Crime in Roanoke, Virginia

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Roanoke, however, property crimes account for about 92% of all offenses.

Property crime is much more prevalent in Roanoke than it is nationwide. There were 4,402 property crimes in Roanoke in 2019, or 4,413 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 Roanoke. There were 3,585 larcenies reported in Roanoke in 2019, or 3,594 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 519 break-ins reported in Roanoke in 2019, or 520 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 Roanoke, meanwhile, there were 298 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 299 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 Roanoke, however, violent offenses account for a smaller 8% share of all reported crime.

At 387 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Roanoke is about the same as the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Roanoke reported a total of 386 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 Roanoke. There were 226 aggravated assaults reported in Roanoke in 2019, or 227 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 106 robberies reported in Roanoke in 2019, a rate of 106 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 41 rapes reported in Roanoke in 2019, or 41 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There were 13 homicides committed in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Roanoke is 13.0 murders for every 100,000 people, more than double the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.