Crime in Cleveland, Ohio

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Cleveland, however, property crimes account for only about 75% of all offenses.

Despite accounting for a smaller than average share of total offenses, property crime is much more prevalent in Cleveland than it is nationwide. There were 17,057 property crimes in Cleveland in 2019, or 4,467 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 Cleveland. There were 9,968 larcenies reported in Cleveland in 2019, or 2,611 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 4,311 break-ins reported in Cleveland in 2019, or 1,129 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 Cleveland, meanwhile, there were 2,778 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 728 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 Cleveland, however, violent offenses account for a larger 25% share of all reported crime.

At 1,517 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Cleveland is well above the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Cleveland reported a total of 5,791 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 Cleveland. There were 3,325 aggravated assaults reported in Cleveland in 2019, or 871 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 1,895 robberies reported in Cleveland in 2019, a rate of 496 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 479 rapes reported in Cleveland in 2019, or 125 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There were 92 homicides committed in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Cleveland is 24.1 murders for every 100,000 people, more than four times higher than the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.