How the property crime rate in Louisiana compares to the nation

Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall St. via The Center Square

Louisiana has the highest property crime rate in the country, according to data released in late December.

There were a total of 133,989 property crimes reported in Louisiana in 2020. Adjusting for population, there were 2,884 property crimes for every 100,000 people, the highest property crime rate among states and higher than the national rate of 1,958 per 100,000 people.

Property crimes are by far the most commonly reported of all major crimes in the United States, accounting for over 80% of the most serious offenses tracked and reported by the FBI. Property crimes fall into one of three categories: larceny, burglary, and vehicle theft.

Larceny is defined as the unlawful taking of property — pickpocketing and shoplifting being two common examples. Burglary, defined as the illegal entry of a structure to commit a crime, such as theft, is the most severe form of property crime tracked by the FBI. Vehicle-theft, meanwhile, is a crime that can be either the theft, or the attempted theft, of a vehicle, such a car, motorcycle, or ATV.

Larceny is by far the most commonly reported property crime nationwide. The same pattern holds in Louisiana, where larceny accounted for about 73% of all major nonviolent offenses in 2020. Burglary, meanwhile, comprised about 18% of reported property crimes in the state, and motor vehicle theft accounted for 9%.

All data in this story, including population estimates used to calculate crime rates, are from the FBI.