Crime in Columbia, Missouri

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Columbia, however, property crimes account for about 89% of all offenses.

Property crime is more prevalent in Columbia than it is nationwide. There were 3,243 property crimes in Columbia in 2019, or 2,594 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 Columbia. There were 2,431 larcenies reported in Columbia in 2019, or 1,945 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 499 break-ins reported in Columbia in 2019, or 399 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 Columbia, meanwhile, there were 313 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 250 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 Columbia, however, violent offenses account for a smaller 11% share of all reported crime.

At 321 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Columbia is below the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Columbia reported a total of 401 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 Columbia. There were 247 aggravated assaults reported in Columbia in 2019, or 198 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is higher, standing at 250 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.

Robbery

Robbery is the second most common type of violent crime in America. There were 74 robberies reported in Columbia in 2019, a rate of 59 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 69 rapes reported in Columbia in 2019, or 55 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There were 11 homicides committed in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Columbia is 8.8 murders for every 100,000 people, considerably higher than the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.