You Won’t Guess the U.S. City With the Worst Property Crime Problem

Advertising Disclosure: When you buy something by clicking links on our site, we may earn a small commission, but it never affects the products or services we recommend.

Burglar using crowbar to pry open window
Christian Delber / Shutterstock.com

Worried about your house being broken into? It turns out that cities like Detroit, New York and Los Angeles aren’t the riskiest spots in the country for burglary. The communities that see the greatest rate of property crime are cities you might never expect.

As part of its overview of home safety systems, the website Reviews.org analyzed 2016 FBI data on burglaries and larcenies. They excluded any city with fewer than 100,000 residents as well as motor vehicle-related crime. Then, they broke down the results into the top 10 cities with the least property crime and the top 10 cities with the most property crime.

Let’s start by looking at the 10 cities found to have the lowest rates of property crime, according to the Reviews.org findings:

10. Santa Clarita, California

NinjaNaj / Shutterstock.com

Population: 219,611
Property crimes per 1,000 people: 11.8

If you pick the right city, California can be a very safe place to live — at least as far as property crime goes. Santa Clarita, located north of Los Angeles, is the first of several cities from the state with a low property crime rate. It ranks 10th lowest for this risk, according to the Reviews.org report.

9. Simi Valley, California

Simi Valley, California
trekandshoot / Shutterstock.com

Population: 127,252
Property crimes per 1,000 people: 11.48

Being a safe community isn’t Simi Valley’s only claim to fame. The city, located about 30 miles from Los Angeles, is home to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, which also serves as the final resting place for the nation’s 40th president.

8. Rialto, California

Couple Senior w House
N/A / Shutterstock.com

Population: 103,893
Property crimes per 1,000 people: 11.15

Rialto is the last of the California communities on this list. The city, which is east of Los Angeles, had only 11.15 incidents of property crime for every 1,000 residents in 2016.

7. Allen, Texas

Allen, Texas suburban homes
Eric Urquhart / Shutterstock.com

Population: 101,020
Property crimes per 1,000 people: 10.79

Allen is a northern suburb of Dallas and an apparently safe place to hang your hat. Property crime reports show a rate of only 10.79 incidents per 1,000 residents there in 2016.

6. Sterling Heights, Michigan

Realtor showing a couple a home.
goodluz / Shutterstock.com

Population: 132,523
Property crimes per 1,000 people: 10.55

Found in affluent Macomb County, Sterling Heights is a suburb of Detroit. It ranks sixth on the list of cities with the lowest rates of property crime.

5. Naperville, Illinois

Naperville Illinois
Steve Cukrov / Shutterstock.com

Population: 148,070
Property crimes per 1,000 people: 10.41

Naperville is another city with a low property crime rate. The suburb of Chicago is home to 148,070 residents and in 2016 had a rate of only 10.41 property crimes for every 1,000 people.

4. Edison Township, New Jersey

Edison township
jgorzynik / Shutterstock.com

Population: 102,679
Property crimes per 1,000 people: 9.83

Yes, the Township of Edison is named in honor of Thomas Edison, the inventor who gave us lightbulbs, phonographs and so much more. Today, the community is home to 102,679 people who can feel snug in their beds at night knowing they live in a place with the fourth-lowest rate of property crime in the country.

3. Cary, North Carolina

Cary, North Carolina
KAD Photo / Shutterstock.com

Population: 164,835
Property crimes per 1,000 people: 9.69

You’ll find Cary just outside the North Carolina capital of Raleigh. Known formally as the Town of Cary, this affluent community prides itself on being progressive and well-educated.

2. Yonkers, New York

Eileen_10 / Shutterstock.com

Population: 202,075
Property crimes per 1,000 people: 9.6

Yonkers sits north of New York City alongside the Hudson River and features a mix of housing that includes luxury apartments and historic homes. Wherever they live, residents can rest assured that they are in one of the safest places in the country, as far as property crime is concerned.

1. Lakewood Township, New Jersey

Smiling people in a circle flashing the thumbs-up sign.
Syda Productions / Shutterstock.com

Population: 100,269
Property crimes per 1,000 people: 9.09

The Township of Lakewood just barely meets the population size criteria used by Reviews.org. With 100,269 people calling it home, it takes the crown as the community with the lowest rate of property crime in the country.

On the other hand, here are the 10 communities that scored worst in the country for property crime — again, among cities with a population of at least 100,000 — starting with the least bad:

10. Tallahassee, Florida

Tallahassee, Florida
Felix Mizioznikov / Shutterstock.com

Population: 191,564
Property crimes per 1,000 people: 52.07

The weather might always be sunny in Florida, but that doesn’t mean everything is paradise. With 52.07 property crimes per 1,000 residents, Tallahassee has the tenth-highest rate of property crime in the country.

9. Tacoma, Washington

Tacoma
Diane Fetzner / Shutterstock.com

Population: 209,914
Property crimes per 1,000 people: 53.02

Residents in Tacoma, Washington, aren’t doing much better than those in Tallahassee. Reviews.org theorizes that property crime rates may be higher in smaller cities because they have fewer high-rise apartment buildings than big cities, and a single-family home may be easier to break into than an apartment on an upper level.

8. Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Fort Lauderdale
Miami2you / Shutterstock.com

Population: 181,218
Property crimes per 1,000 people: 53.59

Fort Lauderdale is another Florida city with a high crime rate. The city had a rate of 53.59 property crimes per 1,000 residents in 2016.

7. Albuquerque, New Mexico

Albuquerque, New Mexico
BrigitteT / Shutterstock.com

Population: 561,560
Property crimes per 1,000 people: 54.88

Some bigger cities do have big property crime rates. Albuquerque’s 561,560 residents have to contend with a property crime rate of 54.88 instances per 1,000 residents.

6. Tucson, Arizona

Tucson
Chris Rubino / Shutterstock.com

Population: 533,663
Property crimes per 1,000 people: 54.95

Tucson is another big city that lands in the top 10 for its high property crime rate. The city has more than a half-million residents, and there were 54.95 instances of property crime for every 1,000 residents in 2016.

5. Pueblo, Colorado

Homes in Pueblo, Colorado
WTS Photo Images / Shutterstock.com

Population: 109,927
Property crimes per 1,000 people: 57.33

The historic city of Pueblo has many things going for it — cultural attractions, outdoor recreation and a historic river walk, to name a few. However, its property crime rate means that when you leave your house to enjoy the city, you should be sure your alarm system is engaged.

4. Little Rock, Arkansas

View of Little Rock skyline
Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock.com

Population: 198,800
Property crimes per 1,000 people: 63.23

Most of the cities with high property crime rates aren’t necessarily prone to violent crime. However, Little Rock is the exception. Reviews.org says its analysis found the Arkansas capital would be a contender for a spot on a top 10 list of violent crime as well.

3. Spokane, Washington

Spokane, Washington by night
Jon Bilous / Shutterstock.com

Population: 214,028
Property crimes per 1,000 people: 67.58

Located near the eastern border of Washington state, Spokane had a rate of 67.58 property crimes for every 1,000 residents in 2016.

2. Springfield, Missouri

Springfield, Missouri
Tyler Peters / Shutterstock.com

Population: 168,307
Property crimes per 1,000 people: 74.88

So much for the stereotype of Midwest towns as safe, sleepy places. In Springfield, Missouri, the property crime rate is more than eight times higher than of the city with the lowest property crime rate.

1. Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
Rigucci / Shutterstock.com

Population: 193,918
Property crimes per 1,000 people: 75.4

Can you believe it? Salt Lake City, capital of Utah and home of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (aka the Mormon Church), has the highest property crime rate in the country according to Reviews.org. There were 75.4 property crimes per 1,000 residents in 2016.

What do you make of these study results? Share with us in comments below or on our Facebook page.

Get smarter with your money!

Want the best money-news and tips to help you make more and spend less? Then sign up for the free Money Talks Newsletter to receive daily updates of personal finance news and advice, delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for our free newsletter today.