Crime in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Lower Merion Township, however, property crimes account for about 97% of all offenses.

Despite accounting for a higher than average share of total offenses, property crime is less prevalent in Lower Merion Township than it is nationwide. There were 874 property crimes in Lower Merion Township in 2019, or 1,462 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 Lower Merion Township. There were 762 larcenies reported in Lower Merion Township in 2019, or 1,274 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 78 break-ins reported in Lower Merion Township in 2019, or 130 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 Lower Merion Township, meanwhile, there were 34 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 57 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 Lower Merion Township, however, violent offenses account for a much smaller 3% share of all reported crime.

At 49 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Lower Merion Township is well below the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Lower Merion Township reported a total of 29 violent crimes in 2019.

Aggravated Assault

Aggravated assault is by far the most common type of violent crime reported in the U.S. In Lower Merion Township, however, robbery is the most commonly reported type of violent crime. There were 8 aggravated assaults reported in Lower Merion Township in 2019, or 13 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is far 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 19 robberies reported in Lower Merion Township in 2019, a rate of 32 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 2 rapes reported in Lower Merion Township in 2019, or 3 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

While there were 16,425 murders nationwide in 2019, none were reported in Lower Merion Township.