Crime in St. Joseph, Missouri

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In St. Joseph, however, property crimes account for about 91% of all offenses.

Property crime is much more prevalent in St. Joseph than it is nationwide. There were 4,355 property crimes in St. Joseph in 2019, or 5,740 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 St. Joseph. There were 3,132 larcenies reported in St. Joseph in 2019, or 4,128 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 584 break-ins reported in St. Joseph in 2019, or 770 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 St. Joseph, meanwhile, there were 639 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 842 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 St. Joseph, however, violent offenses account for a smaller 9% share of all reported crime.

At 568 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in St. Joseph is above the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in St. Joseph reported a total of 431 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 St. Joseph. There were 251 aggravated assaults reported in St. Joseph in 2019, or 331 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is 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 54 robberies reported in St. Joseph in 2019, a rate of 71 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 124 rapes reported in St. Joseph in 2019, or 163 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There were 2 homicides committed in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in St. Joseph is 2.6 murders for every 100,000 people, lower than the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.