Crime in Atlanta, Georgia

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2018. In Atlanta, property crimes account for only about 86% of all offenses.

Property crime is much more prevalent in Atlanta than it is nationwide. There were 23,091 property crimes in Atlanta in 2018, or 4,654 for every 100,000 residents. Meanwhile, the national property crime rate is 2,200 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 Atlanta. There were 16,701 larcenies reported in Atlanta in 2018, or 3,366 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,595 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 3,082 break-ins reported in Atlanta in 2018, or 621 for every 100,000 residents. For reference, there were 327 reported burglaries for every 100,000 people nationwide in 2018.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Across the United States, the annual motor vehicle theft rate is 229 for every 100,000 people. In Atlanta, meanwhile, there were 3,308 motor vehicle thefts in 2018, or 667 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 more than 8.4 million offenses reported across the U.S. in 2018. In Atlanta, however, violent offenses account for a smaller 14% share of all reported crime.

At 769 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Atlanta is well above the national violent crime rate of 381 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Atlanta reported a total of 3,814 violent crimes in 2018.

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 Atlanta. There were 2,382 aggravated assaults reported in Atlanta in 2018, or 480 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is far lower, standing at 247 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.

Robbery

Robbery is the second most common type of violent crime in America. There were 1,099 robberies reported in Atlanta in 2018, a rate of 222 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 86 per 100,000 in 2018.

Rape

There were 245 rapes reported in Atlanta in 2018, or 49 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,380 rapes in 2018, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There were 88 homicides committed in the city in 2018. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Atlanta is 17.7 murders for every 100,000 people, more than triple the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.