Crime in Altoona, Pennsylvania

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Altoona, however, property crimes account for only about 72% of all offenses.

Property crime is less prevalent in Altoona than it is nationwide. There were 675 property crimes in Altoona in 2019, or 1,554 for every 100,000 residents. Meanwhile, the national property crime rate is 2,110 incidents per 100,000 people.

Larceny

Larceny is by far the most common type of property crime in the U.S. It is also the most commonly committed type of property crime in Altoona. There were 481 larcenies reported in Altoona in 2019, or 1,108 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 142 break-ins reported in Altoona in 2019, or 327 for every 100,000 residents. For reference, there were 341 reported burglaries for every 100,000 people nationwide in 2019.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Across the United States, the annual motor vehicle theft rate is 220 for every 100,000 people. In Altoona, meanwhile, there were 52 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 120 for every 100,000 people.

Violent crime

Violent crime accounts for a relatively small share of crimes nationwide. These offenses, which are generally more egregious than property crimes, account for about 15% of the nearly 8.2 million offenses reported across the U.S. in 2019. In Altoona, however, violent offenses account for a larger 28% share of all reported crime.

At 608 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Altoona is well above the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Altoona reported a total of 264 violent crimes in 2019.

Aggravated Assault

Aggravated assault is by far the most common type of violent crime reported in the U.S. It is also the most commonly reported violent offense in Altoona. There were 159 aggravated assaults reported in Altoona in 2019, or 366 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is lower, standing at 250 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.

Robbery

Robbery is the second most common type of violent crime in America. There were 22 robberies reported in Altoona in 2019, a rate of 51 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 83 rapes reported in Altoona in 2019, or 191 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

While there were 16,425 murders nationwide in 2019, none were reported in Altoona.