Crime in Columbus, Ohio

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Columbus, however, property crimes account for about 87% of all offenses.

Property crime is more prevalent in Columbus than it is nationwide. There were 29,974 property crimes in Columbus in 2019, or 3,308 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 Columbus. There were 20,606 larcenies reported in Columbus in 2019, or 2,274 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 5,809 break-ins reported in Columbus in 2019, or 641 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 Columbus, meanwhile, there were 3,559 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 393 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 Columbus, however, violent offenses account for a smaller 13% share of all reported crime.

At 503 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Columbus is above the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Columbus reported a total of 4,561 violent crimes in 2019.

Aggravated Assault

Aggravated assault is by far the most common type of violent crime reported in the U.S. In Columbus, however, robbery is the most commonly reported type of violent crime. There were 1,788 aggravated assaults reported in Columbus in 2019, or 197 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 1,810 robberies reported in Columbus in 2019, a rate of 200 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 882 rapes reported in Columbus in 2019, or 97 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There were 81 homicides committed in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Columbus is 8.9 murders for every 100,000 people, considerably higher than the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.