Crime in Boston, Massachusetts

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2018. In Boston, however, property crimes account for only about 76% of all offenses.

Property crime is less prevalent in Boston than it is nationwide. There were 14,007 property crimes in Boston in 2018, or 2,016 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 Boston. There were 11,000 larcenies reported in Boston in 2018, or 1,583 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,595 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 1,853 break-ins reported in Boston in 2018, or 267 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 Boston, meanwhile, there were 1,154 motor vehicle thefts in 2018, or 166 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 Boston, however, violent offenses account for a larger 24% share of all reported crime.

At 622 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Boston is well above the national violent crime rate of 381 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Boston reported a total of 4,324 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 Boston. There were 2,818 aggravated assaults reported in Boston in 2018, or 406 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 1,172 robberies reported in Boston in 2018, a rate of 169 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 86 per 100,000 in 2018.

Rape

There were 278 rapes reported in Boston in 2018, or 40 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,380 rapes in 2018, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There were 56 homicides committed in the city in 2018. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Boston is 8.1 murders for every 100,000 people, higher than the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.