Crime in Chester, Pennsylvania

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Chester, however, property crimes account for only about 68% of all offenses.

Despite accounting for a smaller than average share of total offenses, property crime is more prevalent in Chester than it is nationwide. There were 1,019 property crimes in Chester in 2019, or 3,006 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 Chester. There were 597 larcenies reported in Chester in 2019, or 1,761 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 254 break-ins reported in Chester in 2019, or 749 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 Chester, meanwhile, there were 168 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 496 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 Chester, however, violent offenses account for a much larger 32% share of all reported crime.

At 1,383 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Chester is well above the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Chester reported a total of 469 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 Chester. There were 280 aggravated assaults reported in Chester in 2019, or 826 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is far 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 142 robberies reported in Chester in 2019, a rate of 419 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 29 rapes reported in Chester in 2019, or 86 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There were 18 homicides committed in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Chester is 53.1 murders for every 100,000 people, many times higher than the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.