
Car Theft Hot Spots
Make and model aren't the only predictors of car theft, so is location. For instance, drivers in the nation's capital are 16 times more likely to have their car stolen than in Vermont.
Some cars are magnets for theft. The flashier they are, the bigger a target. But it’s not just what you drive, but where you drive it, apparently.
While the 1994 Honda Accord is the most frequently stolen car in the United States, Forbes reported that 1 out of every 10 Corvettes sold in the last 30 years is said to have been stolen. And if it’s registered in the nation’s capital, then the car is even more likely to be pinched.
According to data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau,
10. Michigan
Thefts per 100,000: 322.1
Total thefts: 25,115
Change from 2011: 0.8%
Circus Park in Detroit. Photo by Mike Russell.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Detroit has one of the highest car theft rates. The city has really been plagued with troubles, and cars aren’t the only things being stolen, according to reports out of the city. The state’s unemployment rate is still at 7.8%, while Detroit, alone, is still at 9%. Plus, the city is burdened with a high number of foreclosures.
9. Oklahoma
Thefts per 100,000: 336.2
Total thefts: 11,564
Change from 2011: 4.3%
Bricktown, Oklahoma City
Although Oklahoma is one of the least educated states (ranked 43), it has low unemployment, low cost of living, but car theft is on the rise by a fairly substantial amount. Back in 2011 10th Street and Hudson Avenue were named
8. South Carolina
Thefts per 100,000: 338.8
Total thefts: 13,201
Change from 2011: -3.2%
Columbia
For 3 years, Charleston, SC, has been named
7. Arizona
Thefts per 100,000: 371.1
Total thefts: 19,158
Change from 2011: -3.2%
Downtown Phoenix
Arizona may be a good state to retire thanks to its warm weather, and Chandler and Scottsdale may be two of the safest cities in America, but the state is battling economic troubles with GDP at -4.35% from 2008 to 2012 and one of the worst crime rates, according to MoneyRates.com. Yuma is still in a recession with employment down 1.9% in 2013 and Gross Mean Product down 3.2%,
Even worse than the state having a high car theft rate is the fact that it’s already the sixth most expensive state to own a car, with repairs, taxes/fees, gas and insurance costing $3,886 a year.
6. Georgia
Thefts per 100,000: 373.2
Total thefts: 28,536
Change from 2011: -3.8%
Downtown Macon
Georgia’s residents are the
5. Maryland
Thefts per 100,000: 377.3
Total thefts: 15,025
Change from 2011: -6.5%
Bethesda. Photo by
Maryland is one of the most educated states in the country, but it’s also the fourth worst for minimum-wage workers and one of the worst for the unemployed. Car thieves will have nice pickings, though. Maryland is home to
4. Washington
Thefts per 100,000: 451.3
Total thefts: 26,402
Change from 2011: 6.4%
Seattle. Photo
In 2011 the auto theft unit of the Washington State Patrol shut down due to a lack of funding, shortly after Spokane was ranked 4 in the nation for auto theft (though, last year it was down to 9), Yakima jumped into the top 10 as well. Meanwhile the Greater Seattle/Tacoma/Bellevue area was just outside of the top 10.
Apparently, Seattle is a favorite of thieves because the city is close to the freeway, to the ports and to the international border with Canada.
3. Nevada
Thefts per 100,000: 470.3
Total thefts: 10,018
Change from 2011: 4.6%
The Las Vegas Strip. Photo: ©
Living in Nevada isn’t easy: the state has the highest unemployment, the most divorced residents, one of the worst foreclosure rates, the lowest GDP growth, and is the eighth most miserable state. But it also has the second biggest individual tax refunds, no corporate or individual income taxes, and is one of the best states for minimum-wage workers (who can find a job).
2. California
Thefts per 100,000: 608.6
Total thefts: 168,608
Change from 2011: 14.8%
Sacramento
California has the largest number of registered vehicles by a good 7 million and it has, by far, the largest number of thefts—a good 100,000 more than runner up Texas. Unfortunately, the increase in car theft was the third worst in the nation (while the national average fell). California had 8 of the top 10 hot spots for vehicle thefts.
All those cars being stolen are probably pretty nice, too, since California has the most million-dollar tax filers and one of the largest wage increases. (But the state also has the fourth highest unemployment.)
1. District of Columbia
Thefts per 100,000: 1,135.7
Total thefts: 3,661
Change from 2011: -17.9%
Row houses in Dupont Circle in downtown DC
The nation’s capital actually has one of the lowest numbers of total thefts, but it also has the smallest number of registered vehicles (almost half as much as second-smallest Vermont), which skews the numbers slightly.
DC is an odd amalgamation of people. According to a number of Bloomberg reports, the city has the most drunks, but is the most educated; it’s the worst for minimum-wage workers, but it has the largest wage increases, and it’s the third worst in the country for the unemployed, but has the fourth highest growth in GDP and population.
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