% | 36.1% |
Source: Reporting to Police by Type of Crime and Location of Residence, 2020–2023.
For the combined burglary/trespassing category, the reported share was 41.8% for urban-residence households, 42.6% for suburban-residence households, and 43.8% for rural-residence households. The all-property comparison is broader and should not be interpreted as a burglary-only rate.
The property category shows lower reporting shares overall: 25.1% in urban areas, 32.6% in suburban areas, and 36.1% in rural areas. Because the burglary/trespassing and all-property measures cover different categories, the table supports comparison of reporting measures but not a single universal reporting probability.
State Burglary Statistics from the 22 Largest States
Three-year NCVS estimates provide a broader state view than a single annual survey estimate. Between 2017–19 and 2020–22, the national burglary victimization rate fell from 19.7 to 14.1 per 1,000 households.
During 2020–22, rates among the 22 largest U.S. states ranged from 5.7 to 19.3 per 1,000 households. BJS cautions against ranking states, and the estimates come from restricted-use NCVS data covering three years rather than one-year observations.
| State or comparison | Burglary victimization rate, 2020–22 |
|---|---|
| United States | 14.1 per 1,000 households |
| Colorado | 19.3 per 1,000 households |
| Minnesota | 18.4 per 1,000 households |
| Georgia | 11.3 per 1,000 households |
| Florida | 9.9 per 1,000 households |
| New Jersey | 5.7 per 1,000 households |
Source: Criminal Victimization in the 22 Largest U.S. States, 2020–2022.
Colorado’s estimated rate was 19.3, Minnesota’s was 18.4, Georgia’s was 11.3, Florida’s was 9.9, and New Jersey’s was 5.7 per 1,000 households. BJS reported Minnesota as the only state rate higher than the national rate in this comparison.
These values are estimates for households over a three-year period. They indicate measured variation within the study, but the source’s caution against ranking states is important because survey estimates have uncertainty and the states are not represented by identical annual periods.
Household Burglary Statistics: Presence, Violence, and Injury
An older BJS NCVS analysis estimated an average of 3.7 million household burglaries per year from 2003 through 2007. The figures below describe that period and should not be presented as current prevalence.
About 7% of household burglaries involved some form of violent victimization, corresponding to about 266,560 household burglaries per year. The report used a special classification for violent burglaries, so these results are not a general current estimate of burglary harm.
Among violent burglaries during 2003–2007, offenders were known to victims in 65% of cases and were strangers in 28%. Those percentages apply only to violent burglaries, not to all household burglaries.
For household members who were home and experienced violence during a completed burglary, serious injuries accounted for 9% of injuries and minor injuries accounted for 36%. These injury shares apply to injuries in violent completed burglaries, not to every burglary or every household member.
Source: Victimization During Household Burglary.
The presence of a household member changes the harm measured by the survey: the older analysis distinguishes property intrusion from violent victimization and then separately describes injury severity. Keeping those populations and definitions explicit prevents the 2003–2007 harm estimates from being mistaken for the newer 2018–2022 prevalence series.