Are You Living In A State That Reported The Most Auto Thefts Last Year?

Vehicle thefts continue to surge in the U.S. as part of a trend that began back in 2020 with the sudden onset of COVID-19 and the plethora of cars left parked for extended periods due to work-at-home recommendations and business and school shutdowns. We’re all back to school now and, for the most part, the office, yet the number of stolen vehicles continues to rise. Last year 1,020,729 purloined rides were reported to law enforcement, which is a far cry from the 721,885 motor vehicle thefts that occurred in pre-pandemic 2019.

According to the annual “Hot Spots” report issued by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) and based on information provided by the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), California suffered the most car thefts overall last year with 208,668 reported. A total of 24 states experienced a surge in vehicular larceny. On a per-capita basis, the District of Columbia suffered the highest saturation of car crimes in 2023, with the equivalent of 1,149,71 vehicles stolen per 100,000 residents. The latter approach allows the NICB to compare smaller with larger regions with regard to theft frequency.

As it stands, the NICB says that urban centers and densely populated areas remain among the hottest spots for auto larceny, with five states appearing on both the overall and per-capita theft lists, namely California, Texas, Washington, Colorado and Missouri. The District of Columbia and the state of Missouri reported the largest increases in stolen vehicles last year at a plus-64% and 63%, respectively. We’re counting down the top 10 in both regards below.

"The repercussions of vehicle theft extend beyond financial losses, causing significant distress and inconvenience for affected individuals” says David J. Glawe, the NICB’s President and CEO. “Beyond the financial burden of replacing stolen vehicles and repairing damages, victims often endure emotional stress and disruption to their daily routines."

The Most Popular Rides For The Wrong Reasons

As we’ve pointed out in past posts, it’s not the newest, fastest and flashiest rides that most often garner a car crook’s attention, but rather older and well-worn popular models that might otherwise blend into a crowded parking lot. They’re most often driven or towed to a so-called “chop shop” and dismantled into replacement parts that can be passed off to unscrupulous vendors and sold to repair shops and consumers, often via the Internet. Especially prized in recent years is a vehicle’s catalytic converter, which is a key anti-emissions component that alone can command as much as $250 or more on the gray market for its underlying precious metals, including platinum, palladium, and rhodium.

The most-appropriated models, and by a wide margin, according to the NICB’s most-recent “Hot Wheels” list are the full-size Chevrolet Silverado and Ford F-Series pickup trucks. Other frequently stolen vehicles include the Honda Civic and Accord, Hyundai Sonata and Elantra, and Toyota Camry passenger cars, the GMC Sierra pickup and Honda CR-V SUV. Of note, last year the Hyundai and Kia models accounted for three of the top 10 models in this regard, which is up from zero in previous years. This is due largely to social media posts showing would-be crooks how to start up and subsequently drive off models that lack critical engine immobilizer technology.

It’s always prudent to install an anti-theft device to add a layer of vehicular security, and these days that should include one that protects the catalytic converter. Aside from that, the usual cautions apply, namely to park inside a locked garage at home and in a well-lit and well-populated spot out on public, and to always lock the car and take the keys with you, no matter for how short a period it may take to pay for gas or run into a convenience store for a carton of milk.

Hot Spots For Vehicle Crimes

These are the states that reported the most vehicle thefts, according to the NICB, with the overall totals noted for each:

1. California: 208,668
2. Texas: 115,013
3. Florida: 46,213
4. Washington: 43,160
5. Illinois: 41,528
6. Colorado: 34,068
7. New York: 32,715
8. Ohio: 31,647
9. Georgia: 28,171
10. Missouri: 27,279

And here are the top 10 states for vehicle thefts during 2023 relative to population size, with the number of vehicles stolen per 100,000 residents noted:

1. District of Columbia: 1,150
2. Colorado: 583
3. Nevada: 573
4. Washington: 554
5. California: 534
6. New Mexico: 490
7. Missouri: 442
8. Maryland: 429
9. Oregon: 394
10. Texas: 383

Source: NICB. The full report can be found here.