Washington has most burglaries per capita by far, according to study of FBI crime data

BELLINGHAM – Washington has the highest burglary rate of any state in the U.S., according to an analysis of FBI crime data conducted by Suzuki Law Offices.

The Arizona-based law firm concluded that Washington saw 548.4 burglaries per 100,000 residents, more than double the national rate of 254.3. Washington’s burglary rate was over seven times higher than last-place New Hampshire, which saw 76.2 burglaries for every 100,000 people.

In second place was New Mexico, with 481.1 burglaries per 100,000 residents, followed by Oklahoma at 456.3 and Arkansas at 433.6.

Washington saw 43,481 burglaries in 2022, a 6% increase from the previous year, and $6,195 worth of items was stolen in the average burglary across the state.

Burglaries in Washington rose every year between 2019 and 2022, after declining for the previous seven years, according to the FBI’s data. Over 24,000 break-ins in the state occurred at nonresidential buildings, while just over 18,000 occurred at residential buildings. Stolen cars accounted for more value than any other item taken in the state, but they also accounted for the vast majority of items recovered after a burglary.

On a national level, burglaries had declined each year since 2012 before rising by 26% in 2022. But that number is slightly misleading due to a significant drop in burglaries the year before – 2022 levels were still lower than they had been in 2020.